The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1870-07-29

va moi: then there ooxld be no session of
tue Legislature BY operation of law. until
inc nrse Monday of Dec. 1870, Under the
eleventh section of the organic act of tho
Territory, the Governor, upon IN ..extrn-
ordinary OCCASION" of which he II to he
the sole judge, may call the Legislature TO-
gether in extra session. Was the Legisla.
ture which met at Virginia City in Decem.
| Ocr 1867 convened under Utat secsionl II
| NOT, then what becomes Of the legislation
| of said session, and how ere the debts crea.
tel by that session to Ike localized. and in
what manner 10 the property of the tax.
payers of the Tcrritority to he made respon.
siblc for its liquidatiouf
The mere recognition or non recognition
OF the body of men calling themselves the
Legislature of the Territory unless con.
vened under the 1lth Sec. of the
organic act did not. and could not. vest in
them the legislative power of the Territory.
do not understand that the session of
1860 was convened under the authority of
said section.
Ifitwas not then. the Legislature of
the Territory will meet under the amended
December 1870.
Now, to the resolutions of your Convcn-
ton. No we'll informed Democrat that
participated in your convention on the 23l
inst. could be ignorant of the apportion.
mcnt act of Dec. 18th, 1867, under which
the counties of Deer Lodge and Missou:a
are organized into. and now constitute the
Second Council District, and cntitled to
four members of the Council The dis.
trict has already two members, A. A. Brown
OF Deer Lodge, and F. w. Woody Of Mis-
soula. two more arc to bc elected, Hlissoula
county having but one member of the
House, the Democracy of Missoula county
In convention on the 18th of June, made a
nomination for the Council, concedins to
Deer Lodge the other, and requested the
Democracy of Deer Lodge county, when in
convention assembled. TO ratify their nom
ination, not as q matter of right but
Q matter of e0urtesy. The Democracy of
Deer Lodge county have refksed to ratify
this nomination, not as matter of ''cour.
tesy" but as matter of absolute and un.
qualified right, based, take it, upon the
supposed preponderancc of the population
of the county, and.not upon any local or
geographical question. We admit that the
population Of Deer Lodge county exceeds
that of Missoula at least one-third. How
long this disparity will continue depends
upon the developments OF the two counties
Five n Onths, or by the meeting of the Leg
islaturc, the scale may turn in favor of
Misscula county. In view of such con.
tingency, not at all improbable, what
would be the relative positions of the two
counties in the next Legislature under the
absolute and inexorable rule laid down by
the Deer Lodge Democracy. Deer Lodge
would then have three votes In the Council,
and five votes in the Nouse-cight votes in
all, nearly one fourth of the Legislature;
Missoula, one vote in the Council and one
vote in the HOusc-two votes. I'll told,
Would this be just? Would this be right?
Would 1t be courteous under the code of
Ethics which the Democracy of Deer Lodge
have unfurled as their banner. and asked the
Democracy Of Missoula to shout ''long may
she wave ?" We demand an answer.
But suppose TINT the population of Mis-
soula county Is not one.half that Of Deer
Lodge. Under the rule proposed by the De-
mocrncy of Missoula If 1t had been accept
Lodge county would still have seven votes
in the Legislature, and Missoula but three
Would this be just?
In view of the fact that the counties of
Missoula and Deer Lodge are 80 nearly al.
lied to each ether in all the elements which
constitute wealth and prosperity, % mutu.
ally dependant upon each other To defeat
measures in and out of the Legislature in.
imical to their growing strength and pros.
perity 40 one community, VIC had hoped the
Democracy of Deer Lodge would have
recognized our claim to au equitable repre-.
sentation in the next Legislature, and not
drive US to the alternative 1T refusing a
proposition as illibcral ~ il is inconsistent
with the accepted views and principles
Very respectfully. Your ovs...,v,.
W. j. MCCORMICK.
Chm Dcm Cen. Com, Missoula Co.
Missouls, July Goth, 1870.