Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1872-09-12
MEETING OF The EGrsL.rrnr.

S'S -. s.'s niS' "oiiudf III DecelltUpr, iSI
iiearly Is months from the 9th of Angus
1917, when an election wus held for mcmbc
OF the House of Representatives and M
non OF the Council This presents an uyl
PRAISE in legislation, and should have bee
prevented at the last session OF the I1e.isI,
ture. As matters now stand the FERNS
members Of the Council elected nc the Anon.
election, 1871, and members OF tile liousc
OF Representatives elected August 5. 1877:
expire on the first Monday in August ls7;
ana unless the Gov ri,or should call III
Legislature III extraordinary session. III
ficctlon held August 5, 1872 for members a
Inc House OF Representatives was tant,
mount 10 farce. On the 9th Of August
1919, announcer erection tor members of TIL
Cotl:icii (holding over those elected in 1871
anu members OF The House of Represents
tives will have to De held who will serve /,
the regular session converting on the frs
Mohday IN December, 1873. For some d
TINS confusion Congress ii to blame. W,c,
ihey changed the ses ions of the Legislature
10 biennial. they did nos amend the Or.anic
Act, approved May 26, 1864. which tixc,l the
term Of service of House members 10 .con.
tlnse one year," This difficulty, however.
might have been obviatcd in a measure If ot
she last session of the Legislature. tile time
OF inc meeting of the Legislature had been
nxed on the first Monday in December, 1872
a Dill to cure all these difficulties was rt-
ported, late IN the last session. of Couuress
H9.i1iaoimouFly, from the committee on Terri-
tories OF the Senate, but failed to receive fhe
fordiai support of the Delegate from Mon
tana, and therefore. did not become law
Ihat bill provided that the election for Dele
gaze III Congress, members Ut the Council.
aand House of Representatives, and sucl,
other officers as provided by law to be elect
ca ~ 1917, should be held on tile frst Mon
day IN October 1872 and every two wears
thereafter, and that the members Of the
aiouse shall hold their offices for the term Of
.'oo years. And that the Legislature thus
eiected shall m ct on the first Monday in DE-
ce'aoer 1879. at the seat Of government. That
thls dtu not become law MAS not Oil ,,ccou,,t
q any nnWillingncs. on the part oil the
committee on Territories of either the Senate
or House, for it vas considered by boil, com
lnittees as a very proper aud necessary bill,
onf lt did not receive tile support from
quarter, which it seems to us Should have
pressed its passage. But, it is not Gle pur
pose OF this article to revive past mistakes.
Iae object is to find a pathway out of the
anglcd circumstances 1sErounding the Leg
stature OF Montana, which it seems has been
Is rate since the organization.
UItless Congress intclvencs ii is clear that
mere VIII be no meeting of the Legislature
iH December 1873 The Governor is onposed
o ainceting uatler presei: circumstances,
ma VIII not call 1t together unless the oeca-
non IS really an s'ertraordiaary'' one. His
'D)eetlon =, IN the main, very good one,
MIA large in:jority Of the ciizc,ls of tie
territory of both parties agree with him.
INC meeting of the Legislature under. tile
kissing condition of things, Involves large
oss 70 the taxpayers, for when they meet,
mere Is no question that theyswill vote them
elves and the employees eDtra conapsns alton.
hereby increasing the already heavy debt
And, Erst, it will be we'll to say, but 70, this
OF ng OF srtra compensation by lie Iegisla-
ures that have been held in Montana, the
-erritoFy would not now o,ce a single dollar.
low, we assert that it is of the utmost i'm
ortance to the interests o; Montana that i
legislature shonld convene before Dacem-
er, 1873. We believe that there are projects
lhe hiShcst Importance ID our welf.re as a
cope and TO the future development Of our
esources, that require Legislative action and
Encouragement. and the early converting Of
nc Legislature Is Il public necessity. Hay
~ given this question some degree Of .leiih- +,
rate Thought anu Investigation, We think J.
button OF the difficulties attending the .
leefing OF. the Legislature can be found. .
rovided the concurrence of those in autl,.r
" can be secured. The Legislature can ;
.ecf, receiving Il fair. satisfactory and alc- j
nate compensation without co. ting the peo-
le OF Montana dollar or adding one dollar
itsprcsent indebtedness, Or voting dol 4
by way Of extra compensation Ii
1t will be Remembered that for the last thir- S
years at least, Congress has voted t.ccnfv 0
oasrna dollars annually tor pay Of meme S
rs OF tile Legislature. ETC.. in the several e
erritorics. The Law living been changed / K
qui-ing the Territorial Legislatures to meet Il
ny oncs IN tsco gears, was intended t, save v
EMF thousand annually to the general Gov Il
hnsenf. Annual sessions cost forty tAous- ii
q ta FRO yea s. We feel satisfied that Con- s,
ess VIII. upon proper representation of X
inadeqnary Of the pay VI members and Ii
course they have to resort to. to enable &
en- tp live at the seat of gov. rnnlent, fyote ii
IRA compensatory, cllcertuIly Increase the y,
legislative expc:.sss iii the "
pcrsIi TERRITORIES to thirty Mousoud Iis
liars Tor biennial sessions. Already III co
asllington Territory the general Govern "a
'nt pays members OF the Legislature SIC II
lars 2 day, and when tIais question is tie
,ught by NIL the Delegates III Congress III Sc
lceff, to the dttei.tios 81 the Secrctary III vi
Treasury. he will raise lis estimates for HI
isiafire expenses IN The Teriita,rics to thir- m
Thousand dollars. aiid recommend it to | III,
agresr We feel SIRE lat lie committees to
ieirltnries ia Eotfl sciat. and Honse, will TEL
lorse cordially suc!l recommendation Of It'll
SECRETARY. and tie couilali. tees on anpro- w
Mons, composed 81 most intelligent aid HI