The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1903-03-04
IN THE STATE LEGISLATURE.
Gambling License Measure Finds Many
Supporters In the House.

HELENA, Feb. 26.-The senate today
in committee of the whole favorably
reported the initiative and referendum
bill, every republican voting against
the measure and the democrats but
two voting for it. The bill went
through the house by a unanimous
vote. Another bill recommended was
the state board clerkship consolida.
ton bill. The commissioners road
law was also favorably recommended.
The house did most of it's work in
committee of the whole. It recon-
mended for passage the new election
law whereby names of candidates ap-
pear only once each on the official bal
lot. It did the same with the gamb.
ling license bill. These two measures
took most of the time but many others
were disposed Of.
Miller's bill, introduced early in the
session, house bill No. 3, was taken
up. A substitute had been offered by
a committee which provided that, in
stead Of sheriffs taking prisoners to
the penitentiary, guard lat the pen
itentiary should do SO, and he was to
be paid ten cents a mile and allowed
So day for expenses. Pelletier op-
posed the bill, saying it would cost
more than under the present law.
Conner denied the statement, saying
that from his county, it costs now
$27.90 to take prisoner to Deer
Lodge, while under the propose law
it would cost $l9.60.
Rice favored the measure. ut seems
to me,' he said, 'that our friends
from Flathead are little delicate
about exposing the skeletons in their
own closet. It is only few years
since a Flathead county sheriff took
five convicts from Kalispell to Butte.
He left them in Jail there, and then
one by one, he took them to Deer
Lodge. Take the county of Valley.
Under the present system it costs
$143.1O to take prisoner to the state
prison. Under this bill it will cost
just $780,
The bill was ordered favorably re.
ported by vote of 40 to 2l.
At the afternoon session the first
bill taken up in committee of the whole
was the substitute for house bills Nos.
100 and l16, the bounty bill. Lender
man offered an amendment, which " as
accepted. providing for the cutting off
of the under jaw instead of the whole
head for the purpose of preventing
frauds. Johnson, of Broadwater,
voted to offer an amendment provid'
ing for the payment OF bounties by the
counties. Before he could offer it a
motion was put to dispense with furth'
er amendments.
Hilger said that johnson had had
ample opportunity to offer his amend
ment to the committee or at the meet
ing held with the stockmen. John
sons amendment was not received
and the bill was ordered favorably re-
ported.
HELENA, Feb. ailing to ge
the necessary two-thirds vote on fna
passage, being constitutional amend
ment bill, the initiative and referen
DUN bill, officially known as substi
tutes for 2, II and IA, was killed in the
senate this morning. Fourteen sen
ators voted aye and eleven no on it:
passage, the eleven being sufficient tt
defeat the bill.
Axtell's bill, H. B. No. 55, for ;
constitutional amendment on the eight
hour law, got through. however
securing eighteen ayes to seven noes
H. B. No. 6, consold ating the clerk
ships of the state boards, was also
concurred in and now goes to the gov
ernor. H. B. No. 1875, the new roal
law. also passed in the senate this af
ternOon.
1t was bill-passing session in tht
house this morning. The bills which
went through committee of the who'll
yesterday were taken up for fina
passage. AS soon as these bills ar,
cleared up today the house will taxi
up about fifteen bills in committee O
the whole. When that work is dom
about all the heavy work of the session
will have been completed
When Colonel Rice's bill, H. B. No
ISL, to change the spelling of Choteal
county to Chouteau county, came VI
the house had some fun with the col
onel. who is somewhat of a joshe
himself. One by one the member
voted no. At first the colonel begal
to rush about from desk to desk t,
learn the reason of this sudden chang
of heart. Presently he grew wise, sa
down and became busy writing letters
Then, the roll having been completed
the house arose as one man with tn
cry, "Mr. Speaker, I desire to chang