The Topeka state journal., 1909-03-13
HAD TO BACK UP.
Speaker DOlley Compelled to
Change His Ruling.
Otherwise Legislative Adjourn
ment Couldn't Have Been.
STUBBS AGAIN VETOES
L ISapprOVes a Bill Regarding
Collection of Fees.
Consideration of Bills Will Be
Completed Tonight.

| And it came to pass that after the
prophet and law giver of Maple Hill, a
small place in a province beyond the
Jordan, had established a new precedent
| for the children of Kansas to follow in
the process Of enacting laws that on the
third day thereafter he had to back up
and rule adversely on his own ruling.
1t was this way: Something like three
weeks ago a tribesman by the name of
Pyle introduced a resolution in the
house which called for adjournment
March whether the work was finish
ed or not This resolution was passed
by the house by considerable majori-
ty of the members present at that time.
But it lacked a few votes of a consti-
tutional majority, which is to say 63
votes, so Speaker Dolley, who was op-
posed to this early adjournment, ruled
that constitutional majority was nee
eSSary to pass a concurrent resolution
and he cited the law bodies of all the
world, past and present, to bear out
his stand on the proposition. An appeal
was taken on the ruling of the chair
and committee appointed to investi-
gate. This committee. after absorbing
a couple of tons of parliamentary usage
and digeSting the same, presented all
this in a condensed form to the house
and the speaker was sustained with a
ton to spare.
lished in Kansas and the name of Dol
ley inscribed on the immortal page.
If one could only stop here and
write no more how fine it would be.
But, alas, the moving finger continues
to write and the record must con-
tinue.
The members of the legislature had
returned to their homes this week and
a faithful few remained to receive the
governors messages and keep up the
semblance of a form of a legislature
as by law provided. The time of final
adjournment had been set for Friday
evening at o'clock As this time drew
near it became apparent that not all
the bills passed could reach the gov
ernor and be transmitted by him to
the legislature in time. There were
many most important bills in this lot
and continuance of the session until
Saturday night was imperative. 1t was
found that such action could only be
taken by concurrent resolution, SO the
senate drew up and passed such a
resolution and sent it over to the
house
The speaker sat with troubled brow
and gazed on this hammer which was
to shatter his precedent. Conferences
were held and various devices consid-
cred. Overtures were made to Lieu
tenant-governOr Fitzgerald, president
the senate, among them the turning
back of the clock, but these were de-
MED as illegal and a menace to the
Now according to the speakers rul- |
ing 63 votes were necessary to adopt |
the senate concurrent resolution to !
concurrent resolution to continue the |
session to Saturday night There were !
only four votes available in the house |
to do business with. The prophet of i
the tribe of Benjamin of the place of |
Maple Hill sighed and said: $50 be it" !
And at the same place and during the !
same session the precedent was torn /
from its moorings and drift>'i out to |
the stormy sea- The four house mem |
bers acquitted themselves like men and |
passed the concurrent resolution, each |
man voting with the strength of six |
teen.
And so it came to pass that the
scriptures were fulfilled, in that he |
laughs best who laughs last
The governor vetoed his fifth and |
last bill today as follows:
Executive Department, March IL, |
1903.
ITO the House of Representatives:
81 herewith respectfully return to |
your honorable body without my ap-
proval house bill No. 99S which is en- |
titled:
IAN act relating to the payment !
and appropriation of fees collected by
state officers, state agents, or state !
institutions
"The subject matter of this bill is !
fully regulated by existing laws both /
with civil and criminal restrictions
and I fear that this new law might
supercede and impair the provisions of /
the appropriation bills passed at the !
present session which provide that |
certain fees collected by various state |
next fiscal biennium for the support |
of such state institutions.
Respectfully submitted,
"W. R. STUBS. Governor