The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1898-09-30

ment into law. In this way whatever 6e-
feets lurk within the terms of a statute
are likely to be discovered and eliminated
and whatever amendments are necessary
for it's Improvement or efficiency may be
suggested and added. The vicious habit
sometimes indulged by legislative bodies
of hurrying important measures through
their different readings. and especially ap-
propriation bills containing obnoxious
clauses, without investigation or discus
sion, is subversive of the time-honored
custom of open debate, and inimical to
the public good. Bills for assessment and
taxation, for registration of voters, to
preserve inviolate the ballot box, for the
abolition of useless boards and commits
sions for reorganization of the circuit
courts by equalizing their judicial labors,
for the revision of court costs, and espe-
cially criminal costs, which are a grfeV-
Gus burden on the counties, and for the
appropriation of public moneys, and the
like, require time for their proper exam
ination. and should receive the fullest dis
custom before passage by either house.
To afford you time and opportunity for
the full consideration of all such import
ant matters, the regular session ought to
be relieved of those more urgent matters
= Of public interest, which need prompt leg
islative attention, by an extra session. In
view of these conditions, not to call an
extra session, but to leave to the regular
session the election of senator with its
exciting and often obstructive incidents,
and two appropriation bills, with their op-
portunities for trades and hold-up of i'm
portant measures, would imperil, and
probably prevent, the enactment of much
needed legislation, and prove disastrous
to the highest good of the state. For
these reasons, have conceived it my duty
to call an extra session, believing that you
would meet its responsibilities with pa
triotic zeal and intelligent service.
A Drydock for Portland.
In the senate Donald Mackay, of
of Portland, introduced a bill to amend
the Port of Portland act so as to au-
thorize the Port of Portland corporation
to borrow $1O0, 900 over and above the
100000 already author lied, "for the
purpose of onstlucting, mintaining and
operating a drydock, floating dock, or
advisable. For a temporary loan, a
note to run no longer than six months
may be given. The bonds to be issued
for the drydock Indebtedness shall be
in denominations of 500, $500 and
81 900, to bear 5 per cent interest and
run for 30 years.
This bill also provides for the amend
ing the Port of Portland act so as to
permit that corporation to Establish
a scale of habror and wharfage dues,
and assessments on freight, goods and
property landed upon the wharves and
upon all ships and vessels arriving at
or departing from said port of Port
land. or within the limits of the terri
tory under it's jurisdiction. It is
provided that ''from the dues go COL
lected, if any, and from the regular
taxes levied and collected by it, the
said corporation, the Port of Portland,
shall pay the interest on its indebted
ness and provide sinking fund for the
payment of it's bonds at their maturity,
and no funds derived from the sale of
it's bonds shall be expended other than
in making Improvements of perma-
nent nature to the channel of the rivers
aforesaid columbia and Willamette),
or for the construction of and operation
of a drydock, floating dock, or marine
railway"
The power and authority to be given
bv this act. it is provided, shall be ex-
ercised by board of commissioners,
to be composed of John McCraken,
Ellis g. Hughes, Theodore B. Wilcox,
J. G. Flanders, Donald Mackay, J. A.
Brown and Charles E. Ladd.