The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-02-16
LIKE BOMBSHELL
IN THE HOUSE
Senate Wants to Know Why
Galveston Bills Are Put
In Pigeon Hole.
SPEAKER JOSEPHS' PLIGHT
BILLS NOW IN CUSTODY OF SPEC
IAL COMMITTEE.

It is safe TO say that no more senate
communications viii be pigeon-holed IN
the house and that when communication
is sent from the house to the senate II
will be read promptly on receipt
The senate yesterday. after reading The
Herald. passed the following resolutions,
offered by Senator Johnson:
Whereas. The senate on the nth day
Of February, 1907 after consideration
thereof duly passed senate bills Nos "a
to IS. both inclusive, and senate bill
No. 81
And whereas. the same were duly
transmitted to the house on said 1T day
of February. 1907.
And whereas. the journal of the house
shows that three of said bills, Nos. "a, 50
and &C. were received by the house on
Thursday, the 18th day of February, 1907,
but that said journal of the house does
not show the receipt of said other Dills:
Now. therefore. be ii resolved mat
the hOnorable speaker and house or rep
resentatives he respectfully requested 20
inform the senate when said bills were
received. in whose custody senate bills
Nos. "a. So and Sc have been since the
18th DAY of February, 1897, and TO whom
senate bills Nos. 80 to 46, both inclusive,
and senate bill No. 70 were delivered, and
in whose custody senate bills Nos. 81 to
IS and % now are. And be II further re-
solved that this resolution be transmitted
TO the honorable speaker and house OF
representatives forthwith.
BombsheI in House.
The resolution was Immediately for
W2rded to the house. where it fell as
bombshell. The full purport did not dawn
on the members of the house for Few
minutes Mr.. Thompson moved that the
communication be filed and the clerk fur
desired
ate.
Mr.. Critchlow offered as a substitute
that special committee be appointed 10
investigate the facts in the case and
report to the house. This action was
adopted and the speaker appointed
Messrs. Critchiow, Meeks and Kuchler.
The bills in question had already been
reported to the house., before the receipt
of the communication and referred to the
special committee on municipal govern
ment OF which Mr.. CritchlOw is chair
man. They We're taken from the pigeon
hole in the clerks desk, where they had
rested for four days, by direction of the
speaker. The bills, from 81 TO 46. are
parts of the Galveston plan as proposed |
by Senator Benner Y. Smith and passed
by the senate on Monday.
Joseph Makes Complaint.
After the adoption of the Critehlew mo-
ton, speaker Joseph made the statement
that complaint had been made to him by
several members that bills originating In
the house had been held up in the senate
Mr.. Critchlow then moved that the spe-
cial committee be authorized to extend its
to the senate as well, and
ascertain the reasons for the alleged de-
lays.
This brought Mr. Thompson to his feet
with a question as to whether or not the |
senate had failed to receive and record |
in its minutes any house communication. |
1t is the holding up of bills in COM |
mittees of the senate of which COM |
plant has been made to me-" replied |
Speaker Joseph.
This brought flood of debate and |
questions, during which Mr.. Critchlow |
said that if the senate had been guilty |
OF plgeOn-holing any communications |
from the house, that body should be sub |
iect to censure such as had been implied |
against the house
Mr.. Robinson said the whole matter |
seemed like a petty quarrel and thought |
the senate resolution and everything con-
nected with it should be laid upon the |
table.
ToIton Clears Situation.
Mr.. Tolton said the question was one |
which should not be shelved. If any off |
GER of the house had been guilty of with |
holding a communication, OF any number /
Of communications from the senate and /
failing to put them in the record. such |
action was proper subject of censure, |
If any officer of the senate had been /
guilty of such action. the cenSure should |
also apply there. But he commended. no |
specific charge of such dereIiction on the /
part of any officer of the senate had been |
made and an investigation could not be |
made on mere rsImor. nor could the house /
properly complain when a house bill is l
under consideration by committee.
Such reference was proper and in the /
mass of business now before the legis- 1
ature il would be impossible to take up /
and promptly consider every measure /
that had been sent from tie house to the /
senate.
Mr. Critchlow explained that he took it /
from the suggestion of the honorable /
speaker that like conditions had prevailed |
N the senate to that complained of in
the senate resolution with respect to the
house.
Speaker Joseph from the chair inter-
lected frequent contributions to the run
ming fire of debate In the end the mo-
lion to empower the special committee /
20 investigate the senate was lost and a /
notion by Mr.. kuchler to reconsider the /
vote by which the house appointed the /
special committee was likewise voted |
Town.
CritchIoW Explains.
Mr.. Critchlow. on a question of per- |