The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1903-02-18

bills % nave been killed, Wnl1e 10 SEN
ate bills have met like fate. Out of
this great mass of bills but four have
become laws, having received the sig
nature of the governor. The gov.
ernor now has in his hands four or
five bills that have passed both houses,
but he has not signed any of them
yet.
| So far as the lower house of the leg
islature is concerned, there will be
little need of a steering committee this
session if the present slaughter Of bills
keeps up. The standing committee
turned down long list of measures
yesterday, and the house promptly,
without any comment, proceeded to
bury them. Then the judiciary CON-
mittee met after the house had ad.
iourned until afternoon, and knitted
large number Of other bills.
During the morning session the
house adopted a resolution by Miller
saddling the expense of the Silver
Bow contest on the contestants, who
are, according to the resolution, to
pay cost on pain OF contempt.
A number of bills were introduced.
Among them was one providing high
license for gambling and repeating
the present ti.gambling law, and
another imposing a license upon
single men. The latter is one OF the
Jokes for which the house is becoming
ceiebr ated. 1t imposes a license of $40
a quarter on unmarried men more
than Is years of age, and also taxes
certain old maids.
The ways and means committee is
sued substitute for pending bill on
convicts' mileage, making the state
pay such expenses, and making pris-
on guards do the work. The bill ap-
plies in like manner to insane asy.
lum patients and attendants.
These bills were passed: To reduce
board of prisoners to forty cents a
day; requiring signs at crossroads;
extending time to pay for state lands;
providing for burial OF. dead soldiers,
sailors and marines.
HELENA, Feb. 16.-But two weeks
and half of the Legislative session
:, remain. During tn at time both houses
will wind up their business and ad.
iourn sine die for another two years.
All except eight of the present senate
will hold over until next year, and
the next house will, as usual, be an
entirely new body. The close of the
session will probably see in the neigh
, borhood of 400 bills introduced. Near.
ly 80 have been introduced thus far ir
the senate, and in the house 275 have
9 made their appearance.
This morning the house went a.
!. things with rush. 1t started the
y week by passing eight bills, including
J the two measures calculated to pull
. the city of Helena out of it's financia
. hole, and all of the committees 60
. busy at the noon adjournment. It
9 addition a number of committee re
ports were received. Altogether the
8 house has taken on an air of brisl
Il business. The senate did not NEE
y until o'clock, but then it plunged in
! to the third reading and passage OF F.;
= number of bills.
L A number of bills were introduced
in the house, among them the nev
II gambling bill, by Farmer, one by Hill
- man, exempting old men from payin$
Il an occupation license; by Everett, tt
u encourage the legislation of count.
y cooperative irrigation; by Mullins
- appropriating $4,000 for the estab
lishment of home for crippled ant
- disabled citizens. The following bill
were passed: TO enable cities tha
- have exceeded their legal limit of in
debtedness to liquidate and pay OF
10 the bond; enable cities that have ex
ceeded the limit of Indebtedness to pa
expenses by making the levy for eac]
- fund special one.
. Limiting the hours of labor of hoist
ing engineers in certain counties.
= For the protection of certain EN-
ployes of street railway companies.
Z Prohibiting the malicious destruc
:, ton and tearing down of fences.
~ Providing for the extension of tn
IL boundary of Cascade county and tn
alteration of those of Choteau to con
~ form thereto.
~ Defining who may be witnesses.
1' Providing for the investment of Ian
grant funds.
The governor today signed the bill
d. prohibiting the dumping of refuse i
u the streets: that defining the duties {
50 the state board of sheep commission
~ ers: that prohibiting the dumping {
r. coal slack in streams: that providin
y for the safeguarding of funds in poses
= sion of county treasurers, the bill al
thorizing the appointment as registr
~