St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-02-16
CLOUGH TO SENATE
A Controversy as to the Gus
t0dy OF an Important
Report.
PRIMARY ELECTIONS BILLS
Are Buried by Reference to
a Special Commit
tee.
PRIMARY ELECTIONS BILLS
EXPRESS COMPANY RATES.
The Miller Bill Considered by
the Railroad Commit
tee.

Hos the legislature the privilege OF
calling for documents from the gov
aTnor in special matters? is a ques-
+ion suggested by a resolution passed
nv the senate. and the answer mace
nv +ba executive. There may be d
difference between this proposition
and 2. request of the senate, as d
sAoarate body. on matters OF a par
+ia,,ta- nature. The question arose
over ;. resolution offered by Senator
Raishus some days since, asking the
erov-arro1. 10 send to the senate the
ranort of the expert architects EN-
,,1ovad nv the capitol commission on
7,Ians for the new. capitol. The gov
arnor is the chairman Of the com
mission. and responded in a letter.
which stated that the report of the
architects is merely advisory IN us
nature. and does not bind the COM
mission. The board thought that
for The report TO be printed and MADE
DubIjc before q decision has been
reached concerning the plans might
not serve the best interests OF the
srare- After that the report will be
given the papers for publication.
The governor added that, in the
meantime. the board, recognizing
the right of the senate to be put IN
pOssassion of full and complete in
formation. which the board desires
it to have. the board would be
Dleased to submit the report TO a
committee. not exceeding fifteen. al
the place where the plans and re-
mort are stored. 1t was suggested
that an inspection of the report in
connection with the plans would be
more satisfactory and better under
stood than would be possible by
merely hearing the report. When
this reply was read. Senator Refs
hus was not in the senate chamber.
Afterwards. when he had taken his
seat and conferred with Senator
Greer. who sits near him. he offered
another. resolution Of the same pur-
port as the first one.
Senator Stevens offered a substi-
tute. which provided for appointing
a committee Of fifteen. as suggested
in the letter of Gov. CIOugh, and
stated that he could see no present
necessity that the senate should be
guilty of discourtesy to the chief eX-
ecIreive of the state
Senator Refshus said it seemed
that a discovery had been made that
the last legislature was not wise
enough to pass a capitol bill A
change had apparently come over
the spirit OF their dream, and he
did not know whether it had come
when the land had been secured for
the site. at the time when the plans
were advertised for or after an in
spection Of the plans. He saw no
reason why all the senators should
not see the report. If it is all right
all would work in harmony with the
commission. and. if not. they wanted
to know it. If there is anything that
the ordinary "cIod-hOpper" should
not know, then let the senate go
into executive session and consider
it after binding themselves, with an
iron-clad oath. not to make it public.
If there is nothing of value in the
report. let it be thrown into the
waste basket.
Senator Stevens said there
seemed to be a misrepresentation on
the part of Senator Reishus. The
only point involved was that there
had been q competitive examination
over the plans. and the awards had
not been made 1t would be i'm
proper to make the report public
until after the matter be decided by
the commission
Senator Greer thought every sena-
tor should have the right to see the
report. If il should turn out that
the plans called for a capitol costing
S4000000 they should know it. He
had voted for the bill two years age
and would stand by it now if every
thing is righ- aud the bill is perfect
He alluded to new bill being of
fered soon after the meeting of the
legislature.
Senator Yale said that he had nc
doubt that the commission could be
relied upon TO do what is right. He
would be willing TO trust the matter
to the member Of the commission
(4Ir. Lamberp of his own city. There
might be something in the report
that it would be advisable to with.
hold at present. The committee
could decide what is better in the
premises.
Senator SDerry favored the ap-
pointment of a committee as pro
vided in the substitute of Senator
Stevens.
A vote was taken which showed
that the substitute had been adopte6
by a vote OF q to 10.
The committee of fifteen will he
named today, and, doubtless Sena.
tor Reishas viii be one Of them.