The new North-west., 1897-01-29
MON TANA'S LEGISLATURE
THIRD WEEK OF THE SESSION
GROWS WARMER.
Democrats Caught Flirting With
PODulfsts Woman Suffrage
Has Field Day.

Helena, Mont, Jan. 25..--The third week
of the session of the Montana Legislature
has been a trifle more eventful than its
predecessors. The senate has passed six
bills and they have gone to the house
and taken their places on the general cal
endar there. The house has not done as
we'll, to outward appearances, but it has
settled a few question of precedent SO
that they will not come up again soon
to haunt the members, and will accom-
plish a saving of time in the long run
The sensation of the week came when
some of the members of the democratic
majority in the house-and it is a good
big majority, too-detected some of their
own members comforting with the popu-
lists in the caucuses of the latter party
with a view to exchanging support for
certain measures now pending. The pop
ulist members have taken deep interest
in the passage of the bill for the submis-
sion of the initiative and referendum to
the vote of the people at the next cleo
tion. Some Of the democratic members
had plans that they wanted to get
through, and they were willing to ex-
change. The populists could not hope for
success if they polled only their strictly
party vote, for there are but 19 of them
in 6S. That was where the minority of
the democrats felt they could do effectual
work. and the well laid plans of the ma
jority for party unity were well nigh
wrecked. But there came the exposure,
which was accompanied by bitterness of
speech on the part of the vanishing ma
jorty. The lash was thrown out and
the recalcitrant members were brought
to time. An agreement was reached at
a caucus of the democrats that hereafter
there will be no meeting of democrats
with the popuists, and the democrats
said that they would stand together in
the house henceforth on all matters of
a purely party character. 1t is not so
sure thing now that the initiative and
referendum will pass the house, but ii
may even yet 1t and the amendment to
the constitution to allow women to vote
ana also correcting what has proved to be
an embarrassing provision in the const-
tuition regarding the terms of county
commissioners, will all come UP for CON
slderation in the house during the week
1T is thought, and that will be as far as
the constitution will be attempted to be
amended.
The woman suffrage lobby had a field
day in the house Monday afternoon, when
petitions from every county in the state
We're sent to the desk and referred to the
committee on privileges and elections,
which had the Hill bill for the amend
ment in charge. There was another red
letter day for the same party Friday
when the committee made it's report The
report was a queer affair, but it was bet
ter than a slap direct at the bill, and the
women accepted it in better spirit than
1t was rendered. The committee said that
while many of it's members did not
agree With the woman suffrage idea
they We're willing that it should be sub
mltted to the people for vote The bill
was ordered printed, and the women tes-
tined their appreciation in practical way
ny sending several boxes of apples to the
legislators to be partaken of by the mem
bers regardless of party lines.
The university bonding bill came I'M in
the senate and was passed during the
week. 1t provides for bonding the grant
devoted to that institution, and it is ex-
pfessly stipulated that the land, and not
the state, shall be liable for the debt.
Inc senate agreed to it by unanimous
vote. The scheme is the one similar to
that by which the agricultural college
lands were bonded two years ago. There
are now several fine buildings at that in
stitution.
senator Hoffman introduced a bill Tues
day to change the name of the agricul-
tural college to the Montana state college
Accompanying the bill was a letter of ex-
PLANTATION, in which it was said that the
institution while it aimed to teach ad-
Vanced branches together with mechanical
arts, and in many particulars fulfilled The
functions of university, yet the name
was often misunderstood, and it was re-
sarded as a farmers college," a term of
reproach that did harm sometimes and
never good.
Governor Smith sent a message to the
I1r1 AI..a
ing the early part of the week. 1t accom-
panied the usual estimates made bv the
boards OF the several institutions them
selves of the amount of money they would
require for the next two years. The eSti-
mates We're: School of mines, $40, 900; deaf
and dumb Institute. $4,000; state univer-
slty S33,o00; agricultural college, $22 800;
normal school, s15o0O orphans home, s23,-
Geo; and the reform school, 1923, ,OOO The
governor said that some of the estimates
would have to be reduced materially, but
NE left it to the legislature to say where
the reductions should be made.
The budget of deficiency bills sent in by
the governor was followed by a number of
bills from the committee on appropriil-
lions Wednesday last the claims amount
ing in all to $240 and upwards.
The school book question was practical
" settled during this week, which took
one bone of contention out of the way
There was less fighting over it than it was
thought there would be. There were four
different plans in the legislature at first
but the committees on education of both
houses met together and agreed on a sub
stitute, which was introduced Thursday
1t provides for state uniformity, the books
to be selected by a commission consisting
OF the attorney general, the superin tend
ent of public instruction and five teachers
actually engaged in work, to be named
by the governor. Advertisements are to
be published and bids received and when
the system of books has been determined
the districts are to be permitted to say
whether they shall have free books or not
The publishers are required to enter into
Il contract stating at what price books
will be furnished Wholesale free on board
cars in Chicago either to dealers or school
districts, and also the retail price at which
they will be kept on sale in at least one
designated depository in every county in
the state. The maps are to be changed
to conform with new county lines, and the
works on civcs amended to date at least
once in every three years.
Nhe house took step in the right direc-
ton Thursday in refusing to employ more
clerks and in rejecting the request of the
sergeant-at-arms for more pages. Also in
the direction of economy was the bill re-
ducing the salary of the governor from
$4,000 to $4,000, as it was finally amended TO
read, although it at first contemplated re-
ducing the salary TO $500. As amended
the bill passed the house by a vote of 3S
to 81.
The bills passed by the senate were the
bonding bill for the benefit of the univer-
Sity the bill making the theft of live stock