Santa Fe daily New Mexican., 1897-03-12
THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY
Bill for the Compilation Of the Laws
Passes Council Eloquent Speeches
Made by COuncilmen Fall and
Spiess Advocating Its
Passage.
The GOVERNOR SIGNS SEVEN BILLS
Bill Providing for the Expenses of New
Mexicos Exhibit at the Tennessee
Centennial Exposition Passes
the House.

House bill No. 81, for the compilation
of the laws of the territory, passed tn
council this forenoon by vote of six tt
four; Messrs. Fall and Finical, beinj
named as commissioners in the bill, wer
excused from voting. Col. Chaves an
Councilman Martin spoke against th
bill, but their arguments were fully me
and mpletely demolished by the argu
ments and speeches of Councilman Spies
and Councilman Fall, favoring the bill
Mr.. Spiess, as chairman of the judiciary
committee, reported the bill favorabl,
and made brilliant, convin cling, elo
quent and unanswerable plea in its be
half. Among other things to the poin'
and german to the subject, he said
That there existed an absolute. and wei
known necessity for the com pilation an6
reprinting of the laws, that such was q
fact too we'll known to be disputed even
that the scarcity of some of the volumes
of laws since the last compilation was
undeniable and the copies of the compiled
laws commanded prices at from $25 to $40
volume and were hard to get, and the
session laws of 1887 and 1889 commanded
from 81 to $40 each volume and it was
most difficult to procure them. Terri.
torial and county officials and lawyers
found great difficulty in supplying them
selves with needed volumes, and then
only at exorbitant prices.
to the cost of the work he said, the
bill was carefully drawn, had the approval
of some of the best lawyers in the terri
tory, and in every way fully protected the
interests of the territory. He took no stock
in the fight made by some people as
against the prices paid. The law had ore
ated the position of public printer and
fixed the prices at which the work should
be done. He then read from the statutes
of 1889 fixing the prices to be charged.
The public printer had been elected by this
assembly in conformity with the law and
was entitled to the emoluments of the Of
fi,e Just as any other territorial officicial
or any sheriff or collector. Many states
had public printers and the work done by
the New Mexico public printer is good and
true work and extremely satisfactory.
LILO OulUOu ouduco 6ONokhAAoho NOco Aeo
own printing and finds its cheaper and
better than to let it g out of Washington.
Proof sheets of the work had to be sub
nitted to the territorial auditor and the
latter could call experienced printers at
any time to examine it. The work would
be done at home by a home institution
and would help home interests, and he was
for New Mexico interests first, last and
all the time and did not care who knew it
or who opposed this position.
The work would be done at fair prices
and in an excellent manner. He was not
one of the men who grudged fair profit to
any territorial printing establishment.
The laborer was worthy of his hire. Cen
tlemen right here in the council as lawyers
or as merchants or any other vocation ex-
pected fair remuneration for their work.
He had received many letters from his CON
stituents favoring the measure, justices of
the peace and county officials from every
section of New Mexico had written to him
favoring and urging the passage. He be-
lleved in standing by his constituents and
carrying out their wishes, and would do
what he considered his duty fearlessly and
like man.
He then closed his m ost excellent speech
with few powerful and we'll delivered
oratorical sentences as to the justice and
timeliness of the measure.
Councilman Fall, in support of the bill,
made one of his characteristic, pointed
and able speeches. Judge Fall uses clean
and terse language and his arguments are
sledgehammers in weight and effect. He
stated that the public press and public
opinion had demanded this com pilation
months and IN onths az o,andin obedience to
the universal demand he favored the bill.
He and many other members of the as.
sembly had received urgent letters in this
behalf, and especially from the native
people. In his law practice and while on
the bench, he had known cases sent by
justices of the peace to the District court
at great expense to the county and much
hardship to those concerned, when the
statute under which the particular offense
was laid had been repealed, and this be-
cause the justices could not get full set
of laws as they existed. He was satisfied
that the compilation and consideration
of the laws was great and absolute nee
essity, knowing this by personal expe.
rience and from the experience of others,
and knowing this and believing he was right
he stood by his convictions and favored
the bill, although he hoped he would be
excused from voting as his name was in
the bill as one of the commissioners, but
that in "a hours after the bill bsoame a
Law he would resign, in order to show
that his action was not influenced by
mercenary or selfish motives. He cared
not for what few envious and jealous
individuals, or few papers personally
or politically opposed to the public
printer or his friends might say. No
such caviling could or would influence
his action. The bill was meritorious,
guarded the interests of the territory
we'll, the mpilation was needed and
that greatly. That was enough for him
and he favored it. When he thought a
measure was demanded by public in.
terests no dog in the manger papers or
men could swerve him from what he con
sidered his duty. He knew that he COM
piled laws of 1884 and the session laws of
1887 and 1889 we're out of print, very
scarce and held at outrageous prices.
Two years ago he remembered that the
assembly itself bought copies of the
Com piled Laws at $40 per volume, and
now they we're much higher and still
more difficult to procure.
He had examined the matter and the
price fixed by law was the same as paid
by the United States in printing the re-.
vised statutes; these cost the United States
%. 80 per volume and why, because the Unit
ed States prints loo, 900 of them where this
territory wants 1000 copies only. A gen.
tleman on the floor had tauntingly re.
marked, that some councilmen might
vote for the bill because they expected to
become bsneHciaries under its provisions;
to this he had slready answered, but he
wished TO say further, that this council
bad best cease all legislation and 60
home, because there never was a lsgislat-