Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1864-03-03
HOW THE LEG IS LATU r E
"FRITTERED."


of the public printing. The malady was es-
pecially bad on the day before yesterday, and
the consequent distress worked an unusually
great cry of pain; peevish, petulent cry, in
this tone:
THE late Territorial Legislature frittsred away
its time Ii granted franchises to nearly all who
asked them; Il likewise allowed additional COM
pensation for public printing. But it utterly ig'
nored demands founded on Justice. The late Con
sfitutional Convention called upon us to publish
the Constitution Of Oregon, and passed resolu-
ton recommending the Legislature to pay the bill
The Constitution framed was ordered 10 be pub
ished in one paper in each county. Inc 6H'eT-
prise was made the official organ for Storey
But the bills for these publications went before
the late Legislature and were ignored. The next
one will doubtless be called upon TO recognize the
Just claims Of these printing bills
1.-THE late Legislature frittered away its
time?" Yes, How did it "fritter away its
time?" Why, it "frittered away its time" in
not appropriating public money to pay the
Enterprise for publishing the Constitution Of
Oregon, and for serving as the official organ
for Storey county, of the Constitutional Con-
ven,ion. Immediately after the rejection of
the State Constitution, the Enterprise en-
phatically declared, with all the solemnity Of
self-sacri6cing patriotism, that mot one dol
lar had been expended in the election BY the
State Constitution party" This was as much
as to have said, that the election printing
which the Enterprise executed at that time,
was gratuity to its party. Not so, however,
when printing was done for the Constitution
al Convention, which body, it was understood,
was sitting for the public good. The work
which was done presumptirely for the people
must be paid for; but that which was done
absolutely for party, in the case of the Con-
stitution, was simply an exhibition Of "loyal-
ty to State sovereignty" seemingly. The two
accounts ought to stand in the same degree
of propriety-either set down to profit, loss
and patriotism, or compounded and kept be-
fore the Legislature as demands foun-
ded in justice" 1t would be quite as
proper to charge the people of the
Territory, for party election printing, as it is
to make up and present bill for printing
the Constitution Of Oregon for the enlighten-
ing information of the Constitutional Con-
vention of Nevada. What authority, in fact,
did the Convention have to make printing
bills, except such as could be paid out of the
three thousand dollars appropriated by the
Legislature to defray the expenses of the
Convention. The Convention had no right
to create Territorial debt by doing "the
big thing" of declaring the Enterprise to be
" the official organ for Storey" II the Con-
vention required official organs to support its
importance, any debts thus contracted can
only be joined to the other matters which
went down with the going down Of the Con-
vention, and counted as natural losses in the
defeat of the Constitution. The Convention
acted only prospectively. If the State had
been organized, the eontingents Of the
Convention would have been proper matters
for the consideration Of the ensuing State
Legislature. The "oficial organ for Storey"
might then have cried for pay, and been lis
tened to rs an oppressed creditor to be some
what preferred to private franchise petition
ers. 1t appears that of all the great respon-
sibility bearers of the Constitution project,
the Enterprise is the only one that does not
esteem the honors Of the position as having
been sufficient pay for the "work and labor
DONE" The members of the Convention
knew that they were expected to give their
services in Convention in consideration Of
their desire to represent the people in the
production of State Constitution. They
did not go to the Capital with the expectation
of getting pay, then or thereafter, in money
for their services in practicaizing that which
was apparently spontaneous and patriotic
desire of the people. In selecting the Enter
prise to be an official organ Of the Conyen-
ton, the members judged the publishers
by themselves; thought that they were so
jealous for the State organization, and so
patriotic toward the National Union, that
they deserved to, and would gladly receive
the civil and unmoneyed honor of organship.
But how all completely delusiye were the
indications! The implied promises of emf
nent satisfaction in the honor Of the selec-
ton were sadly unreliable.
But again to the spirit Of the demand and
complaint Of the Enterprise. 1t could not
put any merit in its own case, unless it would
assail the merit Of other people. The Legis-
lature took the Territorial printing away
from the Enterprise, and justly increased the
compensation. This, it would seem from the
grumbling of that paper, was monstrously
unjust because the Legislature ignored the
claim for printing Constitutional Convention
matters (the Constitution of Oregon y
which were taken to be printed with full
knowledge Of the uncertainty and irregularity
of the business. The risk was promptly il
not proudly accepted, so profound was the
confidence in the prospect of State organi-
zation. But the Enterprise intimates that
its claim upon the Territory for State Con-
stitutional Convention printing, is just about
just enough to justify the threat, that the
injustice Of the last Legislature will compel
it to make the payment Of the claim con-
dition precedent to the nomination and sup
port of candidates in the election Of the next
Legislature. "Great principles" are great
indeed, but public plumber is powerful!
GEN. GRANT DISCOVERED AS A
WOOD SEILERi
After Mr.. Lincoln received the nomination