Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1872-10-24
MEETING OF THE LEGIsI.ATURE.


MEETING OF THE LEGIsLATURE.
i The Montana Legislature does not assem-
IL bic till The first Monday in December, 1878
nearly 18 months from tie .5tl. OF August
1872, when an election was held Tor nemb..r'
4 OF the House ofRepresentatives AMI 4 poe
i ton OF the Counsel. Tins presents an ,,Yl,
phase IN >legistations and should have beer
preyenteda mt tise~fass, session 81 the Legisia
tnre. Az matters now stand the terms o
members Of the Council tlecfcd att! Au
4 gust election, 1871 S and menlbers Of tl,s
House Of Representatives elected August s
1872, expire on The first Monday IN August
/ 1873. and unless The GoveInnr should call lin
1 Legislature In extraordinary session, thu
] election held August 5, 1877, for members o.
1 the House Of Representatives, was tantanouIl
! to farce. On the 9th OF August. 1879, ar
other election for members Of tho Council
lho1ding. oyer. those elected in 1871 and mem.
ks.s Of the IIoase OF Representatives will
have to be held who will serve In the regular
session converting on the first Monday in
December, 1873. For some of this confusion
CSngress is to blame. When they changed
| the sessions of the Legislature to biennial,
they did not amend the Organic Act, APP.
proved May 26, 1864. which fixed the term
OF service Of House members to '.eontinne
one year. This difficulty. however. mi. hi
have been obsiated ii, j measure il ut the la~f
session 81 the Legislature, the time of he
meeting OF the Legislature had been liked on
the first Monday in December. 1871 "A ill
| to cure ali these difficulties WAS reported.
late In the last sessionsof Congress. ,inani-
monsly, from the committee on Territories
Of the Senate but Jailed to receive the cordial
support of the Delegate from Montana. AMI
therefore did not become a law. That biz
provided that the ey.rtion for Delegate In
Congress, members of the Council. and House
Of Representatives and such other officers as
provided BY law to be elected in 1872. should
be held on the first Monday. IN October ISL,
and every two years therea ter. and that the
members Of the House shall nsi'i their offices
for the term Of tro gears. And that fha
Legislature thus elected shall meet OH the
first Monday in December 1879. at the sent 0f
government. That this did not become
law was not on account OF any unwllhgness
Oh the ,art OF the committee OK Territories
Of either the Senate or House. for II was con-
siiered by both committees as very proper
and necessary bill. but 1t did not receive the
support from quarter. which II seems to us
should have pressed its passage. But. It is
not the purpose of this article 10 revive past
mistakes. The object is to fis!da pathway
out OF tic tangled circumstances surrounding
the Legislature of Montana, whicl, it seems
las been its tate since the organization.
Unless Congress intervenes ii is clear that
there will be no meeting of the Legislature
till December 1873. The Governor is OPP
posed to meeting under present circnmstan-
ces, and will not call it together unless the
occasion i. really an extraordinary one.
His oljection;is. in the n,ai'i. very good
one, and large majority OF the citizens ct
the Territory OF both parties agree wi h him.
The meeting of the Legislature under tl,r
existing conlitiott Of things. involves large
cost to the taxpayers, for when they meet.
there Is no questisis that they will vote thens-
selves and the employees extra compensation.
thereby fi1crcasingthe already heavy debt.
Aats, f,rs. 1T will be well to say. hut for this
voting of aertxn compensation by the Legisa- |
lures that have been held in Montana. the
Territory would not no,o o,ee single dottsr.
Now, we assert ti1at it's Of the utmost i'm
portance to the interests of Mo tana that
Legislature should convene before Decem-
Der, 1878. we believe that there are pro-
iects Of the highestfmportance to off W'effaiftt /
MS people and to the future development Of
our resources, thatsre1uire Legislative action
and encouragement and the early converting
Of the Legislatures public necessity. Hav-
ing given this question some degree OF delil,-
crate thought ADMINISTRATION, we think a
solution ofthe difficulties attending the meet
ing Of the Legislature can be found, provided
The concurrence OF those in authority, can be
secured. The Legislature carr meet, 'recciv-
ing fair, satisfactory and adequate eompen-
satiou without cesting the people OF Mos-
lana dollar or aiding one dollar to its pres
ent Indebtedness, Or voting dollar by way
Of extra compensation.
It viii be remembered that for the last thirty
years at least, Congress has voted t,uenty
thousand dollars annually for pay uf members
If the Legislatures ETC., in the several Terri
;ories. The law having been changed re-
,uiring the Territorial Legislatures t" meet
,nlv once in too years, was intended TO save
soerty, thousand annually to the general
government. Annually sessions cost forty
thousand in toe ysars. We feel satisfied that
congress will, upon proper representation
il the inadequacysof the pay Of members an,l
he course they have to resort to. enable them
3 live at the seat of government. (vofe extia
compensatory, eheerfu1ly increase the APP
for Legislative expenses in the
evcral Territories to thirty thousand dollars
bf bienniel sessibhs. Already m Washing
the general Government pays1
the. Legislature sta dollars a
Law. and when this question iss brs,.,sht bv
II the De4sgatesin Congress in concert. to
he attention. ofshe secretary of.rlie 'rsasury
le will raise hfsestiinates for legislative ~x-
'enses in the Territories TO thirty thousand
Iollars. and recommend it to Congress. We
eel sure that the. committees on Territories
. both Senate AID House, will endorse COR