Fergus County argus., 1901-02-06
SOLONS HAD A
WARM DEBATE
Opposition to Stull Bill was Ably Led
by Representative Hedges
Of Fergus.
MEETS OVERWHELNlaG DEFEAT
Its Author Craftily Drew tie Meas,
ure SO as TO Leave NJ. Hedges
in Fergus County.

III FSrEuS NOuilly'
Especial 10 the Daily LcaGer)
Helena, Feb. 2.-Thc members of
the house spent more than two hours
yesterday afternoon ia labor lost.
They went into committee OF the
whole Immediately upon convening
In the afternoon To discuss Mr.. Stull's
bill to take territory from Fergus
and Meagher counties aud annex IL
to Yellowstone county, and after an
extended debate, participated in by
several Of the members. which deyel-
oped considerable feeling, the mem.
bers voted to XIII the bill. The bill
proposed to take ~ sections OF land,
or more than 10000 acres, from Fer
gus and Meagher counties, "A little
more than one township oi which
would have come from Meaghpr.
The debate was led by Stull for the
bill and Hedges against il. At times
IL became quite personal in It's char
acter.
When the house went into commit
tee OF the whole Gilchrist OF Silver
Bow was called 10 the chair. The
bill was taken up, and, under agree
ment, read with the amendments
proposed by Mr.. Stull TO the commit
tee on townships and counties before
thatcummittee decided to recommend
it for indefinite postponement, an nc
ton which was defeated by Mr.. Stull
when the bill was ordered printed.
Immediately after the reading Kill
gallon OF Silver Bow moved that
whrn the committee arise it report
that the bill be not passed.
PROTEST nY MIR, sTCLL.
The suggestion brought avigUrous
protest from Mr.. Stull.
IL could have hoped" said he. "for
u little courtesy, inasmuch as the
gentleman WIS one q! ttr strongest
opponents the Till had In committee,
ann 1t strikes me that he might have
waited n little longer before seeking
to- vindlcate himself. | remember
hearing him say something yesterday
about snap judgment. | also re-
member hearing him say something
the day before about one man seek
ing to dictate. and, In view Of these
statements, | regard his motion az
being at least in bad taste. There
are some of us who know more about
this matter than the member from
Silver Bow. and we respectfully ask
to be heard before this action II
taken"
II would like to set myself
straight" said Mr.. kilgallon in reply
"The gentleman seemed to be paying
no attention when the clerk finished
reading the bill and | assumed that
he was not Interested. lust thought
| would start the ball a-rolling.
am opposed to the bill and thought
1t a good time to get my work In"
al am obliged to the gentleman ioI
his frankness," said Mr.. Stull. with
some sarcasm. 1--WE have all OF u.
noticed that he has n faculty for get
ting his work in."
| ARGUES FOR THE BILL.
Mr.. Stull then proceeded To speak
In opposition 10 the motion. llesalt
Yellowstone county was not engaged
in a land-grabhlng scheme In seeking
to have the territory involved an
nexed To that county, but that tn,
people affected 10y the bill desired III
passage for the reason that they
were all poor people and could lily
afford to go to Lcwistown for county
seat facilities. There were, he said
but 81 OF them altogether living or
the biz bend Of tie Musselshell river
Owing to the great distance IRON
Lewistown, and the poor roads q
great part of the time, they did all o.
their trading and transacted all oI
their business at Billings, and there.
fore desired To have Billings theiI
county seat.
"lf you defeat this bill" said Mr.
Stull, "those ofyou who are here two
years hence VIII have before you a
full-ledged bill asking that all that
portion Of Fergus county extending
to the Snowy mountains, II portion
Of Yellowstone county and "A portion
OF Meagber county DE segregated and
made another Republican county.
81 don't ordinarily believe very
much In Democratic literature said
Mr.. Stull, "and / don't very often
read It., but In this case / will have
to, and hope that none OF the mem
bers will fall asleep during the read.
Ing"
IrTTFRs FROM DEMOCRATg