The silver lance., 1899-03-17
WHAT THE COLORADO
LEGISLATURE is DOING.

| tleman and asserted that he had moth
ing to do with the matter. The report
| as to the correctness of the accounts
was adopted, but the recommendations
of the committee were not considered.
The House on Wednesday passed
four bills, which were up for third read
ing. There was little opposition to any
of them. The measures are DIR. Barry's
! bill to require the consent of both hus-
band and wife for the mortgaging or
sale of property exempt by law; Mrs.
Wrights 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 fifth classes;
and Mr.. Elliott'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 be signed by
Lieutenant Governor, Carney and
Speaker Smith without any question
and will then go 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 rehashing the ques-
ton of the constitutiOnality of the
| measure.
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
Baliinger was at first Inclined to side
with him. But after the. latter had read
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 ques-
tiOn will be further discussed. The
committee will report about fifteen ap-
preparation bills that call for money
from the internal improvement fund.
The Teller county bill passed the
House Wednesday by a vote of 81 to
y. and the emergency clause received
vote of 60 to 5 few minutes later.
The bill of Senator Ammons now waits
the concurrence of the Senate in the
amendment whereby Teller county is
left in the Fourth judicial district, and,
lastly the signature of Governor
Thomas. The bill was not allowed to
reach third reading without another
fierce struggle on the part of the Oppo-
sition, but they We're defeated by the
following vote: Ayes: Adams, Ballnger,
Barnard. Barry. Bradley. Byron. Clark,
Drumm, Dunlavy, Elliott, Engley. Far
ris, Gaughan, Hammond. Harter, Her
m6nd. Hollenbeck, Judkins, Kendrick,
Kennedy (Ouray). Lee Ltz, Montgom-
cry. Moore, Morris, Murray. hatcher,
Ovington, Patterson, Rawalr, Ryan,
Short, Smith tChaffee). Steele. Turney,
Uglow. Wright Nays: Bartels, Bell.
Briscoe. Browning, Burwell Cannon,
Castetter, Dickerson, Diltz. Duncan,
Estes, Garcia, Hughes Jefferson, Jones,
Kamm, Kennedy Nake). Lawrence,
McLain, Pine, Reichard. Sanchez.
SchroedC-, Severance, Sloan, Smith
Mesa. Taylor. Mr.. Speaker.
The Tanquary- Fisher election contest
Is occupying great deal of time In the
Senate. Senator McCreery made a long
and able argument Friday, in which he
declared that the facts adduced did not
Mt all carry out or substantiate the
charges that the Democrats were de-
frauded in the appointment Of election
| judges. and furthermore, said that
made no difference in this case as 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. This evil
dence was construed by Senator Nc
Creery to show that the Colorado Fuel
and Iron Company was not implicated
as charged by the cOntestor. He said
all 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. Senator Whitford retortC I that
1t was proven before the committee
that-the men were told to vote that way
or take their walking papers. Senator
McCreery declared most emphatically
that there was no Republican gang In
Huerfano county and read many pages
OF testimony to prove that the sO-ca1led
gang was only the regular organiza-
ton of the party and no worse than that
'of the Democrats.
Friends of the anti-scrip 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 it
passed the lower house by unanimous
vote. fifty-nine 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 has re-
manned. 1t is claimed that four men,
bers of the committee are in favor of
the bill. one isindifferent and one is uI-
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
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