The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1909-08-27
SLOW PROGRESS IN
SCH|vELY TRIAL
SENATE SUSTAINS DEMURRER
TO ARTICLE
SESSION ENDS SATURDAY
Governor to RecOnvene Legislature
Monday Ii Necessary to Legally
Continue Impeachment Trial.


passed Of the first Impeachment trial
ever held in this state not a great
deal of Roadway has been made. Not
only is the procedure new to all
the members of the senate, neces-
sarily making discussions lengthy.
but J. H. Schively, the insurance
commissioner on trial. has, through
his attorney, indicated what may be
either a desire to proceed with care
and caution. or a well-laid plan to
delay action as long as possible.
Technical objections to the word
ing OF the first article Of the i'm
parchment charges against Schively
won over majority Of the senate,
and a demurrer to the article was
sustained by vote Of 81 to Is. With
Article /, IL and possibly IA other
counts In the indictments likely to
fail. the state withdrew 13 of the ar
ticles. which it is conceded fall with
IN the ruling under which Article l
was stricken out.
The objection to Article l was
that it did Lot charge that Schively
did not make an examination Of each
VI the specified companies, or that
the fees collected were in excess Of
his actual expenses If he did make
the examination.
Statement Not Definite.
II fs practically conceded that un-
der the rules of procedure in crimi-
nal courts an information not more
definite in it's statement of facts
would not constitute q cause of ac-
ton.
Sixty deys Ia the maximum time
limit fixed on sessions of the legis-
lature. and the attorney-general has
ruled that every day Of the interim
between special sessions must be
counted as legislative day. Under
this ruling the legislative session
will expire Saturday at IL o'clock
midnight, unless sooner adjourned
sine die.
Senate members contend that. al
though the legislative session must
end, the senate may continue to sit
as an impeachment court. If 1t is
determined that the senate cannot
sit as an impeachment court after
Saturday. Gov. Hay states that he
will issue a call to reconvene the
legislature in special session Mon
day.
, The length Of the senate impeach-
ment court is subject for widely
differing conjectures. While the i'm
parchment managers are now pre-
dieting a closing of Tue case within
few days. Schively's attorney re-
fers to the length of the trial a. a
matter not Of days but of weeks.
In Impeachment trials the verdict
of the senate is supreme. There Is
no appeal permitted to the courts.
Bills Before the House.
Among the bills pending in the
house are the general game bill
which passed the senate In July: the
Campbell bill restoring the nomina-
ton. Of supreme judges to the direct
primary, which has favorable COM
mittee report, and bill amending
the drainage district law; bill pro-
hibiting the sale Of liquors On the
grounds of fairs receiving aid from
the state.
A bill has been introduced Ia the
house which removes the objectional
features Of the present marriage law.
The bill provides that applicants for
a marriage license. instead Of having
70 present a physicians certificate
which testif1es to their good health,
may make affidavit before the coun-
~ auditor. who issues marriages H.
censes. that they are free from GER
tain diseases specified in che law.
A cigarette bill also will be con-
sidered This bill restores the law
10 its form before the passage of the
criminal code. 1t will prohibit the
possession or manufacture Of cigar
cites for purposes Of sale, but will
exempt jobbers doing an interstate
business.
Bell, Of Pierce. introduced a bill
amending the primary law. SO that
the nominations for candidates to be
voted on in special elections to fill
congressional vacancies shall be
nominated by special primary cleo
tons.
Among other bills Is one which
amends the criminal code SO that
saloon screens are permitted except
on days when saloons are required
by law to remain closed: bill re-
curing street and electric cars to be
heated. and one prohibiting the in-
termarriage Of whites with negroes
or Mopgoliaus.