The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1877-03-09
The Northern Pacific VIII Not Get aa Exten-
sion Of Tine.
WASHINGTON. Feb. Il 1877

WASHINGTON, Feb. IA, 1877.
To the Editor of the Independent:
The Missouri river steamboatmen hav
been in Washington fo1 several days look
ing after the contract for transporting gov
ernment goods on that river. DR.. Eddy
who represents G. x. Peck, was the sue
cessful bidder. The lowest bidder for th
Yellowstone transportation was Jame
Bosler, the famous Indian contractor. Gen
Meiggs declined to award the contract, ane
orders have been given to build two GOV
ernment steamers for the Yellowstone
These will also be used by the Engineer
Department in works for the improvement
of the Yellowstone and the, Missouri
rivers.
Messrs. Steele of Wyoming and Maginni.
of Montana have succeeded in having day
certain fixed for the consideration of the
bill to ratify the late Sioux treaty, which
cedes the Black Hills and opens to explora-
tion and settlement the country between
Bozeman and Cheyenne which was closed
by the Sioux treaty of 1868.
The Committee on Territories have ia
bled the bill to regulate elections in the
Territories. The bill provided cumbrous
system of voting by ballot in uniform en-
velopes.
The President offered to his Clerk, G. c..
Sniffen, the Secretaryship of Montana, but
Mr.. Sniffen declined the honor. He was
afterwards appointed Surveyor-General Of
Arizona, but the appointment WAS with
drawn at Mr.. Snihen's request.
The late civil appropriation bill, as it
passed the House, reduced the salaries Of
Territorial Governors and Judges to s2, 500;
Secretaries to $1,000, and Surveyors-Gen-
eral to 80, 700; Superintendents of Assay
Offices and Meters to $4,000 each. There
is no doubt that the Senate will restore
these salaries to the figures now allowed by
law. rs
No appropriation for river improvements
will be made this year, except perhaps to
continue the works at He'll Gate and at the
mouth Of the Mississippi. The engineers
propose to begin On the Upper Missouri
during ths coming season. The President
refused TO expend over one-half of last years
appropriations, but the Upper Missouri was
among the works authorized by him. Very
many members Of Congress are incensed
because the President withheld the appro-
{iapo fba., - iakc
The counting of the electoral votes by
the House and by the Commission has en-
crossed most of the attention and the time
Of the session. 1t is very doubtful if the
ordinary appropriation bills will pass. Sew
eral of the most important are not even
these bills fail it will be necessary for the
incoming President to call an extra ses-
sion. ....-..
The Northern Pacific people are afraid
the bill for the extension of their time viii
fail in the House. There are over 100 bills
ahead of it on the calendar of the Commit
tee of the Whole, and only twenty legisla-
tive days remain, most of which will be oc-
cupied by the regular appropriation bills,
and the count. The Northern Pacific bill
can only be advanced by unanimous con-
sent or two-thirds vote, either Of which is
almost impossible to obtain. The South
ern Pacific subsidy bill is in the same pre-
dicament.
Hundreds of private bills will fail to be
reached, though many are mere formal
matters, settlements Of accounts, etc. ALI
will have to be gone over with again next
session. The House has set day for the
consideration of pension bills, but very few
other private bills will pas, this session OF
Congress.
81 Huntlsy and Seth Bullock arrived
from the Black hills, and say that Dead
wood is Alled with familiar Montana faces.
Seth came on to see about the establish
ment of some form of Government in tho
Hills. Sol Star is a candidate for Postmss-
ter at Deadwood as soon as the treaty is
ratified and Offices established. There is no
prospect that new Territory will be es-
tablished, as it would cut up Montana, wy
oning and Dakota in such \ way as to en-
barrass their future. .......z#
The President will tomorrow, probably,
issue an order creating a military reserva-
ton for the new post at Missoula. Gener-
al Sheridan reports that the delay in con-
structing the garrison has been owing to
the delay in procuring title to the desired
site. This has been settled, and the Secrc-
tary of War has the papers ready to submit
to the President, who has promised his ap-
proval-