, 1869-12-04
Editorial Correspondence.
oLYHrIA, November 81, 1865

of the Legislature is rapidly draw
ing to close, and 1 for one am tru'
ly glad, for certainly q more corrupt
body of men, take them as q whole,
have never before been delegated to
make laws for any people. Many
years since California bad a Legisla>
ture that was designated as the "Leg.
islature of a thousand druuks."
Washington Territory has the teal"
and can very properly designate the
present law-making body as the
Legislature of q thousand swim
dies" 1t is true, we have honest
men in both branches, but the voices
of these are drowned in the noisy
demands of the plunderers, and so
the work Of rObbiDg the people pro>
greGSss with scarce a protest. After
this session, 1 think it will be diff.
cult to induce q man Of fair charac-
ter to allow his name to be men,
toned in connection with seat in
the Washington Territory Legisla>
ture, and 1 know that the honest
men who are now in the Legislature
are ashamed Of their association with
the corruptionists who make up the
majority. The whole body is putrid
and fostering with corruption. The
sooner it disbands the better it will
be for the people. As specimen Of
the sWindling going on, | will cite
THE CODE.
Most persons have supposed that
q new code Of laws WIS to be framed
that would be simple in their char
acter and easily understood. In
stead Of this, the old laws are being
bundled together aud run through
the Legislature without regard to
uniformity or system, and this botch
work is called a "code," for the
printing of which DR.. Scott, the
Territorial Secretary, will fleece the
government out of $4,000 or $780,
900, and it is to further this swim
die that the Legislature is' put
through the emotions" and some of
the greeuer members are made to
believe that they are assisting in
framing a "code." The whole thing
is job, got up for the benefit of the
Secretary, and those who are "in
with him." and the members who
assist in carrying out the swindle
will in a great measure bear the
odium. The laws that 60 to form
this "code' are rushed through
both Houses without being read,
and the members vote for them in
entire ignorance of their character
If such procedure as this is not
calculated to bring the legislature
into contempt, then l must confess
that l am at fault. Several months
since it was prophecied in the Sta'es-
man that the election of Mr.. Carr
6elde would inaugurate an era of
corruption in this Territory, and
certainly the conduct of the first
Legislature under his dynasty more
than verifes the prediction. Some
such men as those who rule in Wash.
ington Territory must have inspired
the poetic declaration that
when vice prevails and wicked men hold
sway,
The post of rank is private station"
swINDLEs NOT ACCOMPLISHED.
In the early part o. the week q
bill creating the Office of "Commis.
sioner of Statistics" with a salary
of $500, and $4,000 additional
stealings was passed through the
Council, under a call for the "pre-
viOus question" without allowing the
opposition to say one word. Wheth-
er it will have a similar course in
the House remains to be seen. This
bill is intended to pension Elwood
Evans on the Territory at an auuu,
al cost 1000, to come out of the
pockets of taxpayers. The next
grab at the Treasury was to appro.
pirate thirteen hundred and fifty dol.
lars to Hazard Stevens for one bun-
dred copies of map of that part of the
mountains, These maps are worth
at retail about IS each, but the Ter
ritOry when she buys by the whole.
sale pays thirteen dollars and ftv
cents each! What a nice thing i,
is to be liberal with the public mons
cyl 1 regret to say that the vote
of my colleague stands recorded in
favor of both these swindles.
UNIFORM FEES.
A few years since the fees Of Official,