The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1881-01-07
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER
Sayings and Doings at the Ma
tional Capital.

Special Correspondence NEw NORTHWEST.
instead ii nsnv the dui,liost- a. ius:nu let
tiers pr.pated for MI pat. at th. co"ptry and sod at
IS 80 cents each given the squi aleut 10"
a Patent Agency advrrtis~ment--we have k''rsFred
the services for this year Of special coressopdeut
Of ability aud exp-rieace who has excellent fsc,li
ties for furnishing the latest news efecting the
We-t and especially Montana. We knew the aver
age Washington Lrt.- is not grnetsly mach re-
gnrded be too general In ifs character aId an
ticipated by tei,gratns. bar frust -. NJ. ;" will
prepare somcthina NOR, interesting Ii fs designed
these letters shall appear. werklyl II SD T.GH
II WASHINGTON, ID. c., December 10, 1890.
Congress has now been In session two
weeks. The House has mainly confined It
self to the discussion of the electoral count
question, and the Senate, which Is dignitied
and slow, has given the most Of its august
attention to the irrepressible Fitz-John Por-
ter case. 1t will be remembered Fitz-John
was dismissed from the army In 1858, and
Congress has been discussing his restoration
ever since. a. I'd. B. '.."
CONSTITUTIONAL sQrABBLEs.
Congress has also been discussing the
question Of counting the electoral vote for
President. They are no nearer a solution
of the question now than they were the.
That document which was transmitted to us
as an instrument almost divine has proven
defective whenever an emergency las arisen,
and It is a great wonder that the Nation has
not been wrecked, not In preserving the Con-
stitutioii, but In endeavoring to construe It.
The Constitution provides that the electoral
votes for President shall be opened by the
viee-President, In the presence Of the two
Houses of Congress, but does not say wheth-
or he or Congress shall decide as to the le-
gality Of the Votes, A case will come up
which one Or the other will have to solve. q
.a. IT,. GEoRGrANs NEGLIGENT. -.... J
The free State of Georgia did not cast her
electoral vote onthe day prescribed by Con-
gressional law. The highly enlightened
electors forgot it. They met a week later
and cast the vote Of the State and have sent
it On here. OF course the vote Is illegal, for
Congress declares that all of the States shall
vote OH the same day. Fortunately the re-
suit does not depend on the reception or re-
lection Of the vote Of Georgia. II it did
there might be trouble In the land. 1t Is,
perhaps, fortunate that this contingency
arises, so that the question can be settled,
and save trouble in the future when the COLI
test is closer. So, after three-quaIters of a
century of debate, the question presents it.
self for decision. 1t may eventually lead to
the election of President aud vicc-Presi-
dent by direct vote Of the people. <.....t
REPRESENTATION IN CONGRESS.
Another important measure will likely be
brought about through discussion. For
years Congress has discussed the propriety
Of reducing representation in Congress from
the Southern States, on the grounds that the
rights Of coiored voters were abridged. But
the l4th amendment TO the Constitution
provides that when snffraoe il abridged hy a
State law, representation shall be reduced in
accordance Herewith. So, bull-dozing does
not count. But those who have the most
violently favored this measure are now about
to have 1t forced upon them.
Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont and Rhode
Island have property qualification law
White men who do not pay taxes are placed
on a mar with criminals and idiots and not
allowed to vote. That class Of non-yoters
Is now enumerated in the representation In
Congress. II A bill has been introduced In
Congress to reduce the representation Of
those States to their actual voting popula-
ton. Each one would lose Representative.
Massachusetts, has 10000 non-taxpayers
who are disfranchissd. ..". '.-'. go
-na 2"s@*"" THE TERRITORIES.
It Is very likely that all Of the Territories,
except Utah, will be admitted as States with
in the next four years. The political major
ity of the next Congress and the succeeding
one will be so small that reinforcements
will be needed, as In the case of Nevada
, But emigration to those fast-tilling-up sec.
tions will force that,recognition, irrespective
Of "politisal necessity" 1t Is proposed to
abolish Utah and polygamy by slicing W
that Territory and giving it to the adjoining
| Territories. Utah, as shown by the census
sheets, ,-has population Of $4,000, there be.
Ing about 10000 more men than women.
| This would be about the easiest and most
effective way to solve the Mormon problem
There has not yet been meeting Of the Com
mittee Oh Territories, but ~ there are seve.
| raj important bills Of last session TO be enn-
considered, it Is thought they will ge- togeth
er next week. .ra.:f @sg6l ILL., ,a@.~ t~t
Your Delegate, Mr.. Maginnis, has hopes
of Montana being admitted as State mex
Congress will adjourn on the 4th of Marcl
and little will be done this session excep
the passage of the necessary appropriation
bills and the usual amount Of spouting.
| aE saasa aaaa 49,. aatE -Aaa ~ n. > &
WARRINGTON, Dec, 10, 1SSo.-The Hous
Committee on Indian Affairs has had unde
consideration the bill 10 ratify the Crow In
dian Treaty, which was negotiated las
sprinc. Mr.. Maginnis, OF Montana, made y
Argument before the Committee In favor o
the biil without amendment. The bill wa
referred To Mr.. Ainslie, Of Idaho.t - . sui
committee, who will make . favorable n
port. The full COMMITTEES viii probably ae
upon his report Tuesday.
lao TERRITORIAL I.EGIsLATuREs. i @t
A bill ID pending before the Senate to Q,
tend the sessions Of Territorial Legislature
) from forty TO sixty days. An effort will b
made 20 pass this bin before the Holiday I,
cess, is several of the Legislatures meet !
December. 1t has passed the House. CAT
lster date passed the Senate--ED. N. NV
The bill for the relief Of the citizens {
Montana who served in the Nez Perces ",
passed the House on Friday last. II wi
probably be favorably considered In the Sci
ate.
! 3MoNrANA's POPULATION. @t.
The ofiicial report In the Censas Ofht
sl,ows that Montana has population Of SO
l57, Of which 10,g77 are females and 2S,ls
| males. The male population pTeponderai'
hearty three to one, showing tliat the EN-
sration wanted oat there most is pretty, Il
dustrio,p and healthful females. OF the y
: al population, y, ,642 are natives, and ll,6i
L Ereigners; $500 being blacks. a,..sfysg.I
4asst1a' - DEsERT LANDS.
n The Secretary Of The Interior has decide
that tlic rights offs widow whose husbai
hnA sxhansted his rights TO = patent fur De
4 u - I..A AtI -