Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1899-03-17

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Correspondence OF TEE OPrrc.
SANTA FE, March l6.-Both branche
of. the legislature held night session.
last night. The council passed @. B
No. l24. the appropriation bill. The,
cut down quite a number of the libera
allowances reported by the committee
Inotably at the executive Office. The
( item of 81 200. for private secretary
was cut down to $500; and the item Of
81 500, for incidentals, was cut down t
l$4O0. The governor seems not to bs
having things his own way as much at
be did.
4 Mr.. Ancheta introduced G. B. No
l45, and the same was passed. Itrefers
to private corporations.
| Substitute Tor C. B. No. 90, an act tC
establish an Institution for the blind al
Alamogordo, was next taken up, and
on motion by Mr.. Duncan to pass the
bill, it was defeated by vote OF Ito 5
Messrs. FinIcal, Hughes, duncan, Bur.
sum and Richardson voting for its
passage.
SCHOOL LANDS SCANDAL.
Substitute for G. B No 81, an act es-
tablishing board OF public lands came
up, In the original council bill 81 500
was allowed this board, composed of
the governor and two other members
appointed by him. The council had
put around 1t good many safeguards,
intending to protect this large donation
of school lands as much as possible.
| But the house substitute in no way
protects anything, authorizes thu i'm
mediate sale of 20 per cent of the land,
provides for several thousand dollars in
salaries, aud makes no limit to the ex-
penses; 1t also creates. in connection
with the land board an irrigation
BOARD, which is to select reservoir sites,
etc, etc. When the bill came up Mr.
Ancheta ordered call of the council,
MIR. Catron being out. of the chamber
at the time.. Upon his return the bill
was read in full. [It is very lengthy,
composed of thirty FIVE sections Mr..
Bursum moved to concur, and Mr..
Catron took the floor in opposition.
Among other things, he said, one year
of this bill would cost $4,000 or SIG,
600, and possibly be of no benefit. IIe
further said that this grant was only
about half of what we would get when
admitted as state, and il we enacted
such legislation as this. in regard to
what had already been donated, we
would probably get no more from con-
gress. The motion to concur was de
feated. Z to 5. Duncan, Bursum, Flni-
cal, Hughes and Richardson voting in
the Affirmative. A conference commit
tee was agreed upon, and Ancheta,
Catron and Richardson appointed for
the council. After which Mr.. Bum
sum moved an executive session; but
the seven members who opposed this
land bill were apparently not ready for
an executive session, and the council
then adjourned their hrst night session.
THE HOUSE.
AT its night session the house went
into committee of the whole, taking up
the appropriation bill, and at lO:S0 p. N
were still In session considering. the
measure, which. they fiually passed.
They reduced the pay Of great many
of the employees of the penltentiary,
who we're already put at very low sala-
ries in the council bill; and raised a
great many salaries and other emolu-
ments of high officials who in q great
many instances are even now paid
more than the services required or per.
formed justify.
The interest fund was reduced from
ls70,800 to $4,000; the adjutant gener
craIs salary from $500 TO 5000; the
Judges from $4,000 to 5 ,0oo. as at pres
ent: but they left the district clerks at
$4,000, a raise of $500 per an
Inum. This shows that the judges are
not as good rustlers as the clerks, sew
eral Of the latter having been on the
floor of the two houses at every session
for some days. They raised the salary
of the private secretary to the governor
from $40 TO 81 900, and the contingent
expenses Of the governors office to
81 100, which latter had been placed by
the council at $500. rh . immigratlo1
bureau was raised from 81 zoo to s., ,OO0
The
SUB. AGRICULTURAL STATIONS
lat Aztec. Las Vegas. and Roswell ge
sl,0O each. The militia fund was GU
down to 81. 40 instead Of 5000. a
majority OF the lower house seem to bs
more accessible to the smiles and Wills
OF the lobby tnan the upper house ans
several Of tbs bills, which are Of th'
. worst sort, either originated there d
we're brought IN by way Of substitutes
BAD LEGISLATION.
: For instance, 9. B. No. 81. the lane
J grant act. which was prepared witt
: some regard for the Interests Of thI
8 Territory. Ths hsuss reporLsd sppsll