The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1913-02-26
ASSEMBLY RESUMES WORK
Steering Committee Tangle Caused
Only Temporary Delay.

J 'o"pOy ~ys
HELENA, Feb. 1S.-In the senate
this morning Q resolution WAS adopted
to the effect that the senate reg ards the
attempted removal OF Lennon and
Jordan, the two house members Of the
steering committee appointed BY the
speaker, who did not resign, but
whose Offices were declared vacated.
% irregular. It 10 taken that this &C.
tion on the part Of the senate will
cause . breach between the two houses
and may possibly result in continu.
ed deadlock.
The senate takes the position that
Lennon and Jordan have not been
regularly and legally removed; that, in
accordance with the joint rules OF the
assembly, . two.thirds concurrent ma.
jority vote is necess ary; and that be-
cause of this, there are now seven
house members Of the steering com.
mittee, whereas the joint rules provide
there shall be but five.
The Murphy conpens alton act
which was passed In the house yester.
day, came to the senate today. but
that body ordered it back to the house
until it was first acted upon by the
joint steering committee. The senate
also recalled all of its bills passed
since the fortieth day, when the steer.
ing committee, under the rules, should
have taken hold.
The most important legislation of
the session, including the platform
measures, is ready for action. but
these will be held up. awaiting the
outcome OF the steering committee
difficulty.
HELENA, Feb. 19.-Due to the ef.
forts and good Offices of Governor
Stewart, with the assistance Of Speak.
er Macdonald of the house, the tsngle
over the joint steering committee was
adjusted and the two bodies devoted
their time to routine business.
The Byrnes public utilities bill was
passed In the house this morning on
third reading, having been honoured
in without q dissenting vote.
The bill for the codifcation of the
school laws was considered, and five
printed pages of amendments were in.
corporated. This bill is said to be
the longest ever introduced in the
Montana Legislature: It contains 134
printed pages.
If the house passes and the senate
concurs In n. B. 1892, by Brewer,
which was favorably reported out OF
committee today, the creation OF new
counties will be made much easier.
The Brewer bill reduces the valuation
necessary in a new county from 3d.
600, 900 to 81, ,500,0 900. and increases
from SO to IS per cent the number OF
petitioners living along the bound aries
OF the proposed new county who must
petition to be left out of the county.
This will make it more difficult for
boundary residents to change the pro-
posed line.
s. b. 40, Survant, for the levy of
special bridge tax, was recommended
for concurrence, Is were McNally's
bill creating q board of husbandry
and Elliel's bill No. 296, relating to
the issuance of liquor dealers licenses.
The senate this morning passed the
following bills on third reading:
s. B. lis, permitting common car.
riers to carry passenger or property
free of charge under certain condi.
tions.
S. B. 116, Byrnes, providing for the
payment for coal con6scated by rail.
roads.
S. B. III, Abbot, to license motor
vehicles.
S. B. 1875, Stout. providing q meth
cd for the distribution of property
in the state owned by deceased per.
sons not residents of the state at the
time of death.
HELENA, Feb. 20.-Several bills
came from standing committees in the
house today. Two platform measures
were passed on third reading, and two
game bills were recommended for pas.
sage in committee of the whole.
House bills 159 and 100, Gould,
democratic platform measures. to
make two bureaus out of the bureau
of agriculture, labor and industry,
were passed by the house this morn.
ing on third reading.
In committee of the whole, II. B.
43, fixing . closed season on elk in
western Montana until 1918 and re-
ducing the number of big game ami.
mails that can be killed In season, and
S. B. 81, Larson, establishing . game
preserve in the Lewis and Clark ma
tionsl forest, were recommended for
passage.
Many important bills we're favor.