The Newport miner. [volume] (Newport, Wash.) 1899-current, 1910-09-01
etc. (see senate journal

QUIQOSS Al View dS MAJ 4AaySA Aoo'
/ could have moved the reconsidera-
ton of the bill that bore my name
Is. B. No. ID and have passed it, as
there were no less than "a senators
present who would have voted for it,
but to have brought up my bill and
passed it would have necessitated
transmitting it to the house, where
as H. B. No. 9, the duplicate bill, had
already passed the house and became
an act upon passing the senate, there
fofre, played fair with Thayer, with
the bill, and with the people, and
passed the bill in the quickest way
possible
So much for the drainage bill, my
action on which seems to be such a
heinous matter in the eyes of Mr..
Thayer. He does not say anything
about several other drainage bills
that I introduced and passed, or the
bill shifting the burden of proof
from the owner to the railroad COM
panies in the case of stock killed upon
railway right-of-ways.
Now, l have seen much greater
men than Mr.. Thayer or myself, or
perhaps l should say, greater than
myself, lose bills in the senate, and
lose them, too, upon full and posi-
tive vote, so that the fact that had
lost one bill even if it were a fact,
WHICH IT is NOT, could not reflect
very seriously upon my character, in
fluence or ability in the senate.
1t would seem to me more i'm
portant matter as to how a legislator
voted on bills of vital interest to the
people and the state as determining
his character and ability, and since
Mr.. Thayer has begun the COMPARE
son between himself and me, l would
call your attention to a number of
such bills
H. B. 37S, relating to oyster lands.
This bill, while it has come up at
every session of fthe legislature for a
number of years, and was much dis
cussed in the newspapers at
| the time, few people in
eastern ashington realize what
lit is, or rather was, or means
In the early days Of the state, an act
was passed whereby, for a nominal
flee, upon making application, one
could obtain title to certain tracts OF
shore lands for the purpose of rails
ling oysters The title to these lands
Icontained reversionary clause
whereby the lands reverted to the
Estate when they ceased to be used fol
the purpose of cultivating oysters
iotherwise the title remaining with
the applicant absolutely, as long al
he used the lands for the purpose in
ltended by the act. Some of these
lands yield revenue of 20 per cen
ion $1,000 per acre, and at each ses
Ision of the legislature there has ap
peared a bill designed to give tn
present owners deed in fee simple tt
these lands to use for any purpos
they saw fit, or to transfer for an,
for any purpose. This would enabl
the monopolizing of the oyster bust
ness on the sound, besides whicl
much of this land has been taken u
as oyster lands which will not rails
) oysters but which is very valuabl
I water frontage for wharfs, docks an
other purposes 1t was easily obtain
ed under the oyster act and was bein
e held pending the passage of bi
e that gave them clear title, thereb
r obtaining for practically nothint
d lands worth $1,000 per acre an
e which would have brought the stat
o a handsome revenue soldl as shol
l. lands for the purposes they coul
5 have been used for. Bill passed tt
lt house March Sth. Thayer vote
l. aye" (see page 655, house journ'
If 1909 Bill was transmitted to tt
senate and placed on final passas
% March 10th and was lost. Andersc
i, voted mo" (See page 936 Sena
l. journal 1909 The bill was recol
d. sidered, although senate rule No.
d. barred reconsidering and final upt
re notice given the day preceding Il
L last day of the session, but knowi'
o. we'll their president of the senate Il
plotters took advantage of the ia
as and while the point of order "
e. raised the president of the senate a
+ bitrarily overruled the point Of o:d
be and the bill was again put to vol
no 1t passed the senate on the seeo
vote. Anderson again voted enc
Ill (See page $50 senate journal 1905
IT. Thayer may have voted for the b
through ignorance of its vicio
ed character, but, in as much as he
OF posing as more Intelligent and al
ed man than myself, this might be we