The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1885-01-24

SEM1-WEEK]
OUR HELENA LETTER.
Bills Introduced for the Formation
OfNew Counties.
Proposed Amendment to the City
Charter Of Helena.
Proceedings In the House. Etc, ETC.
HELENA, Jan. Fl, 1885.
Correspondence Of the MINER.
In the council to-day Fergus gave
notice of q bill for another new couE-
ty, to include the Judith Basin and
tho eastern part of Meagher county.
fall the bills fo- new counties that
have been introduced and proposed
should pass, the map of Montana
would present q very different az
pearence. Bills for the formation If
two new counties to be formed out Of
Mlssoula county have been intro
duced, one to be called Pend d'Oreille,
introduced by Eastman, takes off all
the northern pant of the county In
Guiding the whole Of the Flat Head
reservation, with Thompson's Falls
for its county seat. To this there is
said to be no objection. But the bill
introduced by English for the forma-
ton of Bitter Root county with Cor
wallis as its county seat, and cOmpris-
ing the Bitter Root valley and the
rich farming country in the southern
part Of the county, will meet with
considerable opposition. If botL
should pass Missoula would be left
with only the He'll Gale valley and
the central part of the present county.
Jefferson is another county that is
threatened with division.
Fisk's Till for the county of Valley
takes the eastern part along the Mis-
souri, valley with adjacent portions
of Meagher.
Another scheme 8 to annex the
mining country around Wickes
to Lewis and Clarke, and the park to
Silver Bow. 1t this should be done
and the proposed county of Valley
formed, the county of Jefferson
would be entirely obliterated. Many
think this will be done or the county
be left as at present.
Norton, of Yellowstone, has intro
duced a bill to annex astrip from the
eastern part of Gallatin to Yellow
stone, and Sloan a bill for the forma.
ton Of a new county out of the east
ern part of Gallatin, with part OF
Meagher, to be called Park county,
with Livingston as its county seat.
Taylor, of Choteau, gave notice to-
day in the House of q bill for the ere
alton of Dearborn county. 10 COM
PRISE the Sun river country. with the
northern part of Lewis and Clarke
and parts of Choteau and Meagher.
But the climax was reached by the
bill of Fergus, introduced last week.
for the appointment OF a commission
to re-dividet the whole Territory anew
into counties. having regard to the
mountain ranges and natural bound
aries, population and present bound
aries.
NEW BILLS.
Kennedy gave notice Ia the Coun-
Gil of a bill to provide for the posting
of estrays in the Territory.
Chessman introduced council bill
No. IA, to amend the act Of 1881. in
cooperating the city of Helena The
changes proposed in the charter OF
Helena are substantially as follows:
To require all appropriations ex'
ceeding $500 to be made by ordi-
nance; to authorize the city council
to elect one of their number presi-
dent pro tenn. to act in the absence of
the mayor; to confer upon tn ; mayor
the power to veto ordinances adopted
by the city council, and also the pow
er to pardon and remit fines in cases
arising under the ordinances Of the
city, but requiring him to give his
reasons in writing to the city council
at its next meeting. The bill was re-
ferred to the committee on towns
and counties, which committee re-
ported this afternoon in favor Of its
passage.
Green introduced council bill No.
Is, to provide for the Billings fire de-
partmelt.
Barrett, from committee on public
lands, reported back council joint
memorial No. l, relating to Northern
Pacific land deeds and contracts, and
recommended its passage.
Bids VOTED ON TO-DAY.
Council bill No. II, amending Sec
ton 1873, chapter 4. first division of
revised statutes, introduced by Ken
nedy, reached its third reading and
was placed on its final passage. De-
Wolfe explained the object Of the
bill:
Under the pre-ent statute the de-
PENDANT in an attachment snit, before
judgment is obtained against him,
and although he may have a perfect
defense to the action, may. be COM
PEELED to attend before a referee or
Judge and be forced to answer under
oath all questions asked touching his
property. Such a provision is in
quisitorial and unjust. No creditor
have the right to interrogate