, 1883-11-03

The Legislature of Washington
Territory met abOlympla, the capital
on the 3D. instant, As the sessions are
biennial, II probably Is, and surely
ought 20 be, the last meeting Of 9
Territorial Legislature in Washing
ton. That Territory il better qualified
by reason Of population, property and
Immediate future prospects, for the
condition Of statehood than several
States now in the Union, and much
better than Oregon, Nevada, Florida
Colorado and Nebraska were when
they came into the Union Of States
The message Of Governor Newell tC
this Legislature is at hand. A more
interesting executive document Is
seldom seen. 1t fairly opens with
the not idle boast that, "FOr manifest
reasons we are about to assume fore
most position in the affairs Of the
world" This Is true beyond doubt,
In extent Washington Territory Is
just about l,000.O0O acres more than
twice the area Of the State Of Indiana.
OF this area perhaps twO-tifths, sOr
$1,000, 900 acres, are mountain, lake,
salt water and cultivated land. The
remainder, 27,0OO,0OO acres, or l,5OO,
600 more than Ohio contains, is land
of the very best quality found on this
continent for wheat, barley, rye, oats
and most of the temperate zone 'ruits
and vegetables. The latitude is higher
than New England, but the climate
of the valleys of Virginia prevails.
We learn from this official document
that the total assessed value Of prop
erty in the year 1882 was S32, ,56S, ,90l !;
the taxes collected thereon, SSl, ,4l5 Is.
The assessments for 1888 are wanting
from four counties to be complete. As
far as returned they foot up S35,674,
O29. The four tagging counties were
assessed last year at S5,0S5,359. Add
to this and we have a total for the
current year of S4l, $50, 1888. This COM
pares with several States now in the
Union ION the property valuation Of
1880, as follows:
Colorado ............................S43,O72 ,O72FS4s
florlda.,... .'.'.... 29,4ll -
Nevada ............. 2H,JOl,bt3
oregon ,.'.s.'..'''' .s....''.' 4O'4Z-,Hlt
Washington Territory (lss3)...... l,bj9, ,3SS
The representative population Of
Washington Territory in 1880 was re-
turned in 75, l2O. That it has nearly
il not quite doubled since that time
there is every reason to believe. 1t
has enough of representative pOpula-
tiOn now to entitle it to one Repre-
sentative in Congress. 1t has all the
natural resources to insure a steady
and rapid increase in wealth. Even
It's mountains are not wanting in such
resources. They are covered with
the most valuable timber forests on
the continent and scanned with veins
of coal, iron and gold-bearing quartz.
All along the great inland sea OF Puget
Sound it is strung with tlOurishing
towns, which are soon to take the
rank Of great commercial cities; while
far eastward, beyond the mountains,
on the line of the railway, which will
presentlycOnneCt the mouth Of Snake
River with Tacoma and Seattle, are
millions of acres Of the best wheat
in the world, rapidly filling up with
thrifty, industrlOusa and enterprislng
population from the old States. 1t will
be the next thing to a miracle if, with
all these advantages Of location, soil
climate and vigorous blood, Washing
ton does not within the next five
years reach representative pOpula-
tiOn of 300, 900, or total property val
uation of SlOO,OOO,OOO. Such Terri
tory should be admitted into the
Union as a State upon application.
The Governors message urges admis-
sion, but on application, without pre-
senting a constitution. This will not
and should not be granted. ThepeOple
of Washington made a constitution
several years ago and applied for adj
mission, but failed because the pOpu-
Luton was then too small. They might
this winter represent that cOnstitu-
tion with largely improved chances
of success. Every Pacific coast MEM
her should and probably would favor
the movement. 1t is objected that
this constitution is cumbersome.
Tken let it be remOlded by Congress
and adopted by the new State after
admission.
The Territory now contains all the
civil and political paraphernalia of
an enlightened State. Its asylum
for the insane supports ll2 inmates,
at cost Of S2S,OO IA year. For the
support of COnvicts it requires S25,-
900 year. 1t has a university and
an excellent system Of schools, 700
schOOlhOuses, $50 regularly employed
teachers, 900 pupils enrolled, and
all at cost Of Sl77,OOO for the year
ended August l, 1888. In this con-
nectiOn the Governor suggests that
an Act Of Congress may be needed
to secure to the State the sixteenth
and thirty-siXth sections Of public
lands, which, by existing law, are
only secured to the Territory. If
such an act is necessary, there will
be no difficulty in passing it. All
other Territories, upon admission as
States, haye received this donation
Of the sixteenth and!thirty-sixth Sec
tions for school purposes, and there
is no reason to think that Washing
ton will not be aS-well treated by
Congress. A recommendation Of
more importance than this relates to
Indians and Indian reservations in
the Territory. The number Of res
ervatiOn Indians is stated by Gov
ernOr Newell at 1900, all ages and
both sexes, and these occupy, as
hunting and fishing grounds 7OO0,-
coo acres of the best land on the Pa
cific coast, if cultivated in wheat
capable of yielding 10000, 900 BUSH
els a year. The average to each In
dian man, woman and child is 1881
acres. AS many whites Q3,OOO
would represent no more than $3.50
families, and at l60 acres to each
family, no more than $4,000 acres.
There is no reason why these 1900
Indians should have more. They
should have that much, and the re-
InafndeF Of the 1000, 900 acres should
be restored to the public domain for
the use of actual settlers and cultiva-
tors. The Governor recommends
that Congress be memOrialiZed to
negotiate with" the tribes for this
end and to enact law to give them
lands in severality, the same as lands
are secured to white settlers. The
success of such a scheme would throw
nrnnr, 70 anAAlnrn..rnt I'm Ihn TnrriLnl-.