The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1877-10-20
JoTTIN0S FROM THE CAPT.
tai.
OLYMPIA, Oct. 20, 1877.

LID. lSTkLLl0ENCNR:-lne Work oil
Legislation is picking up little. though
the House displays more activity in
that respect than the Council During
the past two days they have held after
noon sessions. an example worthy Of
imitation by the Council. The House
Is now far In advance of the senior
branch and it will take rush of bust.
ness upstairs to enable the latter to get
even.
THE BALLAST NUISANCE
Is receiving considerable attention this
session, aud I hope for the good of
Seattle that law may be enacted that
will hold water. Our diligent young
councilman Mr.. Hantord had quite a
little tilt over 1t yesterday with Messrs.
Kuhn. Ut Jefferson, and Reed, of Pa
eihc. One thing is quite certain. any
good harbor is sure to be spoiled by
dumping ballast even in the deepest
water. because it destroys the holding
ground for the anchor. Hence l atm in
favor Of dumping ballast on ~harves,
which will enable those structures to
defy the ravages of the teredo. Hith-
erto it has been impossible to procure u
conviction for this offence in Seattle.
where 1t has been in fair way to spoil
the very best harbor on Puget Sound.
THE LEGAL sOLONs
Down in the lower House have already
introduced five bills to amend the Civil
Practice act, while but two have been
introduced in the. Council.
THE APPoRTIoNMENT BILL,
Introduced by Mr.. Hanford, was re-
ported back to day without recommen-
dation by the committee Oh Elections.
1t has been made the special order for
this day week (Thursdsy,) when it will
be considered in the committee of the
Whole. 1t possesses much merit aside
from the proposition to decrease the
representation of Walla Wslla county,
and l am of the opinion that it will be
50 amended Is to give King county four
representatives in the House ., we'll as
a joint representation with Pierce in the
Ceuncil. 1t may bscome . law. Walla
Wslla is to-day the most solidly per-
msnently settled county agriculturally,
in the Territory. aud even her repre-
seDtation is plenty large enough till
after the census of 1880 is taken.
THR wORKMAN's LIEN LAW,
Introduced by Mr.. Ferguson yesterday.
is q voluminOus and comprehensive doc
nment, drafted by w. H. White, Pros
ecuting Attorney. 1t makes special pro-
vision for enforcing the rights of log
gers upon booms of logs cut by them,
asserting the priority of elbow grease
over pork and molasses.
THE SHORT HAND BILL,
To provide for the correct reporting and
perpetuation of testimony, has gone to
engrossment and will probably pass
the Council. as all the lawyers are its
strenuous advocates, and even Uncle
Sam Stewart, who stesdfastly opposes
every proposition to create An office,
has been won over to the support of the
bill, by the safeguards thrown around
it. How it will fare in the House re-
mains to 10 seen. 1t proposes to pay
the reporter ten dollars per day for
every days work he does lit says moth
ing about his expenses while travelling
from one court to another. nor does it
offer to pay him for any time he is not
actually employed. My advocacy Of
the proposition Is based on my belief
that if there had been a short hand re-
porter employed on his trial, John
Thompson would have been alive to-
day.
CHANGES OF NAME.
The prevailing spirit of Nipple
omania still continues with undated
ardor. The last applicant for the bene-
fit of the otherwise" business. is .
Dutchman Of your county whose letter
to Mr.. Tibbetts was the most excruciat-
ing piece of reutonic absurdity. Gov
Ferry will veto all these bills on the
ground that such cases are already pro
vided for in the courts. and he is OPP
posed to saidling the Legislature with
useless work or encumbering the statute
book with laws that are Of qucstionab bic
morality. One of these cases is Mon
golian living in Pacific county and u
very excellent citizen. Evidently the
Scandinayisns do not regard the matter
as We do, for I have known a Captain
Foster drowned OH the Elida) whose
real name was Fastner. . Walrig. who
always went by the name of Edwards.
and . Holfstrom who was called
Howard. In most cases there is little
to warrant this sort of business. except
to screen defaulter or confer respects
bili.y on u bigamist.
PERMANENT MEDICAL OFFICERS.
Councilman Kuhn has bill on the
desk to abolish co.oner's juries - well
as tho coroners themselves. and appoint
doctors to transact such business in each
county. Az there ara no physicians in
the counties OF SkamsniA, Lewis and
Wakiakum. those counties will have to
be excepted from the provisions Of the
act. l can't say particularly fancy
the 'jigger." But his bill to abolish
capital punishment meets my hearty
approval 1t is my firm belief that il
the death penalty were abolished theirs
would be twice IS many convictions fef
murder rs now. So many men will sit
rs Jurors and say they have formed nc
opinion. yet when the prisoners guilt il
beyond cavil they refuse To concur in a
verdict, out of CONSCIENTIOUS scruples
against capital punishment. Abolish
that aud these delicate gentlemen need
fear no executions. Besides .hey would
be certain that if the guilt of the pris-