The new North-west., 1897-02-19
THE SENATE is TIRED.
Legislature May Adjourn at the End of
the Present Week.

Legislature May Adjourn at the End of
the Present Week.
The Helena correspondent of the Butte
Miner sends the following to that paper
under date of February IS:
There is possibility that the senate
and house may adjonrn sine die on Sat
urday next. This may seem like an as
tonishing statement, when it is taken into
consideration with the fact that there are
yet over two weeks remaining in which
to transact business. But nevertheless
there is strong undercurrent working
to this end, and how successfu it may be
remains to be seen. The move started in
the senate, and even if the joint resolu-
tion does not pass the house it will pass
the senate if introduced. The senate is
most thoroughly disgusted with the
methods of the house, as the latter has
been most dilatory in transacting bust
ness. AS an evidence of this, it may be
cited that not senate bill has been read
in the house for over week up to today.
The senate took exceptions to this and
all persuasions to "whoop things up"
have amounted to naught, and at last the
senate decided to take the bit in its
mouth and will attempt to force an ad-
journment on Saturday. 1t is claimed
that number of leading democratic
members of the house are in on the SEN
ate scheme and are doing their utmost to
block legislation to prevent the passage
of bills between now and Saturday. This
has been most apparent during the past
two days-including today-by repeated
attempts to prevent the third reading of
senate and house bills in the house.
When at loss to know how to block
Legislation in any other way call of the
house would be demanded.
The situation in the house is simply
this: There are three parties, none of
which have working majority and can
not be induced to harmonize with any
of the other two factions. The result is
that nothing can or has been done-of
importance-for two weeks past. The
labor union men have such control
over the house that absolutely nothing
can be done without their sanction. They
insist upon the passage of anticorpora
tion bills which, in their estimation, will
benefit the people. Of course this does
not suit the corporation men, and they
are gradually awakening to the fact that
if something does not soon take place to
change the rapidly growing sentiment in
favor of the union men, that the latter
will soon have = working majority and
pass anti-corporation measures which
will not reflect much credit on them, and
place them in an unfavorable light with
the concerns which they represent when
it comes to killing the bills that are OBJ
jectionable to the corporations. 1t is
limited that the steering committee shall
look after all such Objectionable meas
ures and SO manipulate their places on
general orders that they cannot be
reached in time for legislation. The
labor union men are onto these tactics to
delay legislation and oppose them most
strenuously whenever they come up.
This deadlock situation has made the
senate most tried, and as it does not see
any relief in sight, proposed to give no.
tice that if the house does not transact
some business Immediately it will at
tempt to force an early adjournment.
The senate has practically done nothing
today and, as President Spriggs Of the
senate expressed it today, it is simply
burning up the states money, and both
branches of the legislature can do moth
ing better for the taxpayers than to
adjourn