Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1899-03-23
woRk OBS 1HD LEG1s14ATunn.

Interesting Gossip Regarding Some
of the Laws Enacted.
Anything that promises speedy RELIEF
from calling matrimonial obligations Is
| hailed with interest and delight In the
effete East, although that section. as
whole, is ever ready to criticise the lax:
methods Of the West with regard to Oh
vorce. For example, law was passed
| at the recent session Of the legislature
| adding incurable insanity to the grounds
| for divorce. No sooner had the knowledge
| of the passage of the law been circulated
| than the secretary of state received q
Geographic inquiry from a resident OF
an Eastern state, asking for the SUBJ
stance of the law, probably with view
! of availing himself of its provisions. But
| as the law was finally passed the in
sanity must have existed for al least
| two years, during which time the person
| from whom the divorce is sought to De
| obtained must have been confined IN an.
| asylum.
r + r
Legislative clerks sometimes play havoc
with the original intent of the lawmakers.
A law was passed at the session fixing
! the number and compensation of the leg
| islative employees. Theibill originated in
| the house and fixed the compensation OF
the employees in both bodies. When the
| bill reached the senate, that body felt
| that the compensation fixed for some OF
| it's employees was not liberal enough and
! increased the compensation of tl.e SER
geant-at-arms and chaplain of the SEN
| ate. But when the bill went to the en-
rolling room, some clerk tackled the
| changes to the house schedule, and, as
| tho law now stands, the compensation OF
these officers in the house is increased,
while the senate remains the same as in
| the original bill. the object of both bodies
| being defeated. There is another pro-
| vision of this law fixing the number OF
| legislative employees that will tend to
| avert the large number of clerks If the
| law remains as it now stands 1t Is pro-
vided that all employees of either house,
clerks, pages, janitors and others, must
be elected by roll call of the houss, to
which they are to be attached. Hereto
fore the clerks by far the greatest class
| Of employees, have been appointed by the
presiding officers Under the roll calf sys-
| TEN of election there will be many fewer
selected and appointed, as all memberS
will have to go on record in each in
stance.
Already speculation is being INDUCED.
in with regard to the constitutionality
of some Of the important legislation en-
acted. 1t is advanced that the personal
liability law, making railroad companies
responsible for injuries to employees,
through the negligent acts of fellow SER
wants, may be unconstitutional, because
Of the amendment to the law that it's
provisions should apply to those engaged
in the running CT trains or sWitchmen
only. This, it is held by some. is special
legislation, which the constitution pro-
hibits-it Is claimed that 1t legislates for
a special class Of employees. One of the
prominent lawyers present during the SEES
sion expresses himself as believing that
the question is a very close one, and that
the courts will be called upon to de-
termine whether the law is constitutional
or not.
There is much objection among con-
tractors and lumbermen to the amended
mechanics lien law, and 1t is held that
1t will be more difficult under the new
law for those who desire to build on
credit. The only change which the amend
ed law makes Is that before mechanics
lien can be fled notice of the intention
of filing must be given to the owner OF
the building or property by registered
mail.
All incorporated cities having a popula-
ton of 800 or over will have to adopt the
registry system at the spring election,
and the board Of registry must meet
two weeks before thas election and pre-
pare lists of voters. This is under the
Arnold law, which makes the law apply
to all cities in the state, where hereto
fore it was applied only to few cities,
Fargo, Grand Forks and jamestown.
r =. $50,
Logan county claims the only unnamed
county seat in the country. The county
seat was moved from Napoleon at the
last election, and the records were moved
to the house of a German farmer named
Bogner, where they now are The place
is unnamed, there is no postoffice, and
the residents of Napoleon will fight the
removal in the courts. The county seat
was moved by a majority of five over
the necessary two-thirds. 1t is claimed
that five votes can be shown for re-
moval that are illegal because the
naturalization papers of the voters were
irregularly issued.
Editor Dunlap, formerly Of the Valley
City Times Record. which he sold to
Steven A. Nye, Senator Hansbrough's
editor for number of years, in the
Office of the Devils Lake Inter Ocean, has
located in Eugene Or, and gone into the
real estate business.
Attorney McHarg of Jamestown may
be chosen private secretary to- Senator
McCumber, according to report. The po-
sition was first offered to John Shippan
of Wahpeton, but Shippam's business en-
gagen.ents at Wahpeton are such that he
could hardly afford to accept the position.
McHarg was one OF the original McCurn-
Der men in the senatorial election, and
stayed with the successful candidate until
HIS elecllOll ne JdlAeSOWu llldll Ii o.
bright young attorney, who stands we'll
with the legal profession ard his accep-
tance of the position would probably be
for the purpose of awaiting himself of the
advantages for the study of law at the
national capital.
Lieut.. JONES' of Company M, of the
state militia at Glendale, will make an
effort to secure the appointment as sec
ond lieutenant. which is to go to some
Dne IN North Dakota.
A. c. McGilivray of Dickinson, the re-
cent appointee as register of the land Of
flee at Bismarck, will take charge as
soon as his bond is approved, probably
in a week or ten days. E. A. Lamb, the
present register, will open private land
Office al Washburn.
The decrease in the salaries of some
county trcasurers under the new law 10
large in some cases. The salary in
stutsnran county is reduced to $1,4OO .
year, reduction of about $50 month.
Inv N