, 1880-05-10

tor the improvement of the Skagit riv-
er, which Government engineer official
ly reported could not be made navigable
for less than $4,000. 1t has been made
navigahle for 20 miles, exclusively at
private cost, withou, the aid of dollar
from the Government, and there are now
five steamers regularly employed 10 nav>
igating its waters, and more soon to be
added to thar trade. After all this has
been done solely hy private enterprise,
the pitiful appropriation of 81, 500, which
would hardly pay the expenses of an en-
gineer to come and look at it, is adding
Insult to injury, like casting a sixpence
to a poor relation whose patr;mony you
are Withholding.
Relevant TO this is speech lately de-
livered in Congress by George Ainslie,
Delegate from Idaho, from which the
following is All extract:
"In its course towards the Territories
Congress has bu: aped the policy pur>
sued by Great Britain in the government
OF her colonies. Acting on the as>ump-
ton that it possesses absolute and un-
limited powers under section 3 article 4,
of the Constitution, which provides that
The Congress shall have power to dis
dispose of and make all needfu rules and
regulations respecting the Territory and
other property Lelonging to the United
States the people resident in the Tcrri>
tories have been treated as property and
not as citizens of the united States pos.
sessing rights which even Congress is
righ,fully bound 70 respect. We are re-
gar'ed as aliens, trcspassers on the pub
lie domain, living as it wtre on govern
ment reservations, not treated as well
even as the Indian wards of tho nation
tor the latter are not taxed, and are fed
and clothed at the government expense.
"Congress has utterly ignored the free
system OF self government in the Territs-
ries, and has established over US arbitrary
despotic and absolute rule. unknown to
the Constitution and foreign to he spirit
Of American institutions We are denied
any voice or vote in the government IN
which we live; hearing all the response
hilities.. and burdens of citizenship, Eut
denied the privileges and immnnities OF
such. We are regarded MS incapable Of
self government; political lnzzaroni;warts
on the body polite, who, by immigrating
from our old homes, in crossing State
lines INTO United States territory, left our
brains and intelligence behind us, and
forfeited all our rish's and privileges as
American citizens. Swarms of carpet-
haggers selected from the grand army of
old political hacks and professional office
seeking bummers, alien t" the country
and people by instinc; as well as by ma
ture. are foisted upon us as officers. such
as Governors. Judges, Marshais, etc, and
they come among us to harass our peo
pie and eat out their substance Taxes
are imposed upon us without our consent
The right is claimed, and sometimes ex
erc:sed by Congress, of annuling at plea
sure laws enacted by our Territorial Les
gisatures The number OF members of
our Territorial Legislatures are reduced
by rider ON an appropriation bill. and
full power is claimed by this body to le-
gislate for us in all cases whatsoever.-
Yet we are expected to endure in un
complaining silence all the wrongs and
indignities heaped upon u.s. We must
contribute our hard-earned wages to the
national Golfers without receiving any>
thing in return. We are compelled to
pay tribute, but have no voice in the
lew"