Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1896-03-13
NEW MEXICO LEGISLATURE.

legislative appropriation bill, Mr.. Cat
ron offered an amendment which pro-
vided that hereafter the New Mexico
legislature shall meet on the third
Monday in May; that the members
of each house holding certificates of
election should meet and elect pres
ident pro tempore, who shall swear in
members; and prohibited the.legisla-
ture having any officers except those
provided for by the United States
laws. In support Of the amendment
Mr.. Catron said:
The amendment involves three
propositions: First to Hx the time Of
the meeting of the next legislative as
sembly on the 1st day of May. This
is rendered necessary, because the leg
islature, as it meets now, meets dur
ing Christmas week, and a large por-
tion of the time of the legislature is
lost on account Of that fact. 1t has
been held that the legislative assem-
bly, cannot change this, because the
act Of congress which authorizes the
the meeting fixed this time for the
year 1897, and provides it should be
held every two years thereafter. 1t is
provided by the laws OF New Mexico
that the legislature shall meet on the
last Monday of December. The elec-
tion takes place in November, and
there is no opportunity given under
the law as it stands to get up con-
tested election case, to have the testi-
mony taken and the case heard and
disposed Of. The returns have to be
made up to the secretary of the terri
tory within fifteen days after the cleo
tion; thirty days are given in which to
Ole a notice of contest; eight days to
reply, and thirty days more to com
mence taking testimony, and it is to
be concluded in sixty days, so that ev-
cry legislature is concluded before any
testimony can be concluded.
The next proposition is to provide
how that assembly shall be organized.
That is made necessary by the act OF
congress which provides that the sec
retary of the territory, who is to make
up the list, is alone authorized to ad-
minister the oath of office to the men,
bers of the territorial legislature. In
doing that he fixes up the rolls to suit
himself and may disregard, as he did
at the last legislative assembly, the
certificates of election that we're given
by the proper canvassing boards in the
various counties. He makes up the
rolls to suit himself; he swears in the
members whom he puts on the list,
aud he absolutely ignores the certiil'
Gates of the various members when ii
suits him. He swOre in one person on
telegram received by him on the
very day and at the very moment that
he was proceeding to swear the mem
bers, received by him from board OF
county commissioner, which had be-
come functus of1icio, yet actually met
at that identical moment and decided
that another man was entitled to the
seat, he thereby ignoring the member
holding the certificate regularly is
sued and presented to him. In that
way he absolutely set aside the entire
will of the people in that county and
admitted another person to the seat
of member legally elected.
The next proposition is to provide
that no other officer of the territorial
legislature shall be paid, either by the
United States or by the territory, thar
those provided for by the congress oil
the United States.
There Is a'law Of the United States
which provides that "no law of any
territorial legislature shall be made ol
enforced by which the governor orsec
retary of the territory or the members
or officers of any territorial legislature
are paid any compensation other thar
that provided by the laws OF the Unit
ed States 1t has been held up Il
the last legislature that that United
States statute prohibited the territori
al legislature from making appropria
tions for any other officers than those
provided for by the acts Of congress
but the last legislature, by resolution
of the two houses, authorized the EN-
ployment Of about fifty additional em
ployes for each house, and provided
by an appropriation out of the terrific
rial treasury, amounting TO about Sl3,
OOO,sto pay such employees. The dis
trlct court in the county where tn
legislature met issued an injunction
against the auditor, prohibiting hin
from issuing treasury warrants to pa,
this money; but upon an appeal takel
to the supreme court (the same legis
lature having passed law authorl2
ing the supreme court to convene TO
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