The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-01-26
THE HOUSE,
An Investigation Into an Unauthorized
Change In n Bill.

An Investigation Into an Unauthorized
Change in u Bill.
The house started the days business yes
terday by ordering the first investigation of
the session. 1t was in regard to the unau-
thorized erasure made in the bill intended
to locate tho insane asylum at Boulder.
Winter moved that the bill be recalled from
the committee on state institutions and
read again in the house. Iu explanation he
said that the words which located the asy-
lun lat or within three miles of Boulde "
had been Left out of the printed bill, and he
wanted to find out how the omission oc.
CURED. A. +. Bray, chairman of the COM
mittee on state institutions, explained that
when the bin reached him the place of 10.
cation had been erased in the title and in
the bill as we'll. 1t could be changed in
committee and save the trouble Of reading
the bill to the house again. Mon
tsath said he didn't like the looks of
things. No employe OF the house had any
right to make a change Of that kind in any
bill. 1t nigh: be a very important matter.
1t certainly was one which the house should
have looked into, in order to fix the respon-
sibility. Lockhart, who introduced the
bill. said the location of the asylum was
certainly in there when he sent it up to the
speakers desk and when the clerk read it.
Walkup, chairman of the printing commit
tee, said that when the hill was sent to him
to be printed, tho place of location had
been erased in the title by a red ink line.
The similar erasure in the body of the bill
he did not notice at the time, bat the olesk
of his committee had called his attention to
1t later. This erssure had been made by
running q lead pencil through the words
Fat or within three miles of Boulder" The
house decided it would be better,
in order to prevent such occur
renoes in the future, to have the one al
ready discovered fully Investigated and
punished. A committe was ordered to
look into the matter. Speaker Matthews
made several appointments to that commit
tee before he got it completed. Some
members didn't care to serve. and others
on committees through whose hands the
bill had passed were not. 1t was suggested,
the proper ones to investigate the matter.
Finally. after scve al declarations. the
speaker named Winter, Rose and Losee as
the committee. and refused to listen to any
further objections.
Bills we're int oduoed "a follows: BY
HetZei. for q state normal school at Twin
Bridges; by Monteath, allowing elections
for changes of county seats on petition of
one-third the qualified voters; by scharni-
kow, changing the ballot law 30 as to allow
pa ty candidates to be grouped; by Locke,
allowing appeals to district courts from
county commissioner and boards of equal
~ization; requiring school trustees to give
pohaey ofluiiS lot hPEolutl16ub Oh |
boards of equalization by judges of dis
trlct courts; regulating payment OF taxes
and penaitles; eIeni ting widows and Or
phans f ON assessment to the amount OF
$1,000; making school t ustees RESI- onsib. e
TO all moneys expended without express
authority.
Notices of bills were given as follows.
BY Cooler. for an act to ~lIotect state prop
erty: by Monteath, regulating the election
OF trustees of savlngs banks and safety and
trust deposlt companies; by Lockhatt, to
amend the license law; by charnikow, to
pay assessors for statistics furnished the
state in 1890, 1891 and 1892: to pay sheritfs
for transporting prisoners and serving ex-
tradition papers; to pa FOR services rem
dered the state boaid of arbitration; to
amend the revenue law OF 1891; by Gravee,
TO punish f auds at primary elections.
The Valley county bill fn3lly ran the
gauntlet of the house and will now take its
chances in the senate. The bill was calle!
u at the morning session and Bach got the
floor to o pose il. Before any progress
could be made time for voting for United
state senator arrived and the matter was
put off TILL the afternoon sesslou. hon
Judge Bach made an argument apaiust IL.
Claiming tuat 1t was unconstitutional in
several features. He also Claimed that of
the eight men here from no theru Dawson
asking for the bill Six W re- to rroft by
9ettlnu offices in the new county. H stated
that of the small number Of vote 8 in the
proposed county most OF them were
rall Dad men, WHO paid no tax EXCEPT poll
tax. The peopo owning cattle and shee,
In valley county wound move them over
the line into some county which was not
ovettaxed. Lewis replied denying that
there Was any constitutional objection. In
reference TO tl.e LOBBY Ll!6ged to be here in
favor of the bill, he said tue e were bat
four pe' sons, and they came as Il commit
tee from a mass meeting held at GLASGOW
N q unr .f vt.V ~ A.g. 1900
holders were named III tie bill until after
full consultation. He claimed that the
proposed new county showed II reg at alton
OF 4b2 vote 6 last fail. and had q population
OF =. 900 and over. Lewis GAINED that the
opposition to the bill was but the in .tIatory
step toward o. osinR the creation Of any
new counties. A motion by Bach to post-
pone confederation for one weak received
no second and the bill Was passed by the
following vote:
Ayes A-Annear. Ash, Babeock. Beeoher,
Benson. Bonner, A. +. Bray. c.. IL. Bray,