The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-02-23
NOT PROVEN GUILTY.
Clarke Will Not Be Convicted
of Bribing Metcalfe.
NORMAL SCHOOL COMMISSION.
Two Oyster Bed Bills-Eight Hours for
Niners-Too Many state
OmcerS.

OLYMPIA, Feb. 22.-[Special. 1.-The Met
calfe investigating committee IL expected
to report tomorrow. Its finding Is not at
all likely to be definite or conclusive. The
committee is understood to be practically
divided, and the chances are that II the
whole matter is canvassed by the House
there will be q similar failure to secure
unanimous and conclusive report.
The matter has all along been
largely q question Of veracity between
Metcalfe and Clarke. 1t is easier to deny
than to prove, and though Metcalfe's
statements have in every instance been
found to be exactly correct where he de-
pended upon circumstances and corrobo-
rative evidence to prove them, there is no
testimony except his own that re-
lates directly to the tender Of
the money. He asserts that
Clarke gave him the money, and Clarke
denies it. A part of the committee thinks
the direct and circumstantial testimony
sufficient to convict Clarke, and a part
does not. The probability is, therefore,
that the committee will submit the whole
matter to the House without recon-
mendation.
The Normal school question is in fair
way to be settled as the Legislature has
almost invariably in the past disposed OF
vexed questions as to the location Of pub
lie institutions. The House committee on
normal schools Saturday morning re-
ported bill providing for the location Of
two normal schools west of the Cascade
mountains by FIVE commissioners, to be
appointed by the governor. Sites Of not
less than ten acres shall be donated at the
places where the schools are located. The
commission shall first visit the following
places, which have offered bills and sites
for the location of normal schools: Lyn-
den, Whatcom county; Willapa, Pacific
county; San de Fuca, Island county; Cath
lamet, Wahkiakum county; LiIliwaup
Falls, Mason county; and Kelso, Cowlitz
county. And the availability of these
sites ehall first be determined before any
other sites are considered or visited. The
commissioner shall locate the schools be-
fore July. 1891 Washington now has two
schools east of the Cascades, at Ellens-
bu-g and Cheney, and it is considered a
fair distribution to locate two more on this
side.
The House committee on tide lands has
reported two bills relative to natural
oyster beds, and they are radical change
from propositions on this subject hereto
fore made. The first bill provides that
where any person has planted oyster beds
upon the tide lands of the state he shall be
granted period of not less than six months
nor more than three years after said
land has been sold by the state to remove
the same. At the expiration of that time,
if he fails so to remove, he shall be deemed
to have forfeited his beds to the purchaser
Of the land. The second bill provides that
where any Of the tide lands of the state
are covered by natural oyster beds, within
two miles of any incorporated city, so
much of the land as may be necessary for
the preservation of the beds shall be
created into oyster reserves, which shall
not be offered for sale or lease, nor leased.
Boards OF appraisers shall determine the
extent of these reserves. The act is open
to appeals and supervision the same as
the general tide land law. No mention of
natural oyster beds is made in the present
law.
The objection of "class legislation" will |
doubtless be raised to bill by Repsesen-
tative Mcknight, providing that eight
hours shall constitute days work for all |
persons working in and around coal mines. |
The House on Saturday morning indefin- |
itely postponed Meany's bill to create the |
Office of warden of the poor. Snively re-
marked: ''If we passed all the bills to |
create new Offices. we would have enough |
Of a government to run Roman empire
enough commissions at this time to run |
several ordinary empires of the present |
day.