The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-01-15
Legislators Rounded Out the Week
With PreliminarieS.
ARE NOWREADY FOR WORK
SENATORIAL CONTEST WILL
HAVE RIGHT OF WAY.
Comparisons With the First Weeks
Work of the Preceding Legisla-
lures Shows That This One Is Up
to the Standard With It's Prelim-
mary Task.

! The first week Of the third legislative
session CT the state of Utah came to a
close without anything special to dis
! tinguish it from preceding assemblies
AS was the case two years ago. both
| houses of the Legislature put in the first
week organizing, formulating rules, re-
! ceiving the governors message, APP
| pointing standing committees and pre-
! pairing for the real work of law MAX
| ing that is TO come. AT the former SeS-
sion, in 1897, the senate, during the first
week, had introduced in it eleven bills,
| as against SIX for the beginning week
of this session. In the house of repre-
SentativeS last week twenty three bills
for laws were introduced, compared
with eighteen for the preceding assem-
bly,. The houses gain offsets the SEN
ate'S loss III number of bills introduced.
For the next fifty-four days the pro-
ceedings in the senate and house will be
enlivened with the Introduction, refer
e1lceS debate on third reading and pas
sage or defeat of bills. 1t is improbable,
however, that as many proposed meas
ureSz will be enacted into law this ses-
sion as at previous legislatures, for the
reason that the revised statutes are
deemed to require but very little
amending. 1t is extremely likely that
mere bills will be slaughtered than
passed. for the reason stated.
For the next week and until the leg
islature elects a United States senator
in the manner provided by law, COM
paratively little is expected to be done
in the way of real legislation. Three
years ago Senators Brown and Cannon
were chosen on the first ballot, the then
Republican majority having determined
the choice in caucus. Senator Rawlins
in 1897, was elected on the twenty
fourth day on the fifty-third ballot
Many considerations attached to the
memorable contest of two years ago
which do not appear in the approaching
election, and it is, therefore, reasonable
to expect that a choice will have been
agreed upon within the next two weeks
at the fartheSt.
Some time during Tuesday afternoon
each house will take a ballot on the
candidates for senator and at noon the
next day, in joint session, balloting will
be repeated. At least one'ballot must
be taken daily at noon until one of the
candidates for senator receives thirty
two, a majority. or more votes
The supporters of AIessrs. McCune,
King, Powers, Cannon and Richards are
working theoretically for the candi-
date Of their choice, each confident of
success. It is probably true that neither
Of the respective senatorial campaign
mana gers knows exactly how the vote
Will materialize. and any forecast of the
result of either the first or the final
ballot would be extremely hazardous
The political complexion of the legfs-
lature is here givegl: In the senate:
Democrats. Il; Republicans, 2; Cannon
fuSioniSts, 2 In the house: Democrats,
q; Republicans. IA; Cannon fusionists,
+. On joint ballot the Democrats have
Il, the Republicans Is, and the Cannon
fusionists from Weber county 6; to-
tai. So. .--.-
To date only one bill has been favor
ably reported for passage. It is Rep
resentative Jackson's measure propos-
ing to enable the Union Pacific to alb
serb the Oregon Short Line by an is
sue of additional stock and certificates
of Indebtedness. The bill is to be the
special order for consideration Monday
afternoon at O'Clock.
The legislators took a recess from
Friday till Monday, and very many Of
the out-of-town members seized the OPP
portunity to visit their homes during
yesterday and today, and to confer
with constituents. The fact that so
many members absented themselves
yesterday prevented the holding of any
committee meetings for the considera-
ton of bills referred. However, on
Monday several of the committee will
1914 Noiil SASS . Oii O llUIi4oSi VI OliIS
given to them for investigation of their
presumed merits. Not a few of the
measures already offered are of consid-
cradle Importance, notably the railroad
bills and the one proposing to revive
the old district mining recorder law.
At the close Of the senatorial contest
Saturdays will be the days set apart
fer visits of inspection to the agricul-
tural college. insane asylum. reform
school, deaf and dumb institution and
southern branch normal school