Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1894-12-29
STIRRING TIMES AT HAND.
Legislative ASsemblymen Pouring
= Into the Capital-Members of
Council and House.
Very Many Contests-A Mandamus
Sprung on Secretary Miller
Official and Personal
Gossip.

1t may be safely said that at the pres
ent writing the city is in the hands Of the
Lawmakers and politicians. The crowd
that came in last night from various
points was so large az to leave only
standing room for passengers in the two
or three coaches that brought them up
from Lamy; and it took two locomotives
to bring this aggregation of brain and
Drawn into town.
And yet the legislative session is still
two days off.
Tonight and tomorrow night the
number of newcomers will be equally as
large or still larger, and it seems certain
that when the legislature meets Monday
moE1ing the number in attendance from
one cause and another will be almost I'M
precedented in the history of similar
gatherings in this territory.
REPRESENTATIVE LOCKE TALKS.
Among those who are in the city is
Representa- VIM. Locke, of San
Juan county, who reached town last night
and is quartered at the Exchange. Mr..
Locke is one of the most popular and
substantial men ia his section of the ter
ritory. He says that things up in the
northeast portion of New Mexico are very
prosperous and that while the fruit crop
was little ebert this year the alfalfa and
other products yielded source of IN
come that hae made the people of San
Juan county among the most prosperous
in the west. The hopes of that section
for a new railroad have been deferred by
the prevalent hard times, but it is ex-
pected that during the coming year some
thing will be done to open up by railroad
the great resources of that section. Mr..
Locke will agitate legislation on two lines
in particular during the present session.
He thinks that some law should be passed
bv which the waters Of our streams shall
be equitably apportioned, and is in favor
of law similar to that in Colorado,
where the counties are divided into water
districts with commissioners in charge.
He will introduce bill on this line with
in the next two or three weeks. He also
thinks that steps should be taken to give
our public school system more funds. He
believes that this can be done by the
adjustment Of the office of county school
superintendent, leaving the direction Of
the schools in charge of local examiners.
The salary Of superintendent would thus
go to paying for teachers.
A MANDAMus ON SEQ. MILLER.
An Interesting feature connected with
the organization of the present legisla-
ture was the fling yesterday afternoon
by J. NJ. G. Chaves, the defeated candi-
date for the council from the 3rd district,
com posed of Taos, Rio Arriba and San
Juan counties, of an application for a
mandamus against Secretary Lorion Mil
Ter, directing that official to swear him in
as councilman on Monday, instead of
swearing in Mr.. Larragoite, who holds
the certificate from that district. Mr..
Chaves alleges that he was fairly elected
and says that when he got to town yes
terday he went to Secretary .Miller'ss Of
fee aud asked him if he was going to
swear him in as councilman. Secretary
Miller, SO the petition alleges, asked him
if he had certificate, whereupon Mr..
Chaves was obliged to admit that he
hadn't. Thereupon, it is alleged that
Secretary Miller told him that in organic
| ing the legislature he would have to be
guided BY the certificates presented.
Judge Laughlin upon reading the petit
ton ordered that the defendant be
served by s o'clock last night and that he
show cause at 2 O'Clock to-day why the
! mandamus should, not be granted az
prayed for. Secretary Miller was served
last night at 1880 o'clock.
THIS AFTERNOONS HEARING.
The hearing Of the case was taken up
before Judge Laughlin at2 o'clock, Judge
Fl. L. Warner and Mr.. j. 81. Crist ap-
peating for Secretary Miller, the defend
ant, and General E. L. Bartlett for Mr.
Chaves, the complainant. motion to
quash the application for mandamus was
made by the defendants on three grounds
First, that a mandamus will not be
granted to compel the performance of a
future duty; seco nd, the court has not
Jurisdiction to control the uis-
erection Of the territorial secre.
tary, the terms under which would.