The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1881-03-04
OUR HELENA LETTER.


informed your readers last week. the
Twelfth Legislative Assembly adjourned
without day, at p. m. on the 23d inst.
II was not what will 60 into history as
brilliant session. The rhetorical pyrotech-
MICS were few, and the percentage Of silence
was greater than in any preceding session.
But II was an assemblage Of very exemplary
men, who labored diligently, behaved like
deacons, and, although regarding local inter-
ests rs paramount to public welfare In some
instances, have enacted some very good laws
and seem to have matured them more fully
than Is generally done before the fruit OF
Enactment Is knocked off the tree Of DELHI
Grafton. Among the acts sent to the Governor
on the day preceding adjournment, and
which he did not sign, was
THE APpoRTIosMENr BILL.
1t did not differ from the one now In force
except In giving Silver Bow county three OF
the six members formerly apportioned to
Deer Lodge. The Council apportionmeni
remained unchanged. Governor Potts had
refused to sign this when he and the presid-
| ing officers Of the Legislature were last year
appointed by act Of Congress Board to APP
portion the Territory. He held, properly,
that massing counties together and giving
four Councilmen to each district was not
within the spirit Of the law in regard to
representation. The other members Of the
Board had the majority and the apportion-
ment was last year made on that basis. The
division Of Deer Lodge county entailed the
necessity Of new appor.ionment for the
next Assembly, and when II was made as be.
fore, as related to the Council. the Governor
found pocket capacious enough In which
to stow It away. The result will be Con
gress viii have to re-apportion the Territor,
or appoint board to do II, and the question
as to this manner OF districting will b.
brought to Its attention. That IL Is mani
testify wrong there can be no doubt, and 1t i
not likely 1t will again be permitted, even a
| a political necessity to secure solid Demo
cratic Council.
PUBLICATION or LAWS.
The Board, consisting Of the Governor
President and Speaker, has selected the law
to be published in the Independent and the,
will begin to appear In that journal to-mor
row. Those ordered printed In this manne
embrace all the general laws enacted ut tn
recent session, except the revised statutes
and win appear Is soon Is the publisher
can give them space. As many of these vii
probably only appearin, the Daily" and
may be some months before they. are pull
,tlished in book form, Il will be well for thos
Interested TO cut. out. and preserve then
Speaking Of this, there. 10 now sufficler
! I.sum appropriated to do the printing Of til
!. Laws and Journals OF this and the precedin
sessions. but the First Comptroller Of th
Treasury has established the following asth
maximum of rates that will be allowed: 4
composition, Journals a37A cents, Laws
! cents; presswork 90 cents per token, ESQ In
. pressions Of eight page forms. Law, shet
. binding 90 cents; paper covers 10 cents, Ct
At this rate, no Montana printer will tai
J, the work, and 30 far Il has been impossb
Ito contract 1t. The average for compositie
! Is less than that paid printers on newspap
: work in Montana, 10 say nothing Of proc
! reading and revision, and book composite
! 1 Ii still higher. in former years from 81
! TO - was allowed for composition, and
/ those rates there was mone,; In it, Az pre-
! ent there Is, not, and Is publishers ha
b enough martyrdom In their regular busine
: they do not care %. toss themselves ind
4 government Jugernaut. So the date
' publication OF the laws In book form y Y
\ certain. 90 sus..s 81 IT
/ The volumes OF the Comfy Codlficatio
p now known - the Revised Statutes" y
. with few exceptions = the laws are nov
d acted, but subject 70 the qualifications y
) | substitute sections enacted Il this sessie
1 The Legislature made serious blunder
\, providing for the distribution q The copl
Il remaining intthe hands a the Auditor, y
4 those who have Or can obtain copies arc !
! more fortpnsts. The District Attorney .
1 Ia District Clerk can neither set ! copy, y
l ! Justicscf ths Peace can, \ be applies
/. ~ SEOw1n QuEHK.
= tn absence q II dramatic entsrtal
= nants from ~ Capital dnring ~ sessi
. ~ ben. 60 ashIect * Dsnaral rssna'