The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1873-02-01

Y. FEBRUARY l, 1873.
TERRITORIAL LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLIES
0s.neaa,.. u. a.... In. o..
Esa1s fr>o the Debate ~ published In ~ Glesl
"a. january Q, 1879 "a
rEnRrroXnL Iio,sIAr,vE ASSEMBLIES.
Mr. Mckee fp0m the committee on Terri.
ulating compensation IF the members and
officers, of the Legislative Assemblies of the
several Territories Ut the United States, and
limiting the duration of sessions of said As
sembliss; which was read first and second
tlune. = -
The bill was read The first section pro-
vides that the sessions Of the Legislative
Assemblies of the several Territories OF the
United States shah he limited to forty days
duration. The second section provides that
the members 1T each branch of such Lcgis-
latures shall receive compensation of six
dollars day during the sessions provided
fOr, and euch mileage ~ ~ now provided by
law; provided that ,tl,e president Of the
council and the speaker Of the house shall
receive each compensation of ten dollars
per day. and that the additional officers of
each branch of said Legislative Assemblies
shall consist Of one chief clerk, who shall
receive a compensation of eight dollars per
day, and Of one assistant clerk, one enroll.
ing clerk, one engrossing clerk .one sergeant.
alarms. one messenger, and one Waterman,
who shall each receive compensation Of
five dollars per day during the sessions
The third section provides that on and after
the 4,h day IT March. 1873. the annual eal>
aries Of the Governors Of the several Terri.
tories of the United states shall be $500,
and that the salaries of the Secretrics Of said
Territories shall. be q, 500 each. BY the fourth
and last section II 10 provided that the pro-
visions of this act shall not apply to the
District Of Columbia. . ..,
Mr.. McKec-This bill is really = codifica.
tiOn of the different laws in relation 20 the
various Territories. At present the dura-
tiOn Of the sessions of the Legislatures Of
some of thesc Territories IL sixty days, and
of others not SO much. THIS Lili provides
that the duration of the sessions of the Leg
islature IN each Territory shall bc for forty
days. 49,
Then, sir. in regard To the pay Of mem.
hers Of these Icg. iaiurc At present s,me
O' them have six dollars per day, as in
Washington and Colorado. while in Dakota
they have three dollars per dnv, xn'l in Wy.
"ming four dollars per day. This hill sim
ply makes the pay uniform IN the several
Territories. aud II also makes uniform the
salaries OF the Governors and Secretaries,
which lave been very diverse. FROM the va
ri"us legislation We have had concerning
the Territories in different years
H.. n.,l,~, N1h.x ..(E..ns ,.,:11 al. LII
have on III" salaries Of Governors
Mr.. Mckee-lt raises The salarits IF Gov.
errors. IN some inst. nccs $500. aud in others
81, 500. The Governors If some Of these
Territories formerly received! salary 81
@l,500 NJ Governor, and $l.0O0 or $500
extra q Superintendent 0f Indian affairs
By recent legislation, not levcled at the
Governors, the Governors have ceased tn be
Superintendent of Indian affairs, and hence
their salaries have been cut down, in some
instances 10 the pi,iful sum OF 81 500 year;
not intentionally, but that has Leen the ct.
feet Of our legislation. THIS bill proposes
to raise the salaries Of oil the Governors up
70 the standard Of $4,000. At present the
Governor Of Wyoming has $4,000 Q year,
ard the Governor Of Idaho $2.5OO Taxi
ing off the salary o Superintendent of In.
dian affairs. the Governor of Idaho has
only 81 500 year, which il not enough to
support him, Or anything like it.
(Mr. Holman Of Indiana made lengthy
speech against the bill on the ground Of
economy
Mr.. Mccormick, of Arizona. lam sorry
that my excellent friend from Indiana,
mr. HOlman,] who is always SO watchful
Of the Treasury, should mol have discovered
that this Is bin in the direct interest of re-
form. 1t begins by declaring that hereafter
the sessions Of the Legislatures of the sever
limited IL forty days each. whereas they are
~ days In that particular . largo eaving
will be brought about by the passage Of this
bill, and forty days viii, l apprehend, be
found ample for all proper legislation.
In reference To the salaries Ut Governors
and Secretaries Of Territories, the increase
proposed by this bill is very small in most
ut the Territories. In number Of instan>
ces, - In Colorado at the present time, the
Governor receives but 81, 500 = year, because
OF the fact that = year Or TWO since the Su.,
pcriDtendent of Indian affairs in that Terri.
tory Was made distinct officer. When the
present legislative salaries were fixed the
Territorial Legislature me: annually; nov
they meet but once in two years. have
have always understood that il was the in
tenti0n of the House when provision was
made for the meeting of these Legislatures
but ones In two yeurs 10 give more ade
quatc compensation to ito members. III should
have been done when the biennial sessions
were directed.
l can only say that SO far - concerns tie
present salaries they are totally inadequate
10 enable legislators to n.eet the daily *.
s,f l,Oo l<,Is eho Sfka,ooH
capitals of the Territ0ries. ] myself have
had in my possession not few due bills for
money loaned while was secretary Of one'of
the Territories 10 accommodate members of
the Legislature who found it absolutely iM>
possible To return to their respective homes
without borrowing money, and who often
were very seriously embarrassed by the
meagcr pay allowed them for their services,
while many good men have refused TO &, IL
the Legislature for fear 1T p cuniary TN
llrrassulenl. .
81 far ~ the Governors and Secretaries
Ut your Territories are concerned, they Aic
the most poorly paid officers Of this Govern
ment. and lave always been ~. While
salaries have been increased in every WhS,
possible direction, there has i'ecn no Increase
Ut their sal"rics for long series Ut years
The Territories are run cheaper /, every
particular than any other branch Of the
Government Las ever been run. ]! IL time
that simple justice should he done Them. !
see no reason why the Governor 0f > TER;
tory should be Obliged ~ involve himself
heels over head u. debt why the Secretary
Of . Terri.ory should 90 uut Of ufi3cc in |
debt, Or why . member Ut Territorial
Legislature should be obliged 10 incur debt,
for the simple reason that the Congress of
the United States has hitherto not provided |
anything like IN adequate compensation TO
them, or . compensation in proportion to
thst ut other officers Of the Government.
Now, agree with my good friend from
Indiana tina, the American people want re-
form that they desire On cc0nomicsl I'd.
ministratiOn Of the Government; but at the
same time think this bill is oil right and |
just. The gentleman saysi II 10 in excess Of |
proposed even in war times. Why.
sir, It was proposed repeatedly during war
times; and two or three years ago intro
duced the very bill upon which thi one is
based. 1t was approved by the Territorial |
Committee; but the matter came NJ 70 late |
IN the session that The committee was not |
able to get the door. ..a-..J
Another strong argument In favor Of On
49, ~ 9