Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1861-08-17
Tell the Truth and Shame the Devil.

of the Vancouver Chronicle of the Sth
inst We seek no controversy with
sheet which is willing at any slime to
lay aside all selt-respcct, and indulge i'll
malignant personal abuse. but we will
not allow that sheet to circulate asser-
ton which it knows to be false without
a denial. "Wc opinc," that the peo-
pie, whose rights that paper processes
somuch zeal in maintaining are endowed
with common sense, and will repudiatc
a newspaper which descends to false
hood to carry point, Notwithstanding
it be for their benefit.
Every man who has resided in the
Territory long enough to call it his
home, should be aware that the Capital,
until the last session of the Legislature,
was located at Olympia. He has but
to refer to the printed laws to find the
enactment by which, on the 9th day of
January, 1856, Olympia was designated
as the Capital OF Washington Territory.
Yet, right in the face of this, the CAron-
icle publishes the following:
"Thc organic act simply required the Lcgisla-
ture to permanently locate the Seat of Government
which was never done until the last session, when
it was established by direct and positive enact
ment at Vancouver"
The organic act required that the AS
sembly should hold its first meeting at
such place as the Governor should ap-
point and direct, and that at its first
session, or as soon thereafter as they
might deem cxpedient, should locate
the Capital at such place as they might
deem eligible. The Governor fixed
upon Olympia as the place for holding
the first session of the Legislature. BY
laws of January 8 and 90, 1856, the
Capital "was established by direct
and positive enactment" at Olympia.
There is nothing in these acts to show
that it was the intention Of the Legisla-
tors that this location should be merely
temporary. The Seat of Government
was as permanently fixed, then, as it is
now claimed to have been by the act of
the last session, and the subsequent
acts of the Legislature go to confirm
this view of the case. On the 9Th JAN
nary, 1858, an act was passed appoint
ing Commissioners to superintend the
erection of the Capital at Olympia, the
Seat Of Government Of Washington Ter-
ritory, and this act provides that no
part of the appropriation by Congress
should be applied to the erection of the
building until the title to ten acres of
land, including that upon which the
the present Capitol stands, should be
approved by the Acknowledgement.
From this i, is apparent that the Legis-
lature in 1858 regarded this place as the
permanent Seat of Government.
BY act of Congress approved March
3D., 1857, $50, 900 were appropriated for
the erection of a Capitol. The title to
to the ground selected as the site was
subsequently approvedby the Attorney
General, and portion Of the funds for
wardcd to the Governor, who was in
structed to clear the site. The depart.
ment would certainly not have author
lied the expenditure at Olympia of any
portion of the appropriation, had it not
considered that place the permanent
Seat of Government of the Territory.
All the Territorial enactments on the
subject were before the department at
the date of its instructions to the Gov.
ernor, and we hold that after the OK.
pcnditurc Of any portion Of the appro-
.priation, it matters not how small the
amount, that it 10 not in the power Of
the Legislature to make the fund avail
-dble for the erection Of q Capitol at any
other place. Such, we doubt not will
be the decision Of the department, for
this view Of the matter is supported by
sound eense and policy. What guar
:anty have the Government or the peo-
ple Of the Territory that at the next, and
subsequent sessions Of the Legislature,
nets may not be passed relocating the
Seat Of Government?
Az Territorial journalist we have
heretofore expressed disinclination to
take part for either locality further than