Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1873-04-18

per aiila't't sict0Io 0
I Interest 10 April ist, 1Ss3........... 4, 1866 @
fSaa.. ......... s1os, 1850 Of
: Warrants registered. ...... sss, ,539 Is
: EstiIn?trd Interest on same. 3, z35 81
. funsiatie With int estimated II 90
Inter st on called DO tiss.. Is 81 u 42542 O
sloo,1es O
By amount to credit of 70 per
BY alnouut 10 credit of war
rant fund. l55 IL Ais 6
Total indebtedness Ap /, 1878 as sIle. .5ss 81
Registered debt, Dec. /, 1871 l7,5f5 81
; tucrease in sixteen nionths.... s26, ,o7o 81
Total amount of warrants registered
since December j; ISL .............. S75 757 81
Il The increase of the Territorial tiebt is to be
1 attributed to tile dxtravagant expenditures OF
the last legislative assembly. which reached
nearly the sum OF forty-five thousand dollars.
| The management of the finances of the Terri
tory by The law-making power. since the or
ganization of the Territory. gives us but lit
tie encouragement for the future; yet we are
/ ffot without hope. 1t is Enthusiastically true
that the peoble expect tie Legislature, it
the session which you have now entered, will
! inangurate i reform in the public expendf-
tures, that will enable the Territory and
| Counties to cancel their obligations at an
early period. A severe reeniedy must be ap-
| piled. Tie public debt (rerritorial aud Coun-
lty) exceeds Il half million OF dollars. The
/ people, possessed rs they are of the great
natural resources Of the Territory, cannot
tail to prosper even under this burden, but
lit must not Increase. Extravaganza must
be checked and economy exercised. No for
| tune exists so large that the prodigai caEnot
exhaust it. No people exist so rich and pow
erflH that prodigality and corruption cannot
1 destroy. Let IT'S labor in earnest and econ
omize in earnest; increase our earnings, di-
| minsll our expenditures. Save what we can
| and spend only when we must, The ex-
| travagance OF the people will make the gov
eri'nent extravagant; the representative
will not be better than the Yeople he repre-
eents. ct us take warning by the example
of those who have sunk under the crushing
weight of general and individual extraya-
gance and folly and thereby ayci id the fate.
Congress have prohibited extra compel-
sation from the Territorial treasury upon
which the taxpayers are to be congratulated),
prudent legislation will enable rae Territory
the present year, to meet current expenses
and cancel twenty thousand dollars of the
present debt. s'E.
"a Iss,n.fIeIcc HAS ruus I'll & Y
i've Without the aid OF Legislature, is to a
great extent powerless to eeont mze the
Territorial expenditures. I have felt the
necessity or such AID, aud it was not extend
ed. Will you extend that aid? IfI mistake
not the temper OF the people of all shades of
political opinion, they now ask it-demand
it.
4 distinguished statesman uttered a great
truth, when he said, 'sAll experience has
shown public Indebtedness to be the .bane of
tree government and the principal source OF
their corruptions and expressions"
The unreasonable amount allowed Sheriffs
for conveying convicts to the Penitentiary
should occupy your early attention The /
Sheriff of Madison county charged and re-
ceived from the Territory last November, for
conveying one convict to the Penitehtiafy--a
distance not exceeding one hundred and
twenty miles--the sum OF two hundred and
twenty-five dollars. The cost Of the trans
portation of the sheriff and convict to Deer
Lodge, and the return of the sheriff IA by
stage J, will not exceed eighty dollars. / re-
commend such legislation as will be Just to
the officer, and not unjust to the people.
think wise economy would suggest that the
Warden, or some employee of the Peniten-
tiary e required. upon notice Of the con-
victon and sentence of any person toa term
in the Penitentiary, to proceed to the county
where the convict is confined and convey
him to the Penitentiary. The cost under
this plan, should not exceed the actual ex-
penses of the Warden while engaged in this |
services.
The Legislature in 1870 changed the COM
pensation of the Territorial Auditor to
fixed salary but at its last session, the act OF
1870 was omitted and the repealed act in
serted. I recommend that the act of 1870
be restored.
In order to insure uniformity in the as
sessment of property for taxation through
out the Territory, the Territorial Auditor
ought to be required to prescribe the blanks
to be used by the county assessors, and cause /
the same to be printed at the expense OF the
Territory and distributed to the several
counties, as he is now required to distribute
receipts and licenses.
The proposition to vote railroad bonds to
some corporation, to aid in the construction
of line of railway from the Central Pacific
TO Helena, in this Territory, has been dis
eussed by the people and press of tue Terri.
tory for some months past, and will doubtless
occupy a portion of the attention of the
legislature at its present session. In tie
OF this important subject, 1t I
will be for you to examine the question:
whether Congress has conferred upon the
Legislative Assembly the authority TO grant /
sontts. to aid private corporations. Terrto-
rial governments haye always been regarded
IS governments OF limited powers; tempo
-ary governments Tor local purposes only.
Such governments are dependents upon the
will OF Congress for their existence aHr
appear to possess no other powers than those
IF civil government. The authority TO exer-
Use the right Of eminent domain has clearly
aor been conferred By Congress on any
Territorial government; nor have the gen
sral powers Of taxation to the extent exer-5
Used by State governments. been author
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