The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1907-03-15
GRIND OF THE LAW MILL
What Is Being Accomplished by the State Solons

olotS oOlOkIS.
penalizing proprietors for permitting
them to do SO.
Feverish haste, anxiety and confu-
sion marked the next to the last day
of the North Dakota legislature Thurs
day. Both houses were In turmoil
the entire day, and members fastened
back and forth between the two
houses to guard the fate Of pet meas
ures regardless Of what might take
place in their own chambers in the
meantime. Both houses were the
scenes of stormy times, personal wran-
giles, killings and resurrections. and
vice versa, and sledge hammers were
in demand by the presiding officers.
But one bill had been sent to the
governor up to the fortieth day of the
session, and the greater part Of the
sessions work has been crowded into
the last week or ten days. Both
houses held morning sessions, got
5ack to work early in the afternoon
and kept at it until supper time, when
the senate adjourned until morning,
the house holding session at night,
which lasted into the morning hours
in order to adjourn Friday night.
The house had tremendous fight
on the senate value policy bill, but
finally passed it. There was also
rumpus owe rthe senate hotel tnspec-
ton bill, which creates the Office of
hotel inspector with deputies to be
paid $1,000 year, and provides regu-
lations for the safety Of guests. The
bill was passed.
amended by the conference committee
was unanimously passed, and the state
will now have a complete primary
law.
A rate bill for 2 IL cents and thou
sand-mile books at fiat cents, good
for any member Of the purchasers
family is now up to the governor,
the senate having passed the bill. The
senate also passed a bill permitting
search warrants for liquor and de-
struction of any liquors found.
The great event of the day came
when the senate took up the house
initiative and. referendum bill as
amended by adding constitutional
questions to be submitted not more
than once in ten years. This feature
was in the original bill, but was ell
minated by the house. After much
wrangling and many appeals to par
liamentary law, with battle royal on
the amendment. the bill was passed
as amended, "a to 16. roll call being
necessary to cinch the vote.
The house passed many senate bills,
including one which provides that the
candidates for United States senator
receiving the highest number of votes
in the primary is the candidate of his
party, If he gets 40 per cent of the
votes or more. If no one gets 40 per
cent the two highest men in the party
snail go on the general election bal
lot to be voted for by the people, the
legislators of each party voting for
the successful candidate of their par
ty at the polls.
The senate bill creating the Ninth
judicial district from parts of the
Eighth district was defeated in the
house after tremendous wrangle.
But the real live feature of the
house session came, when Youngs
senate anti-pass bill came up on a
special order. There were so many
amendments to the senate bill that no
one knew what they were, although
the bill was read with amendments
several times, and in the confusion
the members in good earnest passed
"jish" substitute amendment which
provided that only members of the as
sembly should be supplied with pass
es. which amendment had to be re-
considered and voted down when the
members realized what they had done.
The utmost confusion reigned and
the speaker was absolutely unable to
maintain order. The floors were
packed with spectators, and after
about ten amendments had been adopt
cd or voted down motion to indefl-
nitely postpone was defeated a. to
81. Finally the bill was passed as
amended along the lines Of the orr
ginal bill, so to 40, not enough votes
to carry the emergency clause, and
thus the members assured them
selves, the senate concurring, of
free ride home Had there been any
way of killing the bill without roll
call it's fate would have been sealed.
The bill now goes to the senate for
concurrence in the amendments.
The tenth assembly Of the North Da-
kota legislature adjourned late Friday
night, after sessions of both houses
lasting all day, with only short inter-
walls for lunch and supper. A tremen-
dous amount. Of work was done and
bills passed or were killed with such
rapidity that few Of the members
knew what they were doing, many of
them finding at last that their pet
measures had been defeated while
they were digesting the last vote on
another measure. Bills that had been