The Grand Haven news. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1858-18??, 1859-02-09
THE COUNTY OF MusKEeoN.


The New County Of Muskegon--A Spe-
cimen Of Black Republican Legisla-
tion.
Lansing, February 2.
The bill for the organization of the
county Of Muskegon to day passed the
Senate by vote Of 10 to ~. This
is a movement that is worthy of more
than a passing notice. If there is any
one measure before this Legislature that
contains iniquity in all its parts, this is
the one 1t may not be so iniquitous in
its conception. IL may be that there was
some desire on the part of few people
residing in Muskegon village to be organ
lied into new county. There has been
a dispute existing for long time between
this village and Grand Haven on the
question of the location of the county
seat Of Ottawa county. Out Of this grew
the desire for the new county organiza-
ton. 1t was distinctly shown that other
than in the village of Muskegon and on
White River there were no settlements in
all the territory proposed to be erected IN
to county. 1t Yas shown, further, that
the nature Of the county, in its geologi-
cal formation, was such that it could not
support population 1t was vast
stretch of sand barrens on the lake shore,
the eastern slope being covered with pine,
while beyond, in the interior, it was al
most wholly vast marsh. Yet, in spite
Of this showing, and in spite of the more
conclusive fact that over eleven hundred
of the inhabitants of this territory had
demonstrated against being organized in
10 county, while only four or five hun
dred had petitioned for it, the bill was
forced through.
: But there was a more singular persis-
tency on the part of the Senate in refus-
ing even to amend the bill when it was
glaringly and fatally imperfect. The first
section is imperfect in that il defines the
townships that are to comprise the new
county by their numbers according to
the surveys Of the general government,
without giving the ranges. An attempt
TO amend this was defeated. Then there
is no provision for attaching the county
TO any judicial district, and it is left, as
IL were, out of the pale of civilization
Again, it is not attached 10 any Senate
rial district, and can have no representa-
ton on the floor of the Senate. Besides
this the organization takes from the coun-
ties of Ottawa and Oceana, both, several
townships, and leaves neither Of the three
with n constitutional number of town,
ships. An effort TO amend the bill so as
TO submit it to vote of the people in
terested in the movement was promptly
voted down.
The only prctext for all this obstinacy
was, that if the bill was amended it must
60 back to the House for action, and
would be defeated there. For this reason
the majority opposed any and all amend
ments, even when offered in good faith, to
perfect the bill.
This action shows their fear 1t had
been urged by certain letter-writers that
this was party measure, and its being
so unfortunate as TO have only democrats,
both in the House and Senate, to oppose
it, to tend to strengthen this supposition,
and therefore, rather than do an act that
would in the remotest degree benefit that
party, they drew the lines and pushed it
through regardless Of consequences
Z But in this they have overreached Their
mark, for the Muskegon country has al
ways been a drawback on the democrat
ic majorities of Ottawa county, and has
frequently turned the election to the OPP.
position. BY detaching that country OF
tawa is left as reliable democratic coun.
ty. Cor. Det. Free Press.