The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1882-04-26

TH ArP0R1JoMl011 lGA111R.
I! We publish in this mosning's issue q
communieatjo0 ftom . prominent c1ti'
sen a Butte in which be calls attentioa
to thu fhct that something must b done
to effect . reappoFtioument Of member
Sor the next legislative assembly Of the
Territory, or Silver Bow county will b
without representation In It. Our cor
respondent throws the responsibility Of
the failure Of the lat apportionment
bill to become law, upon the Govern
or, whom he accuses Of pocketing 1t.
He alse arraigns his Excellency fol
careleasness or indifference In not call.
ing IN extra session Of the legislature ia
pass . new app ,Itionment bill; urges
the local press to interest itself in the
matter, and suggests - last resort the
forwarding Of . petition to Major Ne
ginnis asking relief Ut the hands Of
Congress. It does not help our situation
any to change that this person or that
person 10 responsible for 1t, Our cures
dondent may labor under the impression
that Governor Potts II the sole cause Of
the unfortunate condition Of afIAirs al
which he complains. In this We think
he h mistaken. We are not here - .
defender Of his Excellency, but there
are certain facts which newspapess that
desire to sustain . reputation for fair
meas cannot ignore. II ''citizen" will
take the trouble to look over the Council
and House journals Of the last session
we think he will see he errs in
charging the responsibility Of the defeat
Of the apportionment bill upon Govern
or Potts. Let Us see what those jour
mails show.
Mr.. Hays introduced C. B. IS, IAN
act TO apportion the members Of the
Legislative Assembly" on the 10th day
Of February, 1851. 1t was held and dis
cussed in the Council until saturday
the 18th Of the same month. when
1t passed that body by vote Of eight
ayes to one nay. On Monday following
the 2lst-it was sent to the House
where it was taken up under the proper
order Of business ard read the
second and third times. A sub
stitute bill was offered which with
Council bill was referred to . Select
Committee. It must b remembered
this was done in the forenoon Of the
2lst Of February and that the Legisla.
ture adjourned sine die At 4p. m. on the
23d Of the same month. On the end .
minority and . majority report were
made by the Select Committee to which
the apportionment bill and substitute
had been referred. The majority report
recommended the passage Of the hin -
1t came from the Council, and on mo-
ton the biz and substitute were referred
to Committee Of the Whole and placed
on general orders. This Was done on
the day before adjournment. On the
next day-the last day Of the session.
the bill was reported to the House from
the Committee Of the Whole which rec
on'mended it's passage. Just before noon
the rules were tuspenda d, The bill read
= third time by title and passed
the House by . vote Of II ayes to 7
nays. The bill had now to 60 to the
Council for enrolment and ut 3:4 p. m.
j. ct fifty-eix minutes before final ad-
journment, Mr.. Kerley, Chairman Of
the Committee on Enrolment, present.
ed the bill with seven or eight others to
the G.ve,nor for bis approval. The
Journals .a]eo show that within the
three days preceding adjournment the
Governor had received just fifty bills
and resolutions for his consideration,
and we are informed by the gentleman
who presented the lust bate h to His TX
cellency that there were then ut least q
dozen bills before linn which he had not
yet found time to read. 1t will thus I've
seen that Governor Potts cannot, in
reason, he held responsible for the full
ure Of the Apportionment bin to beco'ne
y law. He had only fifty-six minutes
to read and consider the merits Of about !
twenty bills, aud to sign and return |
Them to the House in which they orig |
mated. We have been thus particular |
In giving the history Of the Apportion- |
nent bill that the blame for it's failure |
should rest where it properly belongs
on the Legislative Assembly itself and |
upon no one else.
Our correspondent also criticizes the
Governor far not calling an extra ses-
ion Of the Legislature to enact a new
ApporttOnnlent bill. Well, say he calls
me, would or could Silver Bow county
'e legally represented in it: Who and
where are It's representatives and who
'lected them: Coul.. Messns. Houser,
D. VOL e, Bell and Akin. who were
.l4al.te11 hxr tho vNtQrp If Das.P r1nlvn |