Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1897-01-14
LEGISLATIVE HAPPENINGS.
The nembers Have Settled Down to Work
and BiIIs are Being introduced by
the Hundred.

sage OI winch would effect TIL
county, for there will be too man
J such. The work actually accom-
plished, bills which have passed on
house, measures introduced by Fel
} gus county members and specia
features, Will however, receive after
tiOn.
)I HELENA, January l2th-Our Popu
list legislature has assumed an air q
! business, which. II continued long
I will certainly surprise not only tn
I people of the state but the actor
themselves. The contest in the sen
J ate was promptly settled by TIN
} seating of the three hold-over sena
! tors, the vote on the same not bein,
on party lines. This controvers,
arose because of a seeming conflict in
the terms of the constitution. on,
article providing that the term o
all senator's shall be four years ant
another article dividing the senators
into two classes. one-half retiring
every two years. In order to classify
the senator's from new counties
three of those named should have re.
tired this year, but the senate has
decided otherwise and Messrs. Sigh
OF Granite, Cooper of Ravalli, and
Floweree of Teton, will retain their
seats.
Beyond the deciding of this con-
test, the passage of a few emergency
tion of a great number Of bill the
senate has done little
The committees were named the
9TH inst. Senator Chandler was as
signed to positions on the following:
stock growing and grazing, judiciary
and libraries. The anti-gambling
measure has been introduced in both
houses and Judging from the senate
committee will be favorably acted
upon. Rev. Hannah is made chair
man Of the committee on public
morals, to which this measure will
naturally be referred.
The house is absolutely under the
control of the Dems and Pops and
includes in it's membership all sorts
of cranks. Mr.. Mulville OF Silver
Bow is a sample. He introduced a
bill to pension all persons who
arrive at the age of IS and nothing
to forfeit the privileges of citizenship.
Mr.. Mulville is serious i'm his advo-
cacy of the measure and expects to
persuade the Legislature that it
should pass.
In the make up of the committees
Mr.. Perrine received better treat
ment than Mr.. Watkins, receiving
the appointment as chairman of the
committee on mileage and per diem
as well as a place on three other
committees, agriculture and stock
growing, and insurance, while Mr..
Watkins but secured n membership
OF the committees on military affairs,
state land, and libraries.
The following list shows the chair
men of the house committees:
| Ways and means-Ramsey, chair
man; appropriation, Cochran; judi
Eciary, Leehey; elections, Shiffelbin;
agriculture, Brown; mines, Del;
towns and cities, Whipple; education,
Greenfield; military affairs, W. w.
Kelly: federal relations, Stanton;
internal Improvement, Buckley; in
corporations. Elliot; state lands,
Whiteside; irrigation, Armitage;
state boards, Humber; labor. Me-
Nally; apportionment, Mctabe; rail
roads, Clark; public buildings, Lang
| fiGl, (t..lI .
cities. Hepner; mileage, Perrine: I'M
migration, Butler; printing, O'Con.
ner; engrOssing, Stork; enrolling
McIntire; libraries wamsley: insur-
ance, Campbell.
The house began to fight for econ
omy by voting not to print all the
bills as they are introduced, only
sending to the printer those that are
recommended for printing by the
committees to which they are al
first referred. Speaker Kennedy in
troduced a resolution that started
the discussion. Mr.. Ramsey, Of Gal
latin, in support of the motion. said
thot it cost from 81 to- $40 to print
the bills, and that il was waste O
money to have printed those tina,
would not even be reported from the
committees to be passed. and many
of which were duplicates of eacf
ot.,er.
Mr.. Perrine has introduced the fol
, lowing bill: To amend section 49,
of the political code, providing fol
; the salaries of county officers; also
to amend section 2770 of the pOliti
| cal code, relating to the laying ou
) of roads; also, to provide for tn,
l summoning of jurors by registered
: mail.
e By Mr.. Watkins, a bill amending
= the codes concerning the use of high
E ways.
: The legislature did not hold session
3 Saturday, adiourning in order t.
. give the committees opportunity t.
D arrange business. Monday the prin
3 cipal work of the house was to pas
e an appropriation bill to pay them
t selves and listening to the reading q
e a memorial to congress praying 70
! the granting of belligerency to tn
e struggling Cubans. Mr.. Watkin
y gave notice of the introduction of
d bill repeating the anti-scalpers law.
Senator Chandler introduced in tn
c senate a bill to simplify the transfe
!. of real estate. 1t is a modificatio
and simplification of the much talke
of ''Torrens system.
IA 8l[9 H6 gz!IE 3 g Ellf s.: 81