The Montana post., 1868-12-25
MONTANA LEGISLATURE.
An orr-ful IIlastrstion-An Appropriate Joke
on Jaei-The Legislature Recepted-They
all 60 Sleiching-capitolisn conjectures.

to-day TO the depth OF four inches, and
every vehicle that goes on runners is in
requisition.
The Council passed the homestead
bill and adjourned.
The House was taken up with divers
little discussions of no importance--ad-
journed at IL o'clock in the morning and
in the afternoon. During the discus
sion of the bill proposing To tax China
men, a speech was made by a gentle>
man from your county. which Sample
Orr replied to on the instant, and intro-
duced his remarks by saying, that he
believed he had never yet spoken on
any subject without taking sides, but
that the gentleman from Lewis and
Clarke had most successfully avoided
dong so. He reminds me" continued
the speaker, "of the man who who
went out hunting and discovered an am
Imal in the bushes which he supposed
might be deer, but he was not quite
certain that il was not calf In this
dilemma he made up his mind he would
aim and fire so as to hit il, If il was the
former, and miss should It prove the
latter. The result was. that he had
never heard that he had hit either.
This is the most successful effort at an
ecdotal illustration that has yet taken
place in the Council. So Sample Orr
thinks. An effort worthy of note, how.
ever. as a very remarkable specimen of
Legislative wit took place in the House
Mr.. kerly introduced resolution ap-
propriating one dollar to buy nails.
which was read twice, and passed with
an amendment reducing the sum to fifty
cents. This was referred to the CONS
mittee on Judiciary Affairs, of which
"a. 81
of that Committee not being very ur-
gent, this young gentleman distin-
guished himself in a report OF considera>
BILE length, the upshot of which was, that
the draft upon the Treasury was so heavy
the Territorial indebtedness so great,
and the appropriation of government
for territorial expenses so trihing that
the authorities seemed unable To make
any new expenditure, and a substitute
was adopted requesting the Sergeantat-
Arms to obtain the required number of
nails by drawing them out of some un--
occupied and unclaimed house in Vir~
ginia City. If the SeargeantSat-Arms
is as good as formerly he was on the
draw" the honorable House will soon
have nails TO sell after supplying one
for the use of each member. This re-
port was certainly very smart land we
presume the author is smariing for a
naiD in fact a little ahead of the resolu-
tion, and showed pretty clearly the ma
terial of which this promising new
member is made. of course the gov
ernment will feel very bad when they
see il, and the Governor is in great dis
tress over il. 1t is believed that a few
more efforts like this, and the resolution
on postage stamps, will render it inn
possible to displace the Democratic
party in this Territory for some years to
come. The sarcasm is SO very keen, so
whitening, and betrays such profound
knowledge of legitimate Legislation, and
for the purposes for which men are
elected Legislators, that il is impossible
for any party to rise against it.
The Council adjourned at an early
hour yesterday, so that the hall might
be prepared for the Governors recep-
tion. which took place last evening.
Sleighs were out at an early hour gath-
ering the assembly. Most of the ladies
of the city were in attendance, and
dancing commenced between z and 8
o'clock. The Governor. assisted by the
estimable lady of w. G. Barkley, Esq.
received his friends very courteously.
The Hall was crowded 10 repletion, and
the display of handsome wardrobes,
bright eyes, cherry cheeks. (no paint
used here) and pouting lips (socisl eq ual-
ity in earnesO was worthy the Capital
in her better days. The swift winged
hours waited us into the numerals be-
fore we were aware OF ii, but still the
|" many twinkling feet (" moved
on untired and undsu united, through
quadrille, polka, mazourka, and wound
mp with those old moveu ents, Virginia
reel and money musk. The ladies were
all smiles (save the pouting lips) aud
enjoyed their portion of Legislative hon.
ors with grace and dignity. Would that
| could say as much for the sterner sex
That they enjoyed themselves hugely,
as q general thing, there can be no
doubt, but whiskey is a bad institution
for n partnership. 1 understand that
there are to be several repetitious of
this Legislative interlude during the ses-
sion, An evening of tnerriment and So
cial interchange is Gne of the most de-
lightful recreations of mountain life and
gilds over the heart aches and distresses
Of the day. Our Legislature needs this
TO relieve it of some OF
the dullness of repeated speeches and
the monotony of business. The ladies
are In favor of receptions TO a man, and
the brilliant one of last evening has
had its effect upon the occupations of to-
day. (Some sore heads.)
The fine sleighing was too much,even
for the profoundest of our law makers
TO resist, and so to>day the Legislature
adjourned early, and went in for winter
sports. The Judges Joined in, and the
merry gingle of bells has eniivened the
rity since morning. All sorts OF "turn
onts" and all sorts of crowds 10 fill them
have been in constant motion. Half
dozen msmbers In one sleigh, half |
dozen equally divided of sexes In anoth-
er, a jovial crowd of Bacchantes in a
third, the Governor and Judges in n
Tourth, and 90 on, all full of glee, loud
laughter, jolly singing, 1--WE know that
ell the pleasures which
T. "Ice and snow, -r.r d., r. r
Bling TO mortals here below