The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-01-20
GOSSIP OF THE SENATE.

senator George n. Lawrence's sincerity
~ insisting upon early and prompt action
oy the senate upon all measures has
len calied IN question as the result of an
incident of yesterday. Before the senate
duJOurned last Friday the young senator,
VINO IS chairman of the important Judi
SiaTy committee. called Il meeting of that
nody for 10 o'clock yeSte rday morning.
me chairman's colleague commented IA
me judiciary committee was scheduled TO
DeStn its labOrs. Senator Harden Ben
mon, Democrat. was particularly i'm
pressed with the notion So when 10
clock Monday morning arrived Senator
Bennion arrived with It. No one was in
the senate chamber save a couple Of jan
lIOrS. Senator BenniOn looked at the
clock. made a charitable remark about
pressure Of private business as account
ing Tor tardiness, and settled himself
down IN his easy chair to wait Ten fif-
teen a m. and no other member of the
committee had put in an appearance.
Lawrence will be here before long,
surely, remarked BenniOn to q news
paper man who had arrived early to cover
the committee session. Ten thirty. and
nothing was in sight, Eleven. the great
clock of the joint building tolled. Sena-
tor Bennton was still placid. but tbs pa
thence of the newspaper ma was ex-
hausted and he departed in wrath Noon
round Senator BenniOn still waiting SO
as to be sure not to miss the committee
meeting, the senator ate a short luncheon
and returned to his solitary watch.
FINALLY his patience was rewarded. At
l:S0 p. m, three and one-haf hours after
the time fixed for the gathering Senator
Lawrence arrived and by vigorous work
succeeded in drumming UP a quorum The
committee barely finished its considera-
ton of one of the shortest bills before it
when President Allison called the senate
TO order. Senator Lawrence has called a
meeting of the judiciary body for today
Not for 10 a. m, however but for 30
D. m Senator BenniOn is wondering AT
what time in the evening the meeting
Will be held.
Bills for letterheads, envelopes. pencils.
docket books and file binders we've aud
tied by the senate committee on cOntin-
gent expenses. yesterday and then the
committee resolved itself into commits
sion of experts to pass upon the merits
of different kinds of stationary and steel
eraserS and various brands of fountain
pens. The committee meeting was a long
one, occupying nearly two hours, ana
there was no difficulty in finding quo
rum or in calling the gathering together
on time. The bill apprOpriating $4,000 for
contingent expenses was passed by both
houses in one day, setting a record pace
for the legislation of the session. The
same kind of pace IS being set by the
committees which have in charge the
spending of the $4,000
tt looks as though the Democrats in
the house and senate would oppose the
passage of any reappOrtiOnment bill at
this session. Nearly all the tncreaeS OF
membership would be in districts which
went Republican two and four years ago,
and the Democrats are not anxious to be
put in more hopeless minority than that
in which they find themselves now. As
they are in such 4 minority ii is difficult
to see what they can do toward hindering
new apportionment, unless the Reepub-
licans should become divided among
themselves in such a manner as to give
the De nocratic minority some Influence
or power.
The two houses soon will have a mes
senger to run errands from the legislative
halls to the governors office. Senate
Joint concurrent resolution NO. L. author
izing the appointment Of such an official
by the executive, was signed in both
houses yesterday and transmitted to the
governor.
Reed Smoot showed a spirit of good
acc of cards over to the legislature upon
which were printed an alphabetical list
of senators and representatives, together
with the counties whence they hail. On
the reverse of each card was printed,
Compliments of Reed Smoot.