The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1888-05-13

IN - otEss -
ns On - 70 he a, .ns:sy 81 he iesi-
ztuss snaes A nsesf II Oymrxa /
n<xs January - not without re.scn-
The more .h< subject il considered.
he more & l. sppssent that great
bsunf n In. he<n made BY somebody,
an that roon. has been I<fs for spsr-
ted contest between the members OF
the last legislature and the naefaf<rs
81 she nexs ose. II is true that Zoo
sr~s. has nos yet authorized the lznu-
airy session 81 the legislature by max
ing an appropriation 20 cover the nee
e~<ary extsase<. bat II il altogether
probaile that IL vii do 20 and that an
extremely difbrult prphi~m rih be
forced for solution upoa the people OF
the serrisory-
A. the last session Of the legislature
was nearing is end. Representative
Thomrzon Of Pierre county intro
| dueei In providing that legislative
sessions should thereafter begin IN
January. instead Of in D~relater a.
formerly. and that the next session
should begin In January, isse. The
hili was popular one and Il went
through wIsh hnrrah- The practi-
=al effect Of its passage, a. was gener-
ally supposed. would be 20 bring the
legislature nearer 90 the people by
having the Session held two months
after the raemsers sxre eiecsesi, IN
stsad u thirteen months after a. has
been the custom
| TWAS no; until after the legislature
tailournesi that somebody discovered
THAT, under the provisions Of a las
(which was passed by the legislature Of
1885. the terms Of the members Of the
Legislature who were elected In Soyefn-
| her, 1886. would not expire until after
the session provided for by Nr
Thompson iaw. Obviously. there
fore. the old legislature would still b
lin existence and the new Legislature
would not come into existence until
about the time that the session closed
The Law in question provides that al
district, county and precinct officer
hereafter 70 he be elected in this Terri
tory in pursuance of the Law shall
Ihoid their Offices for the term o.
1.-TWO years from and after the first Mon
tday Of March succeeding their election
and until their successors are elected
and qualified" Ii Is evident that
members OF the legislature are among
this officers described. This being ad
mitte,i. il is clear that the terms OF the
members OF the legislature who were
elected in isss will not expire until
the first Monday of March, 1850, OF
just two months after the beginning Of
the session provided for by the act
passed al the last session.
II il difficult 70 see how one can
avoid the conclusion that the old leg
stature will be called upon to reas
sembie in January. OF course, il was
the intention OF the lawmakers 10
have the legislature elected next No
ycmber assemble AT that time, bat
this Is a case in which the intention
will lie of little consequence. There
can he only one legislative assembly
of Washington Territory in existence
at one time, and the one which viii he
in existence in January, lsss. viii IL
that one whose members were elected
in Iss5.
of course. this entirely destroys the
effect of Representative Thompson
law 20 far a. bringing the sessions
nearer TO the elections j. concerned
flor. instead of assembling thirteen
months after their election. the mem
her~ Of the legislature viii hereafie,
Iassemhle twenty-seyen months after
their election. This Is progressing
backwards with a vengeance. suppos-
ing. however, that congress does no,
authorize the session of $50 by appro-
IpFiatin- money 10 defray it, expenses.
In that case the next session Of the
Legislature win he held ia 1881 and is
members viii be elected In isss. IL is
a curious tangie. from whatever stand
tpoint il may he viewed. He who at
liempts TO uuravel it should he pos
-essej of a Solomon's wisdom.
L