Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1885-02-05
THE LEGISLATURE.


part Of the territory are but little ac
quainted with the doings of that body
owing to the repeated and continued in
terruption of mail communicates
between North Idaho and the capita
during the whole period bat very few
bills have reached us and, less d.
we know the success of those bills in tha
body, and still less, do we know Of thu
provisions of these bills. We have hat
no opportunity to confer with our mem
bers in relation to their actions upon tht
measures which have been introduced
Two or three letters have been received
in the north, showing the result of 8
few of the measures. Among these VIZ
learn that the memorial for annexation
and memorial for opening the Nez Perez
reservation have been successful. Some
modification in relation to the taxes We
infer has been passed, but precisely
what, We do not know, One bill was in
troduced entirely abolishing the poll tax,
except it be deemed best by the board
of county commissioners in each county
to be affected another that the proceeds
Of poll taxes beyond the expense of col
Letting be paid into the school fund an
other that the tax be reduced from 81 to
So per capita, aud ona-third of the pro-
ceeds go to the territory and the balance
to the counties; which one of these
measures or whether any one OF them
succeeded, we have not been advised. 1t
is presumable however, that the legisla.
ture has either repealed or greatly modi
fed the poll tax law. Another provision
in regard to taxes which probably has
passed, is that extending the time for
the payment Of taxes, but to what period
in each year we do not know. They
have enacted law requiring new bonds
for county officers, varying the amount
and also fixing test oath to be taken by
each officer. They have also created the
Office Of territorial attorney general The
term Of whose Office shall be two years
and his salary $4,000 per annum, who is
to be appointed by the governor with the
consent Of the Legislative council, and in
case vacancy occurs during intervals be-
tween the legislative sittings, the COVER
ner is to appoint some one to Gil the va
cancy until the meeting Of the next leg
islature The salary is to be paid from
the territorial treasury, quarterly The
duty of thi, officer as described in the
bill is as follows: "To prosecute all ac-
tions to which the people of the Territory
Of Idaho are party in the supreme court
Of the territory, and all actions which
the territory or any county thereof is a
party in such supreme court, also all &C
lions to which territorial officer in his
official capacity is party in the supreme
court or any district court Of the territory
and in all such causes he shall appear on
behalf Of the people territory, county or
territorial officer. He shall act as legal
adviser Of all territorial officers, and he |
shall give his opinion in writing upon any
and all questions upon which he may be
requested to give an opinien by any
board Of county commissioners in the ter
Sitory and perform such other duties as
may be by law required Of him." We
notice that some Of the papers alleged this
to be strietly political office. The ne
ccssity and prcpriety Of this Office in the
minds Of some may be questionable; never
theless, if the duties as defined in the act
are we'll and faithfully performed by the
incumbent, we can forsee many instances
wherein in such an officer can be of much
service to the territory and to the several
counties thereof, aud if he be man tru-
~ learned and experienced in the law, he
can give such counsel as will save more
mopcy to the territory and to the county
each year than four times the amount of
his alary; but if he be an indiscreet
man and unskilled in the law, he will be
worse than useless to the territory. The
legislature have also created new eoun-
ty callod Bingham, out Of part of 0nei-
da county
Wc'prcsume from what we gather of
the doings Of that body that they have
been quite diligent and laborious in their
efforts to meet the wants Of their constit
uents' In many cases We expect they
found impossible to agree upon measures
and laws that would be applicable, with
equal propsiety and usefulness to all parts
Of the territory. But whether or not
they have made such laws especially for
certain counties and districts as were ap-
plieable We know not; we presume they
have and we eau only know when we
learn what laws they have passed. Ger
tain 1t is that in many instances, laws
II "a