, 1890-08-07
THE BONDS ARE VOID
A Terrible Muddle Caused by Plac-
ing a Comma Where 1t DID
Not Belong.
All state and Munic'ca, Bends O
Whatsoever Nature, Temper
arily Worthless.

The placing of comma where
no comma belonged, has been the
means Of tieing up oil the bonds Is
sued In the great state of Washing
ton for whatsoever purpose.
Section 8 of article VIII Of the
state constitution reads as follows
mo. county, city, town, school dis.
trict or other municipal corporation,
shall for any purpose become In.
deb ted In any mannerto to an amount
exceeding one and half per cent.
um Of the taxable property In such
county, city, town, school district
or other municipal corporation
without the consent OF three-iifths
of the voters therein, voting at an
election to be held for that purpose, "
| etc.
The money lenders who have pur-
chased bonds have set up the claim
that the trainers of the constitu-
ton, by iL serting the comma after
the word "therein," meant that the
election should be carried, not by
three-iifths of the voters voting at
the election, but by three-tifths OF
all the legal voters; on these grounds
they refuse to accept the bonds.
This proposition Is of course absurd
for under this Interpretation II
would be necessary to take census
at every election to determine
whether thiee.fiths of the voters
had voted.
The constitution also provides
that mo bill shall embrace more
than one subject and that shall be
embraced in the title" The attor-
neys for the purchasers of the bonds
also raise the question that the
amendment to the act allowing
school districts to borrow money
and issue bonds, which provides for
an increase of the limit Of indebted
ness from p to s per cent. is void,
for the reason that 1t also provides
for the collection of interest on
bonds already issued, therefore en-
braciug two subjects under one title.
Judge Houghton, of this city, con-
tends that the latter portion OF this
amendment is simply void, because
II Is not embraced in the title, and
that the preceding portion of the
bill Is in no way affected.
Both the questions raised will
soon be submitted to the supreme
court, which, owing to the great
importance Of the case, will hold an
extra session as soon as possible.
The Spokane school bonds are
of course tied up with all the rest.
Mr.. Halsey, attorney for Farson,
Leach d Co., of Chicago, who pur-
chased the bonds, was in the city
on Monday, and said the Spokane
school bonds were perfect in every
particular, being the only bonds In
the state without an error of some
kind. The refusal of the purchasers
of the bonds to accept them
leaves the Spokane school dis
trict in bad shape, with four school
houses under way and no money to
continue the work. The school
board employed III. +. Hough ton
and b. c.. Van Houten to arrange
with Farson, Leach & Co. for tenn
porary advance and these gentle
men went to Seattle during the week
to meet Attorney Halsey, with
the result that an agreement was
reached whereby his firm agree to
advance 100000 TO the board pend
ing decision by the supreme court
upon the validity of the bonds. In
the light of the fucts presented there
is little doubt but that the supreme
court will declare the bonds valid.
1t Is expected that portion OF
the Sl0O, 900 to be advanced will be
received on next Tuesday. The
purchasers of the bonds have, OF
course, been secured, so that the
100000 will be refunded in the
event of the supreme court deciding
the bonds invalid.
In the meantime work on the
ward schoolhouses has been pushed
forward, the men being paid out OF
the funds already in the treasury
In case Farson, Leach d Co. had re-
fused 20 advance money pending g
decision by the supreme court firm
In Portland stood ready to take the
bonds.
Bids for the contracts for the higt
school building will be let durin ,
the coming week.