The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-05-16

have ever been printed of the legislative
journals of the territory Of Washington
There are but few complete sets OF these
journals In existence. Therefore the pos
session Of q complete set gives keen pleas
ure to one interested in the history o.
our own state. The books were secured
for my library By the Post-Inteilssencer.
and they must pay for themselves ~ con-
trfbuffng share of Information for the
zeries Of historical articles now being
published I'm that paper.
Washington was territory from iss
to 1sss and during those thirty-six years
there were held twenty-five sessions OF
tho territorial legislature The upper
house Of that legislature was called the
council and the lower house was called
the house OF representatives. The journal
OF each house was supposed TO be publish
ed In d separate volume. This wouid
make for the twenty-five sessions total
OF fifty volumes. but there appear Dut
fcrty-four volumes In this complete set.
The discrepancy lies in the depiorapie
fact that six OF the volumes were never
printed and exist only In manuscript form
in the ONCE Of the secretary OF state
These imprinted volumes are as feho"s.
House journal Of 1873, council Journal OF
1s7S house journal OF 1879. council journal
OF 1881 and both house and COUNCIL Jouf-
mails OF 1885. II is 10 he hoped that some ass
IN the fUtfTGSS Dh ftf~1'f - ataN -
print these six slender but important
volumes.
The first session OF the territorial 'egis-
1ature convened at Olympia on February
e. 1854 and adjourned on May ]. issi Inc
second session convened on December =.
1s5i and adjourned on February ]. is'S. 30
IL Is seen that there were two sessions tnae
convened in 1854. The sessions were then
held annually up 10 1861. when provision
war made for biennial sessions, which Gus
tom has prevailed To the present day
These journals form prime source TOT
original Investigation into our early ms
tory In fact taken with the TERRITORIAL
session laws, they constitute the cmet
sources for work on the political history
of the territory One very eminent Jurist
and student of Northwestern history once
informed me that he would not give a
snap of his finger for the Legislative jour
nails as all the work of the legislature was
crystalized In the session laws. ola NOT
accept his dictum as the absolute truth
at the time and after study of some OF
the earlier journals I find his Judgment
very much nj fault In this matter. the
laws show what was done. The Journals
show how and hy whom the laws were
made and the other legislative business
was transacted. The Importance of the
study of history has come TO be more ana
more recognized during the past few
years. and one Of the chief features OF the
newer methods employed In its study Is TO
know what the people did. how they did
H. how they lived. what motives moved
them. and so on. more than to know SUCH
dry historical facts during the reign
OF Ferdinand and Isabella. of Spain. Co
lumbus discovered America"
But these old journals contain fund OF
Information that would not usually be ex-
pected in such books. There are mes
RACES of the various territorial governors,
reports from officers. joint resolutions and
memorials. some Of them contain Official
correspondence on such important histor-
teal facts as the Indian wars the Hudson
BAY Company's claims. the San Juan dis
pute etc. Much OF this material can be
found no place else. and it's Importance
win grow each year In the estimation of
the true student of our early history.
Let us take few hssty giances through
some of the very earliest Of these stained
old books. Here Is the house journal of
the very first session OF the territorial leg
fslature. On the first page Is given a list
OF the territorial officers. Their names are
all interesting. They are as follows:
Governor. Isaac l. Stevens. for whom
Stevens county and Stevens Post No. l.
O. A r.. are both named.
Secretary Charles VI. Mason, for whom
Mason county is named.
United States marshal. J. Patton An
dcrsou.
United States attorney. John $. Glen
denim.
Judges OF The United States district
court, Edward Lander. Victor Monroe
and O n. MeFadden.
Judge Edward Lander IL. so far as I
can learn. the only one OF these who still
survives He lives In Washington. H. q.
All these names suggest important
chapters In our history.
After the above names are given the
officers and members 81 the council. as
follows: q. N Mct-anahn. president.
Eswood Evans. chief clerk g. +. Hicks,
assistant clerk. ]. l.. NaeAslf. sergeant
alarms. William u. T1anf. sesFseeper,
Members-stsrke coAafx. Uaaiei r.
Bradford and Wiliisgn 81 TAnan Island
and Jefferson counties. william T. Say.
ward. Lewis and PaeSee counties. Seth
s.attin and Henry Miles. Pierce and King
counties. Lafayette Batch and George y
Mc~'onaha: Thurxtan county. BENJAMIN
r. Yanits and Daniel r.. Bsgsiow.
The officers and members Of the house
OF representatives. are then given as fol
lows.
Francis A. chenowcth. speaker: Benja.
min r. Kendall chief clerk. u. l. Phillips
assistant clerk. r W. Austin. sergeant al
arms. James II. Rounitree. doorkecper
Memhers-4-larke county Andrew j. Rolon
John n. Riiea. r. A. Chcnoweth Henri,
r. sroshie aud A Lee Island county
samuel II. Howies jefferson county
Daniel r. Rrownaeld: King county
Arthur A. Denny. Lewis county. "
ID Huntington and John r. Jackson: Pa.
clnc county. Jehu Scudaev: Pierce county
John NJ Chapman. Henry 9. Moseley and
y. r. Thompson, Th0rston county. Leon.
ard n purgiu. Calvin III. Hale David
Shelton and Ira Ward.
What a aood Of "Reminiscences and his.
sorseai data will be suggested 10 cid set
tiers In different parts ~ the state Of
washington BY those lists Of names
when the territory transformed int
a state 4 believe there we're but four mem
hers Of that first territorial legislature
alive These were l. y Thompson, AT
thur A. Denny Daniel r. Rrownsleld and
paVts shelton To-day McsSrs Denny
and nrownneid alone survive l. r
THOMPSON wss elected to the first state
senate frersa Pierre county. thus enjoying
The unique honor % having served 1he
same county IN the first sessions 81 the
territorial and the state legislature Ia
Ma shelton was etVen = grand Masonic
funeral in olympia last winter He had
= remarkable history. being always on fhe
frontier ana having served IN thr Rack
Hawk Indian war With she F4ncssin.
shelton the county seat Nf Mason county.
Was named TN his honor.
n VIII he Noticed that there a. -ut
eight counties given "a the lists These
counties were all created BIZ the orrSon
Legislature before eur separation frona teat
territory.
IN this arxs session Mr Moseiev was
elected speaker pre TEN. sns then ths
election 90 the regular speaker was held
syhs ballot showed twelve votes cas-, a.
followss e A. chenowtth 2 A. a Denny