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

ed, to determine the central location for
that population likely to be permanent
and fixed. Immigration has swept in
four years from Bannack to Virginia, on
to Helena, and now flows towards
Philipsburg. 1t has left at each place
a class of fixed residents who are deveI-
o7ing the mines and building up the com
munIties of that character to be consid-
cred in the location of the seat of govern
ment. It is not reasonable that the cap
itol should follow as the drag wave of
this human current to every camp in
the Territory, until IL has been thor
oughly established at what place the
convenience of, for reasonable length
of time, its people demand it should be
located The expense involved upon the
/ cessitated to reside in it, renders it mad
\ visable 70 have the Capital fitting over
] the mountains at the bid and beckon OF
/ every ambitious mining camp. While
there is no appropriation for. or any
/ Capitol buildings likely to be erected and
while Virginia is almost as accessible
as any other point, we cannot see any
urgent necessity for it's removal until
time has established point possessing
/ those requisites in which Virginia is
lacking. If that place shall be Helena,
there let it go. 1t possesses already, all
the other principal offices of the Terrific
/ ~, than these necessarily located at the
/ Capital. Strangely enough while Edger-
! ton claims centraIity and the greatest
population and wealth, the Reports
show a quarter of million less
property valuation tnan Madison, and
that It paid 81 ,4O5 less taxes for 1867.
Deer Lodge polls 2l6 more votes than
! Edgerton, and according TO the latest
method of computing population, has
! fifteen hundred more inhabitants, while
! Choteau and Gallatin are several degrees
nearer the geographical center of the
! Territory Passing by the fact that it
| is premature to permanently locate the
Capital, and folly to temporarily shift IL
at every session of the Legislature, the
organization of the present body is such
that the passage of II. b. No. 2, and its
approval by the Governor, could not be
justified. BY the apportionment under
which the Legislature is organized, two
have a majority representation in the
Legislat ure, and by their combinations
in the House, made by trading Deer
Lodge the Penitentiary and Edgerton
the Capital, can pass any bill they choose
I by a two.thirds vote Mr.. Edwards, of
Deer Lodge, asserted that he was in
structed by his constituency to vote for
the Capital To remain in Virginia in pref
ercnce to removing il 70 Helena. Mr..
Boswell, his colleague, who " came over
to get ali he could for b. s county, find
ing that Edgerton had four Representa-
tives and Madison but two, tickled the
county with Capital that could tickle
him with Penitentiary, and voted for
Edgerton. The bill provided that the
people should vote foT either one of two
places, neither of which promise to be,
a wear hence, the place where majori-
ty would desire to have the Capital To-
Gated. In consideration Of these facts,
Gov. Smith had to DO one of two things
assist in an act of manifest wrong, or,
veto the bill He vetoed the bill. Hell
ena is angered. By and bye, when the
first rude surge of passion is over, we
venture to say the majority of Helenaites
will admit the act was fuily justified by
the circumstances, and Governor Smith
will be as kindly treated if he should
visit that place, as are gentlemen OF Hell
ena now visiting the Capital.