The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1891-02-06
ALASKA.
PLEAS FOR A TERRI
TORIAL GOVERNMENT.
He Makes Rich and Racy Speech Be-
fore the House Committee
on Territories.
Special to the REcoRp.uN1oN.

Special to the RECoRD-DNIoN.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 5.-Delegate James
Carroll of Alaska appeared before the
House Committee on Territories to-day
and delivered rich and racy speech as
follows:
"Ex-Judge Keatley appears to be op-
posed to Territorial form of Government
for Alaska. One of his objections is to
the Supreme Court that would be organ
lied at an expense of $1,000 annually, as
he says. This Supreme Court is just the
thing that the people of Alaska require.
The abuses heaped upon the citizens of
that Territory are getting unbearable.
Some of our jealous and over-officious
Government officers who come to that
Territory at every change of Administra-
ton, in order to show their superiors
what faithful and efficient officers they
are, very often intrude upon the rights of
the citizens.
II know of one particlar case where
some citizens had expended several
thousand dollars on improvements, when
were not on friendly terms with the
above citizens, thought they were en-
croaching on Government rights. The
consequence was that they were taken
into court, and as is generally the case, the
court decided in favor of the Government.
One court in Alaska always decided in
favor of the Government, for fear of dis
pleasing the appointing power if they
should do otherwise, and took property
away from citizens which had cost sew
eral thousand dollars, and gave them no
recompense for the same. There is no
appeal from the decisions made by the
Alaskan court. The Government at no
Sin
expended one cent on said improve
ments."
"Ex-Judge Keatley is not willing to
spend $500 extra per year to assist the citi-
zens of Alaska in having justice dealt out
to them fairly and squarely, but at the
same time he is willing to take $50, 600 out
Of the Treasury (the very first year. to
build yacht for the Government Off
cials of Alaska, to enable them to enjoy
themselves and to entertain their friends
by giving yachting parties through the
ten thousand islands in the placid waters
of Alaska, under the plea Of looking for
some criminal to serve warrants on, and
all at the expense of the Government.
The Government has gun-boat stationed
in Alaskan waters, with full compile
ment of naval officers and crew. As
understand, she is there for the purpose
of aiding the Government in executing
the laws. She has nothing else to do.
~
ment there would be no necessity of the
bringing of juries, witnesses and
criminals a distance of from 200 to 1000
miles to Sitka to attend it. As Alaska is
governed to-day, it costs the Government
S37 sos 20. This is fully as much as it
would cost if we had Territorial Gov
ernment as proposed. Great Britain saws
Alaska has no rights, and she carries her
saying into effect, for her subjects go into
Alaskan waters and slaughter our seals
indiScriminately, and there is nothing
done to them. But if a citizen of Alaska
catches any fur seal in the waters, the
American citizen is taken prisoner, his
vessel and seal skins confiScated and he
has no redress.
ALASKA is about the only Territory
that the United States ever had that pays
a yearly revenue into the treasury. She
was purchased from Russia at a cost of
81, ,250, 900, and up to the present time has
returned to the treasury of the United
States from one industry alone SS694, ,O65.
She shipped last year out of the Territory
| fish, oil, bone, furs, gold, ETC., amounting
to about SIl ,0O0, goo. The fact of scarcity
of population does not justify a neglect of
it by the national Government, nor can it
ever be peopled unless the land laws of
| the United States are put in force therein,
and Government surveys made, so as to
insure title to settlers. The operation
is none the less necessary because it will
be expensive.
"Ex-Judge Keatley made statement
before this committee to the effect that
neither Sitka nor Fort Wrangle, the only
two white settlements of any degree of
population, besides Juneau and Douglas
Island, participated in this request for a
new system of government. He says he
personally knows the fact that the
memorial demanding the change origi-
mated wholly in the convention at Juneau,
in which no delegates or people from an
other part of the Territory participated
/ am at great loss to understand why
ex-Judge Keatley should make such a
deliberate, false statement. 1t is only
necessary for the committee to read the
memorial from Juneau to be convinced
that ex-Judge Keatley's statement is
false. Keat1ey says he has not dollars
interest in Alaska in any shape, directly
or indirectly. This is usually the case
with all Government officials appointed
from other States to that Territory to adj
administer justice in Alaska. They have
nothing but a carpet bag, and very often
it is not very wen filed,
The people of Mexico have taken to