The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1873-05-24


II aRs Cesaea:
I have The honor 10 return 10 the Council
without ny approval q. b. No. %, entitled
IAN Act enabling any County q Counties
within the Territory Ut Montana 10 aid in
the construction Of Railroad. and 10 sub.
scribe 10 the capital ssock Of the same"
This bill was received as . late hour lest
night. and ! have not had time 10 presen,
my objections to the ZANE at such length ~
l would desire, but content myself by eta
ting such objections - occur 70 me DOW.
entertain the same views that I expressed u
YOU In my message 1t The opening Of the
present session - 10 the pro.
priety of the legislation contemplated by
this bin. A careful consideration Of the
power conferred by Congress on tho Terri
torial Legislatures forces me to the conclu.
sion that the authority for the passage Of
this bill 10 20 doubtful, If not totally unsu-
thorised, - should have prevented it pas
sage, nor Do belisye that the bill meete the
honest views entertained by majority Of
the Legislative Assembly, but that it, pas,
cage wss secured against the better judgment
Of large majority Of it, members. The
amount to be assessed on the counties nssned
In the ball will be at least three times more
than has ever been granted to aid railroad
corporation in any country, BY the same
number Of people, with the same amount Of
wealth. And the friends of this bill are not
content In demanding fifteen or twenty per
cent. of the sseessed value of the property
sss, but demand that what tho people &C.
cumu!ste by The severest industry and econ.
omy for the next three years, shall also roy
tribute to the corporation that accepts the
provisions Of the bill. II the property aud
wealth increase - the friends Of the bill
predict. the amount of bonds to be issued
under the bill, viii more than double the
amount of bonds provided for In the San
6ers bill and with fewer safeguards for the
protection of the people. The bonds ore
not 70 be issued On . cafe basis of assess
ment, but upon fictitious and ishated one.
All property situated on the line of . com.
pleted railroad Immediately following it,
completion has fictitious or inflated value,
and II will be to the interest of the railruad
company to initiate the assessmsnt tho year
following the completion Of the road by Ill
The means whether corrupt or otherwise that
they can control
This opportunity for fraud and cos.
rupii0n should have h1o0guaIdsj against
BY the bill. The Who Insure appears u
have been framed IN the interest of the rsil
rosd company, rather than that of the peo.
pie. No authority appears to be given fos
the cossesl Of elections on sccouut'o fraud,
nor Is the ballot box properly projected o
the importance Of the election requires. !
do not believe II T. be just that simply =
majority should govern elections where
peoples property 10 to be voted away against
their consent for the purpose contemplated
BY this bin.
The conduct of the lobby" during the
session convinces me that fair, free and
untssmmeled vote BY tue people will mot be
obtained Il il cso b. prevented BY them.
The experience of those municipalities 10
Tie States that have granted cid to railroad
corporations BY subscribing stock or voting
gifts, should NV peevcnte6 this Legis!a
ture from inaugursting . policy that haa
proved 20 ruinous " every community
where any considerable amount OF aid has
been voted. The people Of many countits
Of the Westsrn atates that have aided tn
create rsilr'ad corporations BY voting aid
70 the same arc now appealing 10 Cossress
TO relieve them from the grasp Of the rail.
rosd monopol,es tha: demand of them such
excessive freigh.s - prevents them from
marketing their products at any price. and
In many Of the counties people and
capital ars dyisg 10 other localities 10 svsid
the ruinous taxes ioposed to cid the rail.
roada Can " expect 70 avoid the fate that
hes overtakss those Deople If The bill goes
into effect ] cannot but thisk that the
Legislature has overlooked tho financial
condition OF The counties named In the bill.
The latest statements submitted BY those
counties show that none Of them have paid
eurrens expenses during the past year. d
though no Expenditures for public improve.
meats have Teen made except in the county
Of JsfIsssou, and he present DEBT Of said
couaties viii. In The aggregate, excssd the
sum Of three hundred thousand dollars. Il
Il reasonable or just thst 70 the present
saosnous dsbs, thres or fear millions of
dollars additional should he addedl The
live stock owned In the couoties effected BY
thls bin viii under = recent act b driven
into. assesed and taxed In he counties that
have no debt and where the taxes ars mere.
y nominal lsaving the enormous burden
saddlsd a cselain counties 70 b paid By
ths farmer, and ths hardy sons Of toll Who
own bat cabls end garden SPOT Move.
abls capital win leavo thess counties and
ssok investment wbsss taxes aEe low and In
vsssmsnts eqsally - profitable. The ruin
90 ras6 q istsssss paid by thedebtoe mos,
end viii b increased In The sans saiie Of
Tie mites Of taxation. thus crushing The 10
dusssiss Of he counties aad paralysing the
s1srsi0 Of tbs people.
The remote period named for he compls>
lioo Of shs proposed line of nilrosd, would
asthoeiss Tie prediction that The Nosthesp
PAci1c r r. win b. complssed into cestral
1loutane ID advases Of a ess.aisly ~ aths
period naned for The completion Of The sa1d