Fergus County argus., 1897-03-10
LEGISLATIVE SESSION ENDED.
The Chandler Anti-0ambling BIII Passes
But the Salary Bill Is Lost.

HELENA, March 6th.-The last |
hours of the Fifth Legislative assem-
bly, were marked las usual, by exciting
scenes, passage of bills with little ar
no consideration, failure of meritori-
GUS measures which were supposed
to have gone to the governor and
the expelling ot one member for hav-
ing received IL bribe.
For some weeks past it had been
known that money was being used
to influence votes ON certain meas
ures and, Oh motion of Senator
Chandler, u committee was ap-
pointed to investigate. This report
was submitted the last day of the
session and while il was unable to
fasten the charge upon but one menu
ber, facts were revealed which
pointed strongly to other members
having been bribed. The name of
Representative Ramsey was unpleas-
antly associated with certain trans
actions, it being shown that certi-
fled checks from his bank had been
rendered certain members. The
member expelled was Martin Buck
ley. of Jefferson county, who admit
ted he had received money for sup
port of the Rosebud county bill, t0
oppose the anti-gambling bill and
for other services, he considering it
"a mere business proposition"
hsf an pAipor ha affprfu of
Ramsey, chairman Of the steering
committee and the speaker to kill
the anti-gambling measure either by
cutting off consideration or loading
it down with amendments which
would not be accepted by the senate,
the bill was passed on Thursday by
a vote of % to IL, after an exciting
debate, during which personal en-
counters between members was mar
rowly averted. Every amendment
was killed and the bill passed az it
came from the senate and has been
signed by the governor. 1t will take
effect July LIST. The majority for the
measure was much greater than
anticipated, but this may be ac-
counted for by the fact that it was
clearly evident that the bill would
pass and many members who would
have taken delight i'm voting against
the bill, realized the fruitlessness of
such action and decided to get into
the band wagon" Mr.. Perrine de-
serves much credit for the assistance
he rendered in bringing the bill to a
final vote, he being untiring in his
efforts to have the bill succeed. Mr..
| Watkins voted for the measure
though it had been supposed, from
remarks made during it's considera-
ton, that he would vote nay.
The vote was as follows:
| Ayes-Armitage Bartlett, Bourne,
Brown. Butler, Campbell, Carroll,
Clark, Cochran, Dee, Edwards, China,
Greenfield, Hart, Hepner, Hewitt,
Hill, Humber, Kelly, J. n. Kelly, W..
NJ. Kennedy, Langhorne, Leehey.
Lindsay, Loeb, Marcum, McCabe,
McIntire. Mcmahon, Metlen, Morgan,
Morton, Mulville, Newton, O'Mally,
Owens, Owsley, Penwell, -Perrine,
Ramsey. Sanford, Shiffelbin, Shovlin,
stanton, Stevens, StOrk, Sullivan,
Taylor, Warren, Watkins, Whipple,
White, Whiteside and Mr.. Speaker,
total J6.
. Noes.-Bruffy, Buckley, Caldwell,
Elliott, Longstaff. McNally, O'Con-
nor, Philips, Power, Wamsley, Lewis,
total IL.
The hill fixing the salaries ol
county officers passed the senate and
was slightly amended by the house
1t was then returned to the senate
I for concurrence i'm these amendments
The senate concurrcd and the bill
for the signature of the speaker, but
instead of being presented to him
for signature, was pocketed by some
one and after Legislature had ad-
journed was found i'm n pigeon hole
marked BILLS Indefinitely Post
poned" So the salaries of county
officers elected to succeed those now
i'm office will remain as under the
present law.
There were l30 bills introduced i'm
that body. OF that number 30 be-
came laws, and % which passed the
senate and were sent to the house
never went back. This latter fact
rather angered the members of the
upper body, and they shut short of
Thursday night the consideration of
house bills.
} There were 334 bills introduced i'm
the house. OF that number 100. as
near as could be CLEANED yesterday
from the records of the house. which
were not yet written up, passed both
houses. OF the 100 a large proper
tion were appropriation bills.
The bills which have become
signed by the governor and which es-
pecially interest citizens of Fer
gus county are as follows, the list
being comparatively short as a great
number of appropriation bills, meas
ures effecting nicipalcorporations
smelters, mining corporations, rail-
roads, etc. were among those signed
by the governor:
| The bill to pay the officers of the
last legislative session who came to
Helena under the law to attend the
opening of this session.
The bill appropriating $4,000 to