Rocky Ford enterprise., 1899-03-16
WHAT THE COLORADO
LEGISLATURE is DOING.

of them. The measures are DIR. Barry's
bill TO require the consent of both hus-
band and wife for the mortgnging or
! sale of property exempt b. law: Mrs.
Wright's bill. relating to the expenses
of county boards OF visitors: Mr.. Bris-
GOES bill. to provide for the establish
ment and support of high schools In
counties Of the fourth and ffth classes:
and Mr.. El:iott's bill. relating to the
, construction of bridges in cities.
| The Senate on Thursday concurred
| In the House Teller county amend
ment. changing the new county from
the Eleventh to the Fourth judicial
district. The bill will he signed by
Lieutenant Governor Carney and
| Speaker Smith without any question
and will then 20 to the governor. Gov
ernor Thomas Will not commit himself
on the measure. He says the bill has
! not yet officially reached him and he
| has had no opportunity to examine Its
provisions in detail. The Senate spent
the entire morning rehashlng the Iues-
| tion of the constitutionality Uf the
measure.
Senator Ammons' bicycle path bill
after long debate, has passed second
| reading. and was ordered to final pass
age, which by this favorable action is
now Il certainty. An appropriation of
$4,000 is involved. In explaining the
measure. Mr.. Ammons said the path
from Denver to Palmer Lake was only
beginning. Eventually the path would
| reach Pueblo. More people We're in
tcrested in the path than In any other
road In the state. Senator Whitford
urged that the bicycle path would be as
meritOriOus improvement rs any
made by the present Legislature. The
money spent from the internal revenue
fund would be as well expended as any
OF the money of that fund.
The constitutionalIty OF the roads and
bridges appropriation bills that call for
money from the general fund is under
discussion in the House committee on
revision and constitution. Member
Montgomery holds that the bills are
clearly unconstitutional. and Chairman
Ballinger was at first inclined to side
with him. But after the latter had rend
the constitutional provisions over very
| carefully he expressed his doubts and
said he really believed the bills were all
right. Mr.. Montgomery has offered to
| convince him Of his error. and the qucs-
tion will be further discussed. The
| committee will report about fifteen ap-
| preparation bills that call for money
from the internal improvement fund.
Governor Thomas has sent to the Leg
islaturc Il statement of his Views rela-
| tive to the management of the insane
asylum. His conclusions are that the
institution has been badly managed.
but find that he has no authority to re-
move the superintendent or the MEM
bers of the board of control He siys:
| "The management of the State Insane
Asylum for the past few years has
been most negligent. For this ncgii-
gence the Board of Commissions and
| the superintendent are alike rcspcnsi-
bic. a rigorous and systematic admin
istration of the affairs by the board
would of necessity have resulted in n
similar administration by the superin-
tendent." The governor recommends
larger appropriations for the asylum.
Friends of the anti-scrlp bill, which
has been tied up in committee of the
State Senate for several weeks past.
are beginning to wonder whether the
| bill will have a chance for Its life. A
peculiarity about the measure is that 1t
passed the lower house by a unanimous
| vote. fifty-ninc members being present
| when the roll was called. On reaching
the Senate the document was con-
| signed to the tender mercies of the
finance committee and there 1t lias re-
NAMED. 1t is claimed that four men,
bers Of the committee are in favor of
| the bill, one is Indifferent and one Is un-
alterably opposed, claiming that the
| bill Is unconstitutional Several amend
ments have been insisted upon and Rep
resentative Bell, the father Of the meas
ure, accordingly drafted five minor
amendments, which are acceptable to
a majority of the committee. The
amendments relate TO warrants issued
by ditch, canal and reservoir companies.
Those companies are accustomed, in
| Colorado, to issue warrants in the
spring to be paid in the fall, and this
feature is permitted in the amendments.
The bill hns not reached vote In the
Senate, but strong efforts are being
made by Mr.. Bell and others of the low
er house to bring the bill to the light of
day before 1t is too late.
The TanQuary-Fisher election contest
is occupying great deal of time in the
Senate. Senator McCrcery made a long
and able argument Friday. in which he
declared that the facts adduced did not
Mt all carry out or suhstnntiate the
charges that the Democrats were de-
frauded in the appointment of election
Judges, and furthermore, said that
made no difference in this case MS the
lists furnished the county commission
ers were not legal. hence the appoint
ment of judges would have been illegal.
Testimony was read at length. rms evil
dence was construed by Senator Nc
Creery to show that the Colorado Fuel
and Iron Company was not implicated
as charged by the contcstor. He said
nil the so-called evidence was to the ef
feet that some one "heard say" that the
company had instructed its men. or
| some of them. to vote the Republican
ticket, but no one knew of this being
done. Sepator WhitfOrd retorted that
| N Tpmmittpp