Golden Valley chronicle. (Beach, Billings County, N.D.) 1905-1916, 1909-02-05

was called as q >witness to testify to
the orders issued removing Poole. A
technical error was discovered in the
dating Of the order and it was tenn
porarily ruled out. An application
was then made by Attorney Engerud
to the supreme court for writ of
prohibition to prevent the court from
proceeding with the trial until the
merits Of the case had been tried In
the supreme court. This was argued
before the court for two days and in
the meantime the proceedings of the
courtmartial were suspended.
j. ]. !.
The matter of appropriations has
been somewhat assisted by the de-
cision of the supreme court in the
case brought to test the validity of
the law that required counties to pay
500 year to the insane asylum fund
for the maintenance of each of their
own patients. This bill was passed
two years ago and under it's provisions
between $4,000 and 100000 was
paid into the state treasury. Some Of
the counties paid under protest and a
case was brought by Cass county,
which refused to pay, to test the con-
stitutionality Of the law. The SUI
preme court holds that such legisla-
ton Is within the power of the legis-
lature and that the counties must pay.
The decision means considerable in.
crease in the available revenues of
the state and In the amount that the
legislature can with safety appropri-
ate for various purposes.
j. !. !.
The bill to prohibit the infliction of
the death penalty in the state has
been killed by the senate committee
on judiciary. There were several ar
guments in the committee on the bill,
but the committee finally decided
against it, largely on the ground that
juries are now required to fix the
punishment, as between death and
life imprisonment, and that the death
penalty is not necessarily Inevitable.
The report of the committee was
adopted by the senate and the bill
finally disposed of.
!. !. !.
Senator diversion has a bill to re-
quire druggists to publish by posted
list monthly list of the purchasers
Of liquor for medicinal purposes, the
disease for which purchased and the
number of purchases. If the bill re-
pealing the druggists permits should
fail to pass it is believed this bill
will have salutary effect in prevent
ing the abuse of the druggists permit
law.
i. i. i.
There was lively debate in the
senate over the request of the peni-
Tertiary investigating committee for
authority to employ counsel aside
from the attorney general. Senator
Pierce of the committee stated that
the attorney general had informed
the committee that he was too busy
to undertake the work with the as
sistance and funds at his command.
After considerable discussion the res
olution authorizing the committee to
employ counsel was passed. Senator
Pierce has been chosen as chairman
of the committee and it's investiga-
lions will begin Immediately after the
recess.
i. i. !.
The railroad commissioners present
ed special report to the legislature
in the course of the week. They state
that they cannot do the work expect
ed of them unless the legislature pro-
vides funds and they state that past
commissions have been handicapped
because not sufficient funds are pro-
vided. They ask for a rate clerk,
grain and elevator inspectors, COM
petent persons to pass upon inspec-
ton of grain at terminal markets,
laws for the more rigid supervision of
elevators in the state, laws to give
the commissioners authority to pass
upon applications for the right to
build new lines in the state and for a
number Of other matters of legisla-
ton. The special report was present
ed to the legislature through the gov
ernor and the commissioners say that
unless they are provided with more
funds they will have to conf1ne their
work to the ordinary routine Of the
Office.
i. i. j.
Another Investigation has been pre-
scented in the house calling for an in
quiry into the manner of depositing
state funds from the Office of the state
treasurer. The failure Of the Andy
Jones banks in Pierce county brought
out the charge that more funds were
deposited in them than they were
designated for by the state board of
repositories. The whole matter will
be probed If the resolution passes
h0kIa II In IN tho hnalSa