The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1903-02-25
MONTANA LAW MAKERS.
Seventh Week Of the Session Closes With
Slaughter of Many Measures.

HELENA, Feb. l9.-At noon the
house of Representatives adjourned un.
til tomorrow morning at 10 O'Clock,
out of respect to the bereavement Of
Governor Toole. His sister-in-law,
Miss Anita Rosecrans, daughter of the
late Gen. Rosecrans of Civil War
fame, died this morning after brief
illness. Shortly before the usual
hour for recess Representative Staple.
ton offered resolution of coincidence,
to which was appended the resolution
adjourning the house. 1t passed on a
standing vote which was unanimous.
Speaker White announced his steer.
ing committee Immediately after the
prayer by the chaplain. It is com.
posed of three of the republican floor
leaders, who were selected at repub.
lican caucus Monday night, while two
democrats are members of the COM
mittee. 1t is made up of King Of Fer.
gus, Beaver of Yellowstone, Cannon
of Flathead, Swindlehurst of Park
ty getting two members.
Though the session lasted only two
hours, the house did a considera BILE
amount of business. Six bills were
finally passed, one was killed and one
was sent back to the committee. In
addition 2l bills were reported from
committees, and four new bills were
introduced. The total in the house is
now 307.
The following new bills were intro
duced, read twice and referred:
Amending the law relating to asses
sors. The bill prohibits the employ
ment of deputies, except during four
months in year.
Amending the law relating to the
state board of health. The bill fixes
the tenure of Office of the secretary at
two years. Under the present law it is
a life tenure.
Exempting from taxes land used for
public roads.
To prevent train wrecking and train
robbing. It provides that the penalty
for successful train wrecking shall be
death, and an attempt shall be pun.
ished by Imprisonment for not less
than ten years.
The only business done at the sen.
ate's short session, which began at 2
O'Clock was the giving of two import.
ant notices by Sena ator Hoffman,
chairman of the committee on rules.
They are notices of two amendments to
the rules of the senate, it being re.
quired that notice of amendments to
the rules shall be given day in ad-
vance. The two changes are intended
to change the existing intolerable
condition of affairs by which the pre-.
siding officer either of the senate or of
committee of the whole by arbitrary
rulings, false clarations of result
OF vote and other high-handed acts,
may block all business.
HELENA, Feb. 20.--The sena ate spent
almost the entire day, and the larger
part of the night, in an endeavor to
get action on the substitute for senate
bill No. II, the change of judge meas
ure, and finally succeeded. At aboht
II o'clock the bill was taken up and
placed upon it's final passage. 1t was
not until nearly l o'clock, however,
that a vote was reached, and then the
bill was passed 16 5.
The house put in long day today,
meeting in the morning at 10 o'clock,
taking an hour and half recess, and
then continuing in session until after
seven in the evening. During the day
every bill ready for third reading was
taken up and every bill on general or
ders was disposed of except the bounty
bill. 1t would have been acted upon
also, but strong opposition to it de-
veloped, and to prevent the measure
being amended out of its original
form, the committee arose, and the
house adjourned, leaving the bill up
in the air. johnson offered an amend
ment to the bill making the bounty
payable by the counties instead of by
the state, as now and as proposed in
the bill, much to the surprise and dis
gust of Rice, who was the champion
of the measure. The Johnson amend
ment carried. Before more damage
could be done to the measure, the COM
mittee rose, leaving the bill to be
acted upon later.
For the first time this session the
house split today on party lines. 1t
came up on two senate bills making a
80 day residence in county a quail
cation 70: voting and registration.
The republicans were present in force,
and they voted solidly for the bills
without amendment and the opposition
voted for an amendment to reduce the
time to thirty DAYS.