The avant courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1871-1872, 1871-10-18

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the Legislature win look carefully into this
i matter examine the work performed, zee il
) 1t eonfornls to the directions prescribed By
) the Legislature, is a compliance. with con-
! tract, or is OF any value to the Territory be-
Il. fore making any appropriation Of the public
money to pay for ouch services.
| II is certainly sot expected BY the people
that the legislature will make an appropria-
II ton of round sum for the benefit of these
commissioners regardless Of services per
formed, or the value OF such services.
srile eyes of the public generally will per
!, haps scrutinize more closely the acts Of their
Il Representatives In the coming Legislature
4 than heretofore i'll this Territory. And there
4 is little doubt thatail will be held to a strict
Il account for their shortcomings and derelic-
Il tons There is a loud cali tor economy. The
people of the Territory feel the oppressive
ness Of the debt and taxes that arc resting
i upon them, that are being annually increased
as well by the populations Of funetionaries as
]. by unw!se and extravagant legislation. The
4 Legislature IS largely Democratic. The voice
Of the people at the recent election, by which
the political party that has dominated in this
Territory since its organization was COM
pletely everthrown, should be taken rs q
! warning and Needed as an adnonition that
there is a principle with the people that rises
/ above politics that of honesty, and that cor
ruption and extravaganza will not be per
mitted to stalk III high places without i SCI
we're repriinand from the people By the les
| sons Of the immediate past the coming Legis-
lature may profit much.
! Among the many reforms. looking ia the
| direction Of economy that win be sensibiy
felt and appreciated BY the people ut large,
that are expected of the LIE gislature. would
mention that Of thorough remoasling, clip
ping and cutting down Of the present fee
bills Of officers. ISL
lam enc Of large class who think that as
a general thing it Is best to give to officers a
liberal compensation in order to reMove from
| them the temptation to steal. But it is said
bY one Of our citizens here who bears the eu-
phonious so6riqast of "Bilky,'' that even a
liberal fee bill tails to have that salrtary eff
teatupon some. The present fee bill, how
ever, is an outrage upon the people. It was
passed in the winter of 1S64-5 when green
backs were worth III this Territory from 40 to
90 cents on the dollar, and has remained upon
the statute books and now remains, with q
very few notifications, the same as when
passed. At that time, i'll view Of the facts
that officers could be compelled to take tlieir
fees in currency, that currency was then of
little value, that labor and living were high,
the schedule Of fees then adopted was not out
Of the way. But now that paper money is
the money Of general circulation, and living,
labor, and every thing else is cheap, to con-
tinue the present fee bill would, IS vas r.
marked TO me BY an attorney short time
since, be equivalent to . denial of justice to
the citizen in many instances; would be
wrong upon the people without an excuse,
and would damn the political party tina
would countenance or tolerate it. And
trust that VIII be pardoned for observing in
this connection. i'll all respect for the press,
and III perfect consstenee with an earnest de-
sire for the prosperity and pecuniary success
of your excellent journal, as well as ali other
newspapers in the Territory, that the COM
pensation now allowed by law to publishers
fer the publication of all legal advertisements
is too much; is oppressive; is in great dispro-
portion to their general charges and prices
for other advertisements, and should be re-
duced By the Legislature to what would be a
fair and liberal compensation to the pub
Usher. and at the. same time would work no
hardship upon the citizen.
The people at large do not feel the effects
upon them of the oppressive fee bill on the
statute book 1T is only those whom necessity
has forced int lawsuits that are brought in
contact with The officers OF the law and made
to feel the weight OF an officers weapon, his
staff upon which he reclines not only for
support, but for the acquisition of wealth.
An instance now recurs to me that will ena-
bic me TO illustrate to those who have not
been and are not now in lawsuits, how heav
ily the present fee bill bears down on the. nm
fortunate litigant. The following facts are
furnished me by high public official at this
place A short time since the County Treas
urer Of this county, Mr.. Gilbert, having some
money ii his hands belonging to the Terri
tory. desiring to pay tower, and finding two
claimants Of it. to-wit:: Hickman and Bark
ley. DIOu5gHb q still III CUtti W sC liC LII
bunal determine who was the proper party to
receive the money, and deposited the money. |
about $500, belonging to the Territory. The
case was determined iii a little while; but one |
witness WAS sworn; not juryman was en-
panneled, and the judgment of the court wac
that an attorneys fee of 800 should be al
,owed Afr. Gilbert's attorney ont Of the fund
SO deposited, and that the costs of the action
be paid also eut Of the sam essss fund. Our
Clerk of the District Court, who is a very |
clever, gentIenanly and capable Clerk, and
who, have no doubt, is unjustly accused of
hayinga pencil like one owned by James
Hardy. of Bannack, capable of making two
marks at one strske, was called upon for his |
fee bill. He furnished it; aud it amounted to |
the enormous sum of $50. This, remember, |
was not all the costs ia the case--onIy the |
Clerks costs. All the perk performed by |
the Clerk in this case, am informed, could be /
done by any competent pensman IN a day or
day and half; and yet, Under the present
law, he taxes up his costs to the above
amount. "a
Members Of the Legislature, yo''r atten-
ton is respectfully invited to the foregoing
ossd FIR d ,-a,.;ffnatinn thprant ya17 gro