The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-01-31
VALLEY COUNTY BILL.
II Goes Through the Senate With
But One Dissenting
Vote.
Tho Measure to Regulate Primary
Elections Lost in the
Upper House.
The Bill Fixing the Compensation OF EN-
ployss Occupies the limo of
the Lower Body.

Tho senate did its share yesterday to-
ward making another county BY passing
by an almost unanimous vote the bill GRE
ating Valley county. The measure has al
ready gone through the house, IL as
the senate passed 1t without amend
ment it will not take long to get it to the
governor. An attempt was made 10 recon-
slider the Flathead county bill but it failed,
and President Botkiu signed the Teton
bill, 80 that all in all, the new county bills
did very we'll yesterday. Monteath's bill to
regulate primary elections met its death III
the senate by q vote of ten against it to six
for it.
In the joint assembly Repr ssentativt
Bsecher broke the monotony OF many days
by giving notice that he was tired OF wha'
he termed ''child's play" and that he would
probably change his vote from Collins in q
day or go. For the frat time in about two
weeks there was a full vote OF the senate IN
joint assembly. The result was relatively
the same as for two weeks.
The house of representatives held a very
short session and practically accomplished
AObhluk htJOuA 4AhS ! oaaAh IAN JNAA
nal out of respect to the memory of ex-
Secretary of State James G. Blaine. What
little time the body was in session was
taken up in Il dispute over part Of the jour
nal of Saturdays proceedings. The jour
nal read that the house had concurred in
the senate amendments to the bill fixing
the number and compensation of the Off
Gers and employees of tho legislature. These
amendments provided for a stenogf apher
in the senate. just like the house has, and
did this also: They increased the per diem
of the president pro tenn Of the senate and
the speaker pro tenn of the house from Sc
to 80. The recollection of some of the
members was that when the amendments
we're read the speaker put the motion on
the question of concurrence and declared
them concurred in by a viva voce vote. His
attention was then called to the fact that
the concurrence of one house in amend
msnts to it's bills, made in the other, must
be had by an aye and nay vote. 1t
was then that the bill and
amendments were ordered placed OIL
general orders for consideration in commit
tee of the whole. For this reason the mem
bers questioned the correctness of the
journal in declaring the amendment CON
Cured in. Speaker Matthews. however.
held that his understanding of the matter
was in accord with the journal of proceed
ings. that the amendments were concurred
in. Speaker Pro tenn Bray had the same
recollection. be declared. Many OF those
present Saturday remember that later on
the speaker pro tenn protested against send
ing a measure that had been once passed
by the house. back to general orders; and
that he made a motion to take the bill from
general orders and concur i'll the senate
amendments. Judge Bach at the time
asked to have the two motions of the
speaker pro tenn divided, as he might be
willing to have the bill and amendments
taken from general orders. but did not
care to pledge himself az to how he would
vote on the amendments. This would in
dictate that the speaker pro tenn did not
think the amendments had been concurred
in. The house took no action what
ever on the speaker p.o tents
motion. but took up other businesses.
That was the position the matter was left
in on Saturday. After discussing the sit
uation of the bill and the amendments
yesterday without arriving at any definite
understanding, the journal of proceedings
was declared approved. Thus the records
of thu house show that the senate amend
nents we're concurred in and the bill, as
amended, referred to general orders. Some
of the older members, who have served in
legislative bodies before, say the whole
proceeding is irregular, and that the regu-
lar course Is this: When a bill is returned
10 the house in which it originated. with an
amendment made by the other house. the
question of concurring in the amendment
is put to an aye and nay vote, and either
carried or defeated; that il the motion
to concur is carried, the bill as
amended is ready to be enrolled; if the
motion to concur is defeated, q conference
10 asked with the body making the amend
ments. Strange to say the rules Of the p es-
ent house contain nothing bearing on the
subject of the exact method of procedure
for ~concurring or non-concurring in
amendments made By the senate to meas
ures o iQinating in the house. The only
provision in the Joint rules even indirectly
bearing on the matter Is Il provision fol
conferences in cases of Engagements be-
tween the houses. 1t is claimed by thos,
familiar with legislative methods that !!
the journal of proceedings is right IN show
ing that tho amendments vera coucurrot
in, tho bill had no business on genera
orders; there was but one further step t
be taken, and that %as to send 1t TO the en-
rolling committee to be prepared for til
governors signature.
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