The Montana post. [volume] (Virginia City, Montana Territory [i.e. Mont.]) 1864-1869, 1867-11-30

date the debt incurred by said contract.
An act to provide compensation torse
vices rendered by John Guy, Sheriff of
Gsllatin county. for services and expen-
ses incurred in searching for the muir
derers Of A. B. Davidson. appropriates
$5,O00Eout of the Territorial funds for
that purpose. Acts have also passed
and been approved, defining the boun-
daries of Missoula and Edgerton coun-
ties, and re-enacting the franchise for a
ferry across the Missouri at Trout
Creek
THOSE BILLS.
There has been considerable said by
our cotemporarics, ia regard to two
bills now before the Legislature. One in
troduced in the House, authorizes Prof.
Swallow to make preliminary and SUI
perfcial geological survey of Montana,
for which he is to receive ten thousand
dollars from the Territory. The other
introduced in the Council. provides that
the Governors Territorial extra COM
pensation shall be cut down from 81 800
to 1000 per annum; the three Judges
extra compensation of $2.500 per annum
cut off entire. The same bill gives
to each member of the Legislature, the
chief assistant. and engrossing clerks,
SS each, per day to each of the assist
ant clerks, sergeantat-arms. door keeper
and fireman not provided for in the organ
ic act-S12 each per day. and to each page
So per day. This in addition to the
compensation given by the general gov
ernment. This bill makes the expenses
of the Legislature, to the Territory, 70
forty days-$13,520 add TO this the
| $4,000 for the survey, and we have
contemplative burden of S23. $40. which
il is proposed to add to, the $5S.000
which the Territory owed ON Nov. 1st.
The retreuchment provision cuts down
$4,000 per anum, leaving S15.520 as the
net increase of the two bills. Professor
Swallow we believe to be thoroughly
competent, honorable gentleman, and a
geological survey would have great inhu-
ence in bringing the mineral rerources
of Montana prominently before the world
in a desirable and prospectively
remunerative manner. The most
objectionable feature is, that all
scientific researches, surveys and
reports are more immediately expensive
if thorough and reliable, than new and
impoverished commonwealths are pre-
pared to assume. Congress appropriated
| $4,000 last year for Mr.. Taylor to make
preliminary, and Gerry superficial re-
port upon the eastern gold and silver
regions. For the same amount proposed
to be appropriated for Prof Swallow to
make the report next summer, the Gov
ernor of Montana serves the u. s. Gov
ernment four years 1t does not look to
be equitable. We believe the general
government is not only under an obi
CATION but is disposed, to favor Ler
young dependencies, and the assump-
tion of a burthensome debt before
we reach maturity, is undesirable.
The compensation of tue general Gov
eminent to its officials in this Territory
if not sufficient to enable them to live
comfortably and maintain their families,
except in a hand to mouth manner, un-
less they have incomes independent of
their salaries. Taking these PROPOSE
tions together, it is the duty of the Leg
islature to retrcnch the. expenditures
whenever extravagant, useless or avoid
| - = F4I
salaries paid by the Federal government
to its officers, as is evidenced by the
extra compensation heretofore allowed,
it is the duty of the Legislature, if these
reductions are made, to represent the
matter to Congress and ask for a suitable
increase to be made. The Governors sal
airy is $1,000 in greenbacks. little over
$4,000 in gold, less than a good miner
can earn by the day in a gulch. The
salary of the Judges is about $4,000 in
gold. Judge Munson holds terms of
court in Edgerton and Meagher counties
Judge Williston in Deer Lodge, Nilsson
la and Beaverhead; Judge Hosmer in
Madison and Gallatin. To travel to,
hold terms at, and return from, the diff
ferent places, in some instances nearly a
hundred miles separate, involves an un-
avoidable expenditure of at least 500
for each term. We are informed
that FIVE terms had been agreed upon for
the next year, beside the terms of Su-
preme Court. This cuts in on $4,000
pretty freely, and the Judges are not fill