The Colfax gazette. [volume] (Colfax, Wash.) 1893-1932, 1901-06-21
IN SESSION TWO DAYS
State Legislature Did Quick
Work and Adjourned.
Repealed and Re-enacted the Capi.
tai Punishment Law-Over
Governors Veto

d"!'ui uth tuis evening, AFTER transact
lag considerable more business than
that Tor which it was called, viz: the
amendment OF the capital punishment
law. The most important feature of
today & session was the passage of three
bills vetoed by Governor Rogers subse.
quent to the adjournment of the regular
session last winter. The governor We
toed five bills altogether, and the senate
passed all of them over his veto Two
OF the five failed of passage in the house.
without question, the most import
ant OF the bills thus passed is the Gun
derson school book bill As has been
explained, this bill abolishes state uni
fOrnity of text books and provides for
county uniformity, with the provis0
that districts supporting a high school
shall have the privilege of adopting
their own books, not only for the high
school itself, but for grammar and pri
mary grades as WE'LL irrespective of the
county adoption. Primarily, this bill is
designed to break the contract held by
the Westand Publishing Company for
printing the states books. This con
tract runs for about four years more.
The Gunderson bill does not seek to
break this contract directly, but pro-
vided way by which the existing course
OF study may be supplemented, and that
In certain cases substitutOns NAV be
made.
Next in Importance to the Gunderson
bill was the bill taking the appointment
OF the state printing expert ont of the
hands OF the governor and vesting it in
the state printing board, consisting of
the governor, the state auditor and the
secretary. Frank T. HOughton OF Ia
coma is the present printing expert He
is democrat, and was appointed by
the governor. His successor will be
republican, as the auditor and secretary
OF state, constituting a majority of the
board, are republicans. The third bill
passed over the veto was the one ex-
empting vessels registered in this state
from taxation.
One of the bills which failed to pass
over the veto was an amendment to the
probate law aimed at the Sullivan estate
in Seattle, and the other was minor
change in the law relative to the colec-
tion of delinqu mt taxes.
curious fact in connection with the
passage of the bill over the executive
veto was that in many instances they
received less vote than was required to
pass them originally. On the original
passage of a bill it must receive an ac-
tual alOrity of all the votes in each
house. In the senate this is 10 votes.
On the other hand, the constitution re-
quIres that bill to be passed over the
governors veto must receive the votes
OF twO-thirds of those present. Thus,
the shipping bill was passed over the
veto today by vote OF Ii to z, where
as had the vote been on the passage of
the bill originally, it would have lacked
one vote of the requisite number. De-
spite this condition, however, no one has
thus far questioned the validity of the
passage over the veto. 1t is said, how
ever, that if the printing board removes
Expert HoughtOn, he will seek to retain
his Office by raising the point that the
vote on the passage of the bill over the
veto was not large enough. In the main,
the vote on the passage OF the bills was
on strict party lines.
A bill was passed by both houses
striking out all reference to the women
commissioners in the Pan-American ex-
position bill. If Governor Rogers signs
this bill it will effectually end the litiga-
tiOn now being carried on by Mrs S. E.
Barr of Olympia and Mrs. NJ. l.. d. Hid
den of Vancouver, to enforce their recOg-
milton as commissioners of the expOs-
ton.
The amendment of the capital punish
ment law for which the session was
originally called, was successfully accom-
plshed. The Rands law was first re-
pealed and then reenacted with a say
ing clause which will permit the execu-
tiOn of criminals whose crimes have been
committed heretofore, and who are
under sentence to be executed under the
old law In addition to this, a general
Saving clause" law was passed, which
expressly provides that hereafter when
any criminal statute is amended or re-
pealed by implication, that such amend
ment or repeal shall not apply to
offenses already committed.
An amendment to the jury law was al
so passed, which is aimed to correct the
workings of that act in the larger coun-
ties of the state.
The bill to pay the expenses of the
session was also passed 1t carries an
appropriation of $500.
Take Effect In September.
Olympia, Wash, June 16.-TOmorrOw
Attorney General Stratton will render
an opinion holding that the laws passed
over the governors veto will go into
effect September II, or 80 days after the
special session adjourned. This opinion
will not settle the question at issue,
which will doubtless need judicial sane
ton. Under the opinion of the attorney
general, heretofore given, Printing Elk
pert Houghton is entitled to salary from
April s last, when he took offics. State
Auditor Atkinson, who is also a mem
Der OF the printing board, has refused to
nav Houghton's salary except from May
IA. the date of the organization of the
new printing board. Today the auditor
reiterated his former conclusion and
mandamus proceedings viii be instituted
by the printing expert.
Houghton denied that he had any in
tention of contesting in the courts the
right of the legislature to take up other
business besides that included in the
governors proclamation, saying:
81 haven't as yet had time to give the
matter consideration. | expect to re
tain my position until the middle Of
September next, anyhow, and shall de-
mand a salary warrant from the date Of
nv appointment of the state auditor.
1t is stated on seemingly good author
itv that the Westland Publishing com
pany will attempt, through it's attorney
to invalidate the Gunderson text book
bill on the ground that it practically
nuIIfies existing contracts. 1t is also