Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1899-01-28
LEGISLATIVE HOT STUFF.
The Optic Man Amonethe Solons
and Picks up Much Live
News.

SANTA FE, Jan. 27.--A rather short
session of the lower house OF the 33rd
assembly was had today Six bills'|
were introduced. from Nos. 30 to 30, in
elusive, and referred to committees
some were wise, but the bulk of them
were otherwise H. B. No. 81 relates
to the increase in pay of the public
printer. The p. p. has been quite ac-
tive about the lobby for several days
past and the new measure is probably
his own production
In the council at the morning session,
in the absence of the president, Ancheta
presided. Four bills were introduced
@. b. No. "A, by Martinez fixes the
fees and compensation of district at
torneys. It provides So for filing in
formation, $40 IN case Of convictions
in misdemeanors. Si5 for felony. ETC.,
and $25 in capital cases. The attornIes
are also to be paid a salary from the. Ter
ritory Of $500 each, and in counties Of
the first class BernaIillo and San Miguel,
$1,000 per annum, and In other counties
according to their class,
Spiess is no doubt at the bottom Of
this bill as his presence and action in
dicate.
c. b. No As, by Duncan. relating to
shipment of cattle and inspection of
hides; G. B. No. f6,:by Burns, to pre-
vent the Introduction and spread Of dis
ease among sheep, and G. B No. AZ, by
Hughes, toSprovide for the calling of a
constitutional convention to FORM a
state constitution, were also among the
new bills introduced today.
Council Bill No. SO, providing for the
Issue of 0,O00 in New Mexico bonds
to complete and furnish the new capt.
tol, was passed in the council. An
amendment requires that The bonds
shall not be sold for less than their par
value.
The council also passed the substi-
tute for Bursum's act to encourage the
industrial development of the Territory.
1t provides that beet sugar factories
smelters and other manufactures shall
be exempt from taxation for period
Of four yearssproyided they were COM
menced within the past two years.
BIG FEES FOR SIERIFFs.
G. B. No. 38. amending existing laws
and allowing sheriffs Twelve and sone-
half cents mileage came up. Uatron
opposed 1t aud said that it was un-
doubtedly too low at present being two
cents mile, yet the present sheriffs
throughout the Territory were elected
knowing the existing fees and emolu-
ments, etc. lie offered an amendment
making the mileage eight cents per
mile which was defeated by a vote of
9 to2. Richardson offered an amend
ment at ten cents mile which was de-
feated, TO 6; The bill was then pass
ed 10 to l,Catron in the negative.
To my way Of thinking Catron is
right, but he's not.in itnow. 1T looks
to me as though the Iegislatureis about
to repeal all the good legislation of the
last session. SO
The afternoon session in. the hou
was devoid of any particular interest, in
fact nothing ofinterest was transacted.
The Las Vegas Normal school bin
has not yet come up in the house. It
was referred to the committee on
finance instead of education. as pre-
yiously informed you.-
The Otero county bill wasex pected to
have been taken up this afternoon in
the house but failed in that. 1t will
likely come up tomorrow, / learn the
member from Lincoln is going to fight
it. but they will pass it all the same
This is G. B. No. %.
c. b. No 12 passed in the council at
the afternoon session. This allows
railroads and other corporations to hold
their stock holders meeting outside Of
the Territory where majority of the
stock is held outside the Territory.
OIL INSPECTION SCANDAL.
c. B. No. 81, relating to the sale and
Of eoal.oll and gasoline, came.
up and had a lively time for while as
to the disposition Of the fees. Thesbill
provides that one cent a gallon shall be
paid BY the companies for inspection,
all of which shall 60 to the inspector.
Senator Burns stated that he had
made a careful estimate and
it would make the salary .of in
spector So, ,O0O a year, which he consid-
ers too much. He tried to amend it so
as to allow the inspectors to retain
50, 500 per annum and turn the excess
over to the Territorial treasurer. This
was defeated, to4
Catron also tried to amend SO that
the excess would 60 towards paying
the $19, 1856 debt on the Las Vegas Nor
NAL school building. He coupled this,
however, with an amendment instruct
ing the solicitor general to bring suit
against the former inspectors and their
bondsmen to collect what was due tie
Territoy. In advocating his amend-
ment he stated that from the best in.
formation obtainsble the firstinspect-
or, M. S. Hart, had collected in the
first two years he had it about 81 600;
that neither he or any of the subsequent
inspectors had turned over any part Of
the money to the Territory yet the law
under which they served authorized
them to retain only $4,000 as their
salary.
Catron's amendment was defealed By
Ia vote of s to 3.
| Finally an amendment by Burns was
adopted allowing the inspector S3 600
| per annum salary and the bill passed I