, 1877-10-13
The Governors Message.


and consideration in it's prepar-
alton, and abounds in facts and
conclusions, clearly stated, and
interesting to every intelligent
reader, and we only regret that
the document is too elaborate to
admit of publication entire in
our limited space.
The statement in regard to the
Territorial finances is very graf
flying, and we believe is without
a parallel in any State or Terri
tory. All demands upon the
treasury to date have been paid,
leaving q balance Of 81, ,665.
The rapid developement of the
resources Of the Territory, en-
bracing Agriculture, Fisheries,
: Coal and Lumber, are noted in a
most encouraging exhibit. "The
shipments Of coal during the first
seven months Of the present year
have amounted to more than
eighty thousand tons, CT which
seven-cights were from the mines
in King county"
The recommendations Of the
Governor are in the main con-
siderate and practical. LIST. In
regard to the Territorial Libra
ry and how to keep it up. I'd.
A protest against the present
system Of keeping convicts scat
tel ed around in the various coun-
ty jails. Sd. On the manifest
discrepancies of the act creating
a" Board of Pilot Commission
ers and Pilots on the Columbia
River and Bar" 4th. State Gov
ernment, on which the Governor
recommends, for conclusive rea-
sons, that no election for dele
gates to the proposed convention
be held until the next general
election. 5th. On population,
the present population of the
Territory is estimated at $4,000.
9Th. An appropriation for a
Board of Emigration is strongly
recommended, 7th. A revision
of the laws is also recommended.
Sth. A considerable portion OF
the message is devoted to an able
and concise review Of the North.
ern Pacific Railroad question for
which we have only room for
concluding paragraph:
puget Sound is the only pro
per western terminus tor a Nor
thern transcontinental road
This has been recognized by
Congress, by the Railroad Com
pany, and the American people
for many years. The most pow
erful argument urged to obtain
the original land grant and to
effect a sale of the bonds OF the
company was, that the route OF
the road was the shortest that
could be run between the Allan
tic and Pacific. This favorable
feature was III measure de-
stroyed by changing the MAN
line to the valley Of the Column
bia river and thence to Puget
Sound, thus adding two hundred
and twenty-five miles to the
length Of the road. The con-
struction across the Cascade
mountains will still, however,
give the direct railroad commu-
nIcation ori riginally contemplate
cd. But II the land grant for
the branch is restored to the
public domain, some years will
probably elapse before the road
will be constructed. Should this
be the case, and the western ter.
minus Of the main line be estab-
iished ut Portland, the original
design will be absolutely trus-
trated, and we will receive a
check to our advancement and a
blow will be struck at our pros
perity from which we will not
recover during the present CEN
tury. The need for the branch
road is greater to-day than ever
before. If it was feasible in the
past, it is now. Let, then, the
Northern Pacific Railroad Com
pany construct a road across the
mountains, if it will. Let the
time for it's completion be ex-
tended, coupled with the condi-
tions before referred to, as to
the price Of land and annual
construction.