The Montana post. [volume] (Virginia City, Montana Territory [i.e. Mont.]) 1864-1869, 1868-07-17
ANOTHER FEATURE.


1t is well known that the country to
the west of the Missouri possesses the
finest natural roads on the continent,
and that in nine cases out of ten, the
tolls upon them are unwarrantable leech~
es upon the scant purses of emigrants,
miners, ranchmen, and freighters; that
they are, in short, impositions. Tofee
useful politicians, and reward party's: to
favor friend and buy off an opponent
to tickle one that he may not pinch am
other, and to look out for No. /; withal
that, good fat summer income might
be assured, the Legislatures of various
Territories, aad in none more so than
Montana, dotted these western vallies
with innumerable toll houses, and filled
them with imperious seizers who deman-
ded tribute, oftentimes without just
cause. The attention of Congress was
directed to it and an act approved March
I'd. 1867, contains the following:
Be it enacted, ETC., That the legisla-
tive assemblies of the several Terrific
ries of the United States shall not, after
the passage of this act, grant private
charters or special privileges, but they
may, by general Incorporation acts, per-
NIT persons to associate themselves to-
gether as bodies corporate for mining,
manufacturing and other industrial pur-
suits.
1t will be remembered that the annul'
ment act also declared chat ALL acts
passed at TIE two sessions os the social
ed legislative assembly ST Montana held
in 1866, were thereby declared null and
void, those having vested rights under
them having recourse to the courts.
This act invalidated all franchises grant
ed by those so-called sessions, and FOR
BID their re-enactment, or the granting
of special privileges" The Legislative
assembly of Montana, convened in No
vember, 1867, under the provisions of
that very act. and about the first thing
it did was to renew the granting of
special privileges" and the re-enacting
of bills granting private CHARTERS" :"
So utterly defiant and in contravention
of United States law were these acts,
that the Committee of Judiciary, in the
Council, reported adversely on every one
presented to them. This did not suit
the. four who constituted the majority OF
that worthy body however, and they
cooked up special committee favorable
to monopolies, to whom all such bills
We're reported, and they passed, ayes
to nays, despite the efforts of the Ju-
dietary committee. Fifteen of these toll
road, bridge and ferry arrangements,
granting the parties exclusive privileges
] to roads and ferries for from one to four
miles on either side, which, by passing
through canyons or narrow gulches, OF
being at the OILY accessible point on
streams, necessitated travel over them,
were passed in three weeks. These
monopolies continue for three, eight,
ten and fifteen years, with oftentimes
excessive rates, where no labor is per-
formed or required, but where travel is
compelled to pass and pay ere it passes
Here then the Legislature of last winter
passed acts, grievous burthen upon the
people, in violation of U. S. law, and Sc
held by it's own members. Not only
this, but having on the 10Th of Novem-
Der, declared "all roads laid out or now
travelled in Montana. public highways
except those upon which franchises have
been granted" they Immediately set to
work and granted franchises On some
seven or eight of those very roads, inn
posing heavy rates of toll and making
them monopolies for dozen years to
come No court in Christendom, would
sustain the legislation, yet the many
Montanians are daily paying over theil
dust and greenbacks plentifully to salts
fly the rapacitY of these few. Remem-
Der it is these men and of their kind
whom Democracy asks you to return
to the Legislature this session. You
can prevent il in just one way. Vote
against them on tn e Sd of August. We
1 will see if the Gazette can crawl out o.
this through "the little adverb (n) NOT
hole