The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-03-03
WHAT 1T ACCOMPLISHED.
The Sixth Legislative Assembly Con-
sentative and Economical Body.

special DlSpatCn 10 the STANDARD.
Helena, March 1.-The sixth legislative
assembly was a conservative and econ
omcal body. 1t passed ever bills than
any of its predecessors. One hundred and
nnety-one bills were introduced in the
house and 104 in the senate. The session
of 1891 beats this record by a total of more
than 100. OF the 295 bills introduced just
about one-third ever got to the governor.
Fully 50 per cent of the bills were indefiin-
itely postponed. During the close of the
session the house calendar got terribly
elogged up and many bills never saw day
light. Every house bill that reached the
senate was disposed of by that body, and
that too very quickly.
In general the character of the legisla-
ton enacted by this assembly was as con-
sentative in tone as it was small in guam
tity. Nothing savoring of populism was
permitted to go through at any stage of
the game. Stantons initiative and refer
endum bill received an Unexpectedly large
vote in the senate, but this was due to
Stantons personal popularity, several
votes being cast for the bill that would
have been against it had there been a
likelihood of its passing. In particular
was every measure intended to hamper or
restrict railroads and other corporations
severely sat upon. The senate committee
on corporations other than municipal
alone knocked out " or ~ nlllS mat were
referred to it.
The two most famous measures. of
course, were H. B. 1872, introduced by In
gersoll. regulating the sale of mining
property. and II. B. l24. introduced by
Day relating to appeals from district
court orders in the matter of receiver
ships, which were passed over the COVER
nor's veto by both houses on Tuesday
The interest in these bills is so recent and
fresh that no comment is needed here.
For the first time since the session of
1888 no new counties were created. The
Powell county movement was started just
after the election of Clark in the hope
and expectation that it would receive the
solid Clark vote in both houses. 1t was
| stubborny contested for two or three
| weeks and was finally beaten in the SEN
| ate by a vote of 10 to II. three of the
| Clark senators having too much indie
| pendence to be bound by any such under
| standing as the Powell county people re-
| lied upon. There were some changes in
| the county lines. A strip of Meagher was
annexed to Cascade county. The Bald
| Butte district of Deer Lodge county was
annexed to Lewis and Clarke and the ex-
IRENE north portion Of Deer Lodge coun-
ty was tackled onto Fathead. A bill to
annex a portion of Fergus county to Vel
lowstone was indefinitely postponed as
was d bill " Il ppIlluil u MdulSDn
county to Beaverhead. The Rosebud
county proposition bobbed up as usual
and, usual. was knocked in the head
with very little ceremony. A bill intro
duced in the senate by Clark, intended to
prevent the removal of county seats ex,
cept upon the petition of taxpayers
passed the senate but was killed in the
| house. so that counties that are contem-
| plating county seat fights can pull them
| off under the old system.
One of the most important bills passed
! at the session Just ended repealed the
| antl-gamblns law adopted two years ago
| and substituted in lis place a law that
| makes gambling misdemeanor, punish
| able by fine of from $3.50 to $500, and
| doubles the penalty if the gambling is
| conducted on the ground floor or is visible
| from the street. This bill encountered
| considerable opposition in the senate and
/ h"use, but it received the Endorsement of
| NEST of the intelligent and conservative
| men in both bodies on the theory that. It
| Icing impossible to convict under the old
| law, making gambling a misdemeanor,
! punishable by a heavy fine, will more
| completely subserve the intent to prohibit
gambling. OF course gambling will be
! conducted under the new law, but the
| city and county authorities have it in their
power virtually to check it altogether by
| making frequent arrests.
| The Torrens land title bill was intro
duced at this session, as it has been the