St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-06-07
WITHOUT LAW
Gov. swineford Working Heroically to Get
Territorial Government for Our
Northwestern Domain.
No Provision Made by Which Settlers
There Can Possess Themselves of
the Public Lands.
The Chief of the Navigation Division
Says American Vessels Are Not
Disseminated Against.
What Congress VIII Idle Away It's
Time at This Week--Secretary
Manning's Condition.
The Government of Alaska.

Hhe government of Alaska
Special to the Globe
WASHINGTON, June 6.-Gov. Swineford
will succeed in getting the house committee
OH territories toreport bill to give Alaska
a territorial form of government, but it is
not certain to be the bill now before the
committee The governor complains that
the opposition that has been made to this
bill is based on a very comprehensive lack
of knowledge as to its provisions. Very
little opposition has been made but that is
based an the idea that the bill proposes to
confer the right of suffrag upon lot of wild
Indians. This is not the case. The bill does
provide for the voting of the civilized In
dams OF Chilkats in Southeastern Alaska,
and the aliens. These people, Gov. Swine
ford says, have Schools churches,
houses and industrious habits. The gov
ernor regards them as being as well fitted
to vote as large portion of
the people OF the United States.
but he is not especially anxious to
admit them to suffrage, and would be glad
to get the bill even with this omitted, Of
the white people he says there are now
FOUR OR FIVE THOUSAND
in Southeastern Alaska, and every steamer
arrives with as many passengers who come
to settle down as she can carry. He is
sure there will be 10000 white people
in the region before this bill can become
law even if it has fair luck. The bill pro-
videS for legislative council of nine per-
sons. seven of whom are to be elected by
the people and two, who must be learned
In the law, to be appointed by the gov
ernor. Gov. Swinefords original PROPOSE
ton was to have these two appointed by
the president, but some members of the
house who were consulted thought the gov
ernor had better appoint them. The cleo
ton notices can be sent out and the results
collected in three months even with the
present inferior postal communications,
and the governor is hopeful of getting
direct mail communication between
Sitka and the Aleutian islands.
which will reduce this time One-half. One
pressing necessity for a territorial form of
government is that no land laws of the
United States except the mineral land law
are in force. All the land belongs to the
United States and no one can buy a foot of
it, and congress will not extend the
HOMESTEAD AND PRE-EMPTIoN LAWS
to region that has not risen to the dignity
of territory. All the people engaged in
the timber business are trespassers and
orders have been issued to dispossess them.
The large gold mine on Douglas island
chiorlnatlon process, but until timber lands
can be bought there is no way to get
fuel except to crib it from the
public domain. The people want to buy
land to put houses and places of business
on. The principal reason for demanding
territorial form of government is that
ihere is practically no law in the region,
and none can be got for it. Prior to the
act OF ten years ago, providing, Alaska
with its present form of government, the
word of the naval commander in the vi
cinity was law. The act of 1884 enacted
that the statutes of Oregon then in exis-
tence should be the law of Alaska so far as
applicable. This was expected to fit out
the territory with complete set of legisla-
ton, but it has done nothing of the kind.
Judge Deedy, of the United States district
court of Oregon, has held that the criminal
laws of Oregon are
NOT APPLICABLE TO ALASKA.
Attorney General Brewster, Attorney
General Garland and Gov. Swineford have
tried in vain to find some civil laws of Ore
gon that are applicable to Alaska, but with
out success. The laws of Oregon presume
divisions into counties and towns with
officials accordingly. In Alaska there are
no counties or towns. The marriage law of
O1OSou Will uoI apply BECAUSE IL provides
for the issue of license of county clerk.
and there is no county clerk in Alaska. The
acts of a notary public in Oregon are not valid
until he has filed bond with the county
clerk. Gov. Swineford can appoint a
notary public, but he never can comply
with the Oregon law, because there is not
the proper official to receive and approve
his bond. These are only instances. There
is less law in Alaska now than there was
before the act Of 1884 was passed. The
house committee on territories is convinced
that there ought to be a territorial govern
ment in Alaska, and is hesitatlng over re-
porting the present bill only because of
doubts about the ACCESSIBILITY of letting any
of the Indians vote.