The Elk Mountain pilot., 1901-01-29
SUMMARY OF THE WORK OF
THE COLORADO LEGISLATURE


The judiciary committee set a goot
example by recommending that certain
bills be laid on the table because they
cover ground already covered by exist
| ing statutes.
| Up to January Goth there have beer
| lS6 bills introduced in the Senate anG
| $50 in the House, but there is yet con
siderable time to introduce bills within
the thirty days limit.
A bill is to be introduced making an
appropriation for the decoration of the
House chamber above the line of the
galleries. 1t will also provide for the
decoration of the main halls and corri-
dors of the building.
Senator Buckley secured an indef-
mite leave of absence on the twenty
second inst. He goes to Wisconsin,
to his old home, where his mother is
lying at the point of death. He will
probably be absent for week or
more.
The total amount paid in salaries and
mileage to the members and employees
of the Thirteenth General Assembly on
the first pay day last Monday was ST.
200. Members only received mileage,
which made up the greater portion of
the sum total.
In the Senate Senator ]. Frank Ad-
ans bill allowing the city of Denver
to accept charitable bequests was pass
ed, as was Senator Seldomridge's bill
granting the United States government
a site for public building at Colorado
Springs.
Among the bills that have passed
first reading in the house, is II. B. No.
40, by Mr.. Meredith, to improve the
Normal institutes by providing a fee
of 81 for n teachers examination, and
that the money be placed in the Nor
NAL school fund
Senator Moore's bill in relation to
hours of employment for railroad en-
ployes was agreed to in the Senate. 1t
provides that when railroad man has
been on a shift of sixteen hours dura-
ton he cannot be ordered to work
again until after rest of at least ten
hours.
ii. ]. NJ. G Montgomery memorial
izes Congress to defeat the ship sub
sidy bill The memorial asserts that
the decline of our carrying trade is
not due to n want of subsidies, but to
an unwise departure from shipping
laws formerly in existence, and rec
ommends a return to the old system.
Ex-Governor Baxter of Wyoming,
now member of the Colorado State
Board of Capitol Managers, is in Cali
fornia. Otto Mears Is in Washington,
Charles j. Hughes, Jr., Is i'll. This
leaves only two members of the board
in Denver-Governor Orman and Mr..
Thatcher. No board meeting can be
held, as there is no quorum.
Some bills "for the relief, etc." are
echoes of the publication of constitu-
tional amendments during Governor
Waites term in extemporaneous
"dailies" for which the publishers have
not been paid. The committee on ap-
preparations is wrestling with some of.
them at present, but has not arrived
Mt any conclusion except a recommend
alton to print.
A radical change in the practice of
courts in contempt cases is contemp-
lated Icy Mr.. Raney's ii. b. &C. 1t
porvidCs that the power of courts to
punish for contempt shall not be con-
strued to extend to any cases except
misbehavior of any person in their
presence or so near thereto as to OBJ
struct the administration of Justice"
This does away with constructive
contempts,' under color of which per-
sons have been found guilty for
words spoken or printed or acts done
or omitted outside the court room and
not near it.
The House passed long resolution
in regard to the death of Queen Vic
toria. One clause is as follows: "Vic-
toria was consistent friend of peace.
1t cannot be forgotten that during our
Civil War and while many of her min
listers were conniving towards the dis
solution of the Union. that her influ-
ence alone saved the United States, at
a critical time, from n serious break
with England. With a ministry which,
like most of the cabinets of Europe,
were openly antagonistic to the North,
Victoria stood almost alone in be-
friending shis government and it was
her own peremptory protest that pre-
vented her prime minister from taking
the step which might have precipitated
war and gravely imperiled, if not de
feated. the success of the Union
cause"
In the House Mr.. Stubbs made a long
argument in favor of his bill to pun
ish capital offenses by electrocution.
He pointed out that the option given
the jury as between the death penalty
and life Imprisonment disposed of two
arguments against capital punishment,
because there would be no difficulty in
securing a verdict in the first degree,
and there would be little danger of kill
ing an innocent man or one of whose
guilt there was the slightest doubt Mr..
Stubbs went at length into the electri-
cal method of execution, citing author
tiles to show that it was at once the
most humane, the least revolving and
the most economical method of execu-
ton. while its deterrent effect was
greater than that of the moose. Mr.
Stubbs' speech was the longest yet
made in the House.