The Dolores star., 1902-02-21
PROCEEDINGS OF THE EXTRA
SESSION OF THE LEGISLATURE

| Senator Taylor is considering the In
PRODUCTION OF his bill which failed TO
pass last session. abolishing the Court
of Appeals and increasing the number
of supreme judges to seven. He has
| redrawn his bill and brought II up to
date. 1t provides for seven judges
who shall sit eight years, a new judge
being elected every two years. During
the regular session the Bar Association
introduced similar bill. providing fol
I fourteen years on the bench. The -
sociation tried to effect compromise
with Senator Taylor on ten years. but
he would not consent, the res ult being
that both measures died.
! The Senate finance committee has
reported the Buckley Gunnison tunne.
bill. The original bill has been amend
ed in numerous places. The principal
amendment Is that the water scrip,
will not bear the signature of Governor
Orman and State Auditor Crouter. AZ
the father of the bill ana his support
ers hoped for. There was Il feeling
among some OF the senators that the
presence of the state officials sigma
lures on the script on bonds might
technically involve the state. Instead
OF the governor signing. the Board
of Control will be compelled to report
to him each month. The old bill pro
vided a salary of 81. 500 for the superin
tendent. The amended bill makes the
salary $500 n year. The question OF
bonds for the members of the Board si
Control and the treasurer caused con.
siderable debate in the committee
room. The members of the board will,
give bond in the sum of 81 600 and the
treasurer $4,000. There is dispOs
ton among the senators to make the
members give bond about that equal
to the treasurer and the latter n bond
somewhere betwn S5OO.OOO and $1,000,
600. 1t is argued that from the time the
tunnel is begun until II is completed
he will handle about S75O.OOO. and he
should give bond equal to that sum.
Attorney General Post has advised
the Legislature that In his opinion they
have no right to alter or repeal any of
the constitutional amendments passed
at the last session. The opinion is as
follows: 1T Is my opinion that this
special session has no power to recall,
repeal rescind, amend. or in any man
ner affect or modify any of the six con.
stitutional amendments passed by the
regular session of the Thirteenth Gen
eral Assembly. If the proposal Of con-
stitutional amendments were strictly
legislation. no one. think. would con.
tend that the General Assembly had
not the power to alter. amend. modify
or entirely repeal the action OF n prior
session in its proposal. before people
had voted thereon, but since the con-
hns fvtt 20 n tsI tt,,.A
merely the power to propose. and the
people the power to reject or ratify,
when the proposal has been made,
further authority over the proposal has
passed out of the hands of the Legisla-
ture and into the hands of the people.
The people have, so to speak, acquired
vested right to action upon the pro-
posal which the Legislature cannot, by
subsequent action. take away. In my
opinion 1t is entirely within the author
ity of the General Assembly to pro-
pose constitutional amendments at this
special session, but their object must
be confined to those stated in the pOr-
tion of the governors call quoted. If,
in the opinion of the General Assem-
bly,, it will require six constitutional
amendments to do the work outlined
by his excellency in the paragraph
mentioned, then it has the power to
propose the same, or if there Is in Its
opinion no necessity for amendments
it is at liberty to refrain from pro-
posing them"
The House spent nearly all Of Mon
day discussing the revenue bill. Judge
Schweigert resumed his speech in ia
vor of the state board of equalization.
He declared that the bonrd of assess
ors increased the assessments of the
corporations us retaliatory measure.
1.-The railroads made a great mistake"
said he, when they ignored the assess.
| ors. If they had made the proper pre-
sentatiOn of their case, this valuation
| would have been materially reduced.
You might as well attempt to pass an
act to bind the Union as to give an as
SCISSOR power outside his county.
/