The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-01-08
LEGISLATIVE TOPICS.
Bills Passed to q Second Reading
and Committees Named In
the House.
The State Senators Will Soon be
Ready for Active Legis-
lative Work
Ramps While Away an Hour In Dis.
cnssing RuIcs-A Committee Of
tho Whole.

Legislation commenced in earnest yesfer
day. The house settled down to bushes
in the morning and within a few minute
fou bills were sent to a second reading, a
notice Of n bill was given and in the after
noon the standing committees were named
No active work was done III the senate asid,
from tho appointments of n committee u
apportion the governors message. Sever u
appropriation bills will probably be intro
duced in the house within the next few days
One Of the first of these will be the appro
priation for the care OF the insane. 1t was
rumorcd yesterday that this bill would bs
Immediately carried to the supreme court.
There WAS moro compromise talk yesterday
by. the republicans did all of the talking
The democrats will certainly continue ths
programme as already sta. ted. The rump,
met again yesterday but did nothing OF
special mention. The two houses will
meet again at II O'Clock this morning.
All representatives. were present Mt thu
roll call yesterday morning. After til!
usual opening MIR. Frank and Mr.. Beach
gave notice Of the introduction of seyera
DlIiS. MI JDchCI y DI}l III buS ShIb6 as III
troduced at tho last session known as HOUSE
bill No. S, and entitled: A bill for an act
requiring all county and district officers to
report the fees and emoluments received by
them to the county commissioners II re-
curing the county clerks to report the sub
stance thereof to the state auditor and for
publication OF the same. Among the re-
quIreinents. which are the same rs proposed
1oa& tNfny 9sn fkaf TIM As4 ahaI IA
made i'll writing on oath. ana shall be made
on the first Monday in March, June, Sep
TENDER and December of each year. These
reports must then be inspected by the
county commissioner ana reported by the
clerk to the auditor who will publish them
in his annual report and also re-
port them to the governor. Officers who
shall fail to comply with the provisions OF
this act shall be deemed guilty OF a migde-
meanor and on conviction thereof shall be
punished by q fine not exceeding 81, 600 for
each and every failure. Mr.. Beach il much
interested in the SUCCESS Of the measure.
The matter Of rules was very easily set
tied yesterday by the house. The COM
mittee. Representatives Higgins, Barrows
and Frank, simply reported in favor of the
adoption Of the rules of the last session.
and the report was accepted. The rules
were very carefully complied and were sub
jected to the severe criticism of the house
before adoption. The senate rules last year
were made up by the republican senators
and were very unsatisfactory to the demo
Gratis, This was made evident the other
morning when Senator Hedges sIyly moved
that the old rules continue until the COM
mittse was ready TO report. Senator Thorn
ton was on his feet in a moment to defeat
tho rnnfi0p 1t ia tho fnfapffrV, M fha I1,.
ocretic senators to exercise entire control
of the making up of the rules this year.
though they do not intend to exercise arbi-
tray methods of the Tom Reed sort. They
intend that the rules shall be perfectly fair
for all.
Rev. s. w. Hooking was reelected chap
lain Of the house yesterday morning by a
vote of l6 to IL. His opponent WAS "Rey.
j. NJ. Smith and his twelve children in
the language of Representative Beach. MI.
Hooking was a very popular chaplain last
winter, though under the circumstances the
Office was not worth mnch to him. He had
to travel in every morning over the Montana
Central road and back again at night. MI.
Hooking is n Cornisbman. and therefore
Grew the solid Cornish vote of the house.
Among the candidates for COMMITTEES clerk
ships are Miss Alice Andrews, of Granite,
and Miss McHugh, of Helena. Both ladies
were present in the house Yesterday nnder
the guidance of Hon. Peter Breen, a man as
gallant as ever walked. Miss Andrews is a
rEstler. She at ono time controlled the cir
culation of the Anaconda Standard in Gran
ite and Philipsburg, and made a greet
success of the venture. Both ladies are
confident of success in securing places. II
is not known yet how many committees
will employ clerks. There were several ap-
plications fioIn ladies for senate cierkships,
but tine senators preferred TO employ men.
The committee clerkships mean 81 a day
and light work.
Mr.. Wallace's bills. notice of which was
given yesterday, passed to Il second read
ing, They are as follows: House bill No.
/, Il bill entitled an act concerning interest:
house bill No ., regulating the payment of
labor done on materials furnished to rail-
ways; house bill No. 3. defining embezzle-
taries' fees. These may be brought up for
final passage within a few days.
The bill that aroused the most interest
was the first. The text il as follows:
A bill for an act entitled an act Concern
ing interest.
BE it enacted by the legislative assembly
of the state of Montana:
Sec. THAT sections LIS and T,Z37 of
Fifth division of the compiled statutes Of
Montana be and the same are hereby
amended go rs TO read az follows, to wit:
Sec. 1.53G-TEe legal rate of interest on
the forbearancc or loan of any money,
when there is TO aeseesnent between the
parties as specified liz section 1,23s of this
chapter, shall be seven per centum per an
nuiJ.
Sec. I,z37-Creditors shall be allowed TO
collect and receive interest when there il
no agreement az to the rate thereof at the
rate of seven per centum per annum for ali
moneys after they become due on any
bond. bill, ~promissory note or other instru-
ment Of writing, and on any Judgment rem
dered before any court or magistrate au-
thorized to enter mp the same within the
state from the date of rendition until salts
faction thereof; likewise money loaned or
due on the settlement of accounts from the
date of such loaning or settlement: on
money received TO the use of another and
retained without the owners kn~owIedge:
ans on all money however owing withheld
by an unreasonable and y~exatious DELAY.
The passage of a bill to reduce the legal
rate of interest from 10 TO seven per cent. is
at least very doubtful if expressions from
member indicate their votes. Tho same
subject was brought before the last terri
torial council and a bill to the same effect
wes defeated.
The other bills in order. provide that