The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-09-18
LEGISLATIVE FREAKS.
Tho Queer History Of . Montana A.
About Game Hides.

-
About Game Hides.
To Tho Independent;
On pnge four Of little pamphlet, puf-
POI sing to be a com. ilation OF the general
laws Of this state. complied by myself. APP
pears bill prohibiting tho exporting or
trAnspoi tation OF game hides ont OF the
state. A bill containing the words here
printed appears on pnge 50 Of tho laws Of
this fourteenth session, A. approved March
IL, 1885. and II 10 SO credited in the foot
note.
The insertion of this act has been ortiz
cised. In Wow of council joint resolution Of
Ma oh 10. 1887. This resolution reeites
that bill so entitled was introduced At the
fourteenth session, passed the house, was
aigned by the speaker of the house and the
president OF the council, approved by the
governor. printed In tho Official copy Of tho
laws OF the fourteenth session, and was
being enforced, but that 1t never passed the
council. The resolution then directs the
secretaty of state to omit from future COM
pilhtiona of tha laws "the alleged law
printed ON page 81 of ths laws Of the four
teenth session."
On further examination this curious state
OF facts appears. On March !, 1887. the
were again introduced in the legislature.
In the iRinal bill steatinR the compiled
statutes OF Montana" and wns enacted "a
a statute. There Ia no question as to the
formal validity of this ensctment. II
would further seem that this late law has
never been repealed. The foot note then
should mnrk II as this act of March !, 1887,
instead of March IL, 1885.
Bat this law of March |, 1887. thongh
properly enacted, was also omitted from
the printed copies OF the Compiled
statutes Of Montana" BY the seo'e etary Of
state. In view ns appears from the an nota-
tion on ths original act. Of the council joint
printed compilation was authorized by an
act of March 10. 1887. which enacted. In
substauos, among other thines: That all
acts and parts OF acts" passed at the fif-
teenth session, which repeal. smend OF
specify any act passed since 1873. shall be
construed TO repeal. amend or specify the
section of the ''oompilsd statutes of Mon
tana" which contains the same provisions.
What il an "act?' Section 1909 dif esta
THAT oil acts shall be design ated In each
such act. as follows: Be 1t enacted by the
legislative assembly of tho state Of Mon
tana." Was the council joint resolution
OF the fifteenth session suoh an act2 Did
the little pamphlet? II would seem not.
1t is to be hoped such queer freaks Of
legislation are not frequent, outside of
Montana. The a at bill never passed the
council. but was signed by the presiding
officers of both branches. approved by the
governor and enfo, oed as law. The seo-
ond bill WINS regularly ensoted but was not
printed OF enforced. because joint resolu-
tion rscited that the bill Of two years pre-
vious had not paased tho council.
he little act has q queer history. but II
is onls one of many. The fifteenth session
sp Mt weeks in repeating and amending
previously enacted laws, and then At the
end of the session re-enaoted in their orig
inal FORM in the act embodyinR tho COM
piled statutes of Montana, the very laws
they had been rel ealing. Discovering
their error at the eleventh hour. they at
temp cd to correct il by passing the con-
STRUNG statute referred to above.
Truly, our law sis fearfully and wonder
fully made" EDWARD g. RUSSELL.
Helena, Sept. II, 1893.