Omaha daily bee., 1897-04-09
Interest in the Legislature Confined to the
Upper House.
APPROPRIATION BILLS ALL WAIT THERE
Last One Completed and Recommended for
Passage Last Evening.
HOUSE ROLLS NOW HAVE RIGHT OF WAY
Measures that Have Gone Through Below
Get Their Turn.
LAST LONG SIEGE IS WELL BEGUN
LONG SIEGE IS WELL BEGUN
Roll Calls on House Bills on Third
Heading Now Occupy the At
tention OF the Senators
Exclusively.

ENcIustNeIys
LINCOLN, Neb., April S.-(Special.)-The
interest in legislative proceedings today
naturally centered in the senate, where the
big appropriations and claim bills are pend
ing. The forenoon session was inaugurated
with a wild scramble to advance bills to a
third reading. All hope OF enacting any
more senate bills into law has been
abandoned and now the senators conhne their
efforts to house rolls in which either them
selves or their friends in the lower legisia-
tive branch are personally interested. Many
members Of the house now make their head
quarters In the senate chamber and while
they cannot openly participate in the proceei-
ings, they are constantly on hand with
words OF friendly suggestion to senatorial
friends.
One of the most persistent workers from
the house end of the capitol has been yell
ser of Douglas, who has camped on the tran
of his initiative and referendum bill until
every time it's number Is mentioned an IN
cipient riot is precipitated. Last night yell
ger got the ~populist senators in a corner
and compelled them to vote to make the Dill
a special order for consideration In the COM
mittee of the whole this morning. the mo.
ton was opposed vigorously by Ransom anu
Talbot Of Lancaster. Mr.. Ransom ins, sted
with vigor in his language that the senate
should take up the Appropriation piiis, as
there was no time to waste over such piiis
as the one proposing an initiative anu REFER,
endum law. Yeiser insisted on a roll call
and one was ordered. MIR. Ransom voted no.
The motion lacked but one vote of being
carried.
Another bill which has been persistently
pushed by a few members OF the mousse 10
tho one known as the scrip Dill, proVid-
ing for the issue of scrip warrants ana TO
reduce the rate of interest to 2 per cent.
Senator johnson of Clay has been the es-
pecial champion of this measure. and this
morning moved that 1t be advanced to third
reading. There was a lively skirmishing
for votes for and against the motion to ad-
vance, and on roll call the proposition was
defeated, it requiring a two-thirds vote. The
vote stood II to IL. O.,
ADVANCES H CLAIMS BILL.
The first motion made in the senate this
morning came from Ransom, who moved
that house roll No. $50, one of the claims
bills. be advanced to third reading with
two amendments made by the senate COM
mittec on claims. He stated that the two
amendments referred to increased the bill
by less than $500. The motion was agreed
to. The bill appropriates about $4,000 for
miscellaneous claims against the state, in
Guiding the expenses incurred for printing
II DTUDOstu
There are 120 newspaper publishers inter
ested in this bill. The bill also includes
the claims OF the railroad companies for
transportation OF the Nebraska National
Guard, for the deficiencies for the Soldiers
Home at Milford, for the Home for the
Friendless at Lincoln, and a large number
of Muscular eous items OF Indebtedness.
There are $50 separate claims included in
the bill as it came from the house.
Mr.. Graham plunged into the din of tur-
moil and confusion and when he emerged he
had secured the advancement of house roll
No. 241, to amend the law defining a legal
newspaper. 1t requires that in order to be
eligible for legal advertising a newspaper
must have a bona hde circulation of at least
200 copies weekly. The provision of the law
enacted two years ago, requiring that a
newspaper shall be printed at least ffty-two
consecutive weeks, has been striker out.
After another cyclonic disturbance Mr..
Fritz succeeded in advancing house roll No.
625, a bill to prevent the spread of hog
cholera and other kindred diseases.
Mr.. Watson took advantage of a temporary
lull In the tempest to advance house roll No.
81, a bill making chicken stealing a penal
offense. The statement of the lieutenant
governor, made from the chair, that all the
widows and preachers of Lincoln were de-
handing the passage of this bill was sufii-
cicnt to hustle 1t to the front,
Mr.. Jefcoat beat the record by securing
the advancement of a bill to third reading
which had not yet been read the second
time. II, was house roll No. 44S, an act
for the protection OF land from the overflow
and washing OF rivers and warehouses;, and
for the construction of bikes. dams and EN-
bankments to prevent such overflow, for rip
rapping the banks of such streams and pro-
viding for the payment of such constructions.
Mr.. Lee moved and was accorded the adj
vancement Of house roll No. 70, to amend the
Irrigation laws.
WORK ON THE SALARY BILL.
~ - -.
INST time were read the second time and
the senate then resumed consideration OF the
salary appropriation bill. At noon recess
was taken until 2 O'Clock.
Immediately after recess the appropriation
bill was taken up again and It's consideration
was continued until the bill was completed
and for passage. Pending the
consideration of the bill the senate chamber
was filled with state house employees. all per-
~sistently buttonholing members In an effort
to either have their salaries raised or to
prevent them from being cut down. They
finally became SO numerous that 1t WAS i'm
possible TO proceed and Mr.. Ransom. who was
In the chair. was finally compelled to order
all of them TO either take seats in the rear
of the hall or to leave the room. The SER
geant-at-arms enforced the order OF the
presiding officer and for nearly half an hour
the senate enjoyed the novelty OF compare
tive quiet, the only noise being made by the
senators themselves.
~ - a. bfAA - hA1a
completed and II was for pas
sage. The then took up the sec
FOnd of the big claims bill. There we're 642
separate claims against the state treasury
as tho bill came from the house. The senate
committee on claims added nearly 100 more.
Just before the bill was completed Mr..
Spencer offered an amendment, providing for
the payment OF the chicory bounty earned
by the American Chicory company, amount
ing to s17. 900. The claim was rejected with
an uproarious mo" from the fusion majority.
Mr.. Murphy had no better success In his
attempt to secure the insertion OF the beet
sugar bounty claims He presented them
as follows. For the Grand Island factory
for 1895. the sum OF SIS. 81. S5; for 1896. the
sum OF s3l, 337. IS; for the Norfolk factory
for 1895. the sum OF ssl. 1876. 60; for 1896. the
sum OF s42. 63s.75 The claims were rejeeied
by an equally decisive vote.
Mr.. Mutz stated that a resolution would
be offered later providing for a committee
10 investigate the validity OF the beet sugar
and chicory bounty claims. and to maze It's