The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1911-01-27
Attorney General Says Extra Session
May Be Held If Nothing Is Done
With Bill Now.
FAvoRs ELECTRoCUT1oN PLAN
Representative Morton Proposes to
AboliBh Hanging-Johnson Mon.
ument Bill Goes to Senate.


St. Paul, Jan. Eft reapportion-
ment is not accomplished at the pre-
sent session of the Legislature, it
may be done at a special session, or
at any succeeding session. This is
the opinion of E. T. Young. former
attorney general, and George T.
Simpson, the incumbent. Both
have givn opinions on the subject,
and both are positive that the consti-
tuition provides for it.
The clause of the constitution
providing for reapportionment says;
AT their first session after each
enumeration and also at
the first session after each enumer-
alton made by authority of the United
States, the legislature shall have the
power to- prescribe the bounds of
congressional, senatorial and repre-
sentative districts" etc.
According to the construction
placed upon this provision by the two
attorney generals, the constitution
merely designates or confers the
power on the Legislature to reap
portion, and II it is not accomplish
ed at one session, 1t may be at the
next or the next, and 50 on. Mr..
Yeung's opinion was given February
p. 1907.
In his opinion, Mr.. Simpson said
further that the constitutional
amendment proposed by Senator
Works, fixing a different basis of re-
presentation for cities, would not be
unconstitutional. Senator Works
proposes that the number of ~Sena-
tors and Representatives in the
cities of the first class shall be based
on twice the population at which the
representation from the outlying
districts is fixed. This would mean
that St. Paul, Minneapolis and Du-
luth would have only half as many
representatives in the Legislature as
they would have if the basis is the
same in city and country.
PERSONALLY hope no such amend
ment is enacted into law" Mr.. Simp-
son added, "but the power of the bal
lot in the matter is supreme. If the
state votes to limit representation
from the cities in such manner, the
amendment could not be knocked
out in the courts
Any classification of cities for pur-
poses of legislation is permissible
under the Constitution. This is
the decision arrived at by the SUBJ
committee Of the judiciary committee
Of the House, Charles Orr, chairman.
OF course the classification, says
the committee, must be general in
its application and there must be
some reason for making it. The
question arose in connection with a
query: Can cities be classified on
any other basis than population?
which is the one basis apparently
recognized by the Constitution. The
subcommittee finds that any old
classification goes 80 long as it is
not so specific as to eliminate other
cities having the same general char
acteristics.
The report has been prepared by
the subcommittee and will be sub
mitted to the judiciary committee.
X x
Electrocution instead of hanging
is proposed as capital punishment by
Representative Rufus P. Morton in a
bill presented to the house yesterday
The board of control is directed to
provide permanent death chamber
in the state prison where all execu-
lions must be conducted.
The bill specifies that no news
paper reporter or representative shall
be present at the execution, nor any
newspaper publish any details be-