The San Francisco call., 1899-10-29
DRAFTED LAWS
FOR ALASKA
Work of the Territorial
Convention.
SUGGESTIONS TO CONGRESS
REVISION OF THE CIVIL CODE
RECOMMENDED.
John C. Price OF skaguay Chosen to
Represent the Territory st the
Coming Session of Con-
gress.
SUGGESTIONS TO CONGRESS
REVISION OF THE CIVIL CODE
RECOdMENDED.
BY HAL HOFFMAN.
Special Correspondence Of The Can.

JUNEAU, Alaska, oct B-The Alaska
Territorial Convention, called for tho puT-
pose of preparing BILLS and masking aug
gestions to Congress for laws for Alaska.
which has been in session here since Oc-
tober s. concluded its iabors tonight II
has mads history for Alaska, as is shown
By the following nine days proceedings.
\ representative 20 Congress was eleoted
and Conxress WAC memo6alised 20 allow
him the privileges Of tho hoor u the
House. Ex-Governor A P. 6wineForu Wcs
elected president OF tho convention a1ro
Hal Hoffman secretary.
The convention has been quite . repre-
sentative oody. hUCh interest was SHOWN
in the work. Fifty-two delegates were IA
attendance, representing not yhiy tne
comparatively lhiChly popUlated SCUM
eastern Alaska put sUca laI go! .4
C!uCts as Eagle City on the Yukon ""1
O4Ca On Prince William souno. -
SkaGuay was given the prlnclpa4 AeuUI
OF the convention in the RepresentaANS
to Congress, but not TIL after d hEnt -
two besslOns and after Juneau ana -
allied delegations had expeHenceu d svtt,
euIng Of heart. Il was the SeLse o. - 80
convention that this honor was hot uL,
deserved. for Skaguay had been de1eSteu
for the chairmanship and her deIoGatss
had done uuch OF the hard committee
work. At one time 6kasuay "os ptaC-
tically defeated for the Represent" ttFe,
ana The feeling between the rival cues
threatened 10 become very pltei Ou0 '4lS
was happily averted In the emo ...,
A resolution providing tor lerrltoT44
form OF government for Alaska WAS OF
fered ana tabled. 1t still lies there. al
though al first there was consideraoe e
sentiment in the convention N laVor oI
slcu organized form OF government 4Hc
convention had nothing 10 say on the
Bills for submission TO Congress were
prepared on the subjects OF civil govern
neit. civil code, criminal code, public
lands and land laws, education ana mu-
rG.pa government. A bill to provide
military backbone for Alaska did not
he delegate elected is charged with the
C-rs Ct taxing all this volUminoGS WoTA
lo Washington and endeavorins TO have
AZ lts-ed by Congress. The convention
does -ot expect that the bills VIII mSet
u.th The approval Of Congress letter for
letter but II will be greatly disappointed
81 Tie main points are not sanctioned.
TFa delegates. many OF whom were law
y.-s being residents Of Alaska, presume
frat tEey know better than the indiNicual
r..-lhers OF ConSress what legislation IS
most suitable FOR the district Of Alaska'
on. that was the foundation Of the hold
-rg OF the convention. Most OF the re-
ports Of tho several committees begin
Senate and House Of Representatives. OF
rhs United States OF America IN Congress
The civil government bill fixes Sitka as
the temporary seat of government u tie
district, provides FOR tca appointment ul
q Governor. who il empowered 10 grant
decision ii the President Of the United
Sraras f. made known and ne snail per
form generally over the district such acts
o. pertain 10 the ONCE OF Governor OF q
y rrirorE. He is required to inquire into
the operations OF any person, ASSOCIATION
Dr corporation authorized to XIII the seal
or other iur-ncaring animals and annually
report % Congress the result or sucn IN
NesusadoUs. The dill, among other
things. also provides tor the election of a
delegate TO Congress by the Qualided elec
TOYS ~ the district; for three judicial dis-
tucts and three United states District
JUdges-one IN the Yukon at Circle City,
another at ST Michael and the third shah
reside al juneau; and defines 10 some ex-
tent th- powers. duties and jurisdiction OF
the courts. All United States Com
III. ssionsrs shall hereafter be known as
Probate Judges, and IL defines their Juris
Ulcuon. The Governor, Secretary, Dis
trlct Attorneys, Judges, Marshals, Clerks
and Probate Judges snail be appointed by
the PRESIDENT by and with the consent Of
the Senate. and salaries are fixed by the
proposed act as follows: Governor, 5000
per annum, Judges, 5000; Marshals, 5000;
Clerks $4,000; District Attorneys, 1900;
Probate Judges, as recorders, 5000 and
fees; Probate Judges other than those
shals $500 and fees, mileage and other
allowances; assistant district attorneys,
$lZ00. deputy clerks, 5000 and fees for re-
CordIng Instruments.
Three recording districts are provided
for, allowing miners in any organized
mining district TO make rules and regu-
latOns governing the recording of notices
Of location of mining claims, water rights
fumes and bitches, millsites and affidavits
of labor. The District Judges, Marshals.
District Attorneys. assistant district at
torneys, Clerks and office deputy mar
shals are paid their travelling expenses
ty a provision Of the act.
A resolution was adopted requesting the
Attorney General Of the United States 10
cause the appropriation for a courthouse
and jail at Juneau to be used at once,
and calling his attention to the present
iUgIagTGfa Quarters DTONidpd for the
United States District Court and the Jail,
which is described as unfit for human
habtadOn.
The bill prepared by the committee on
Civil Code and Code Of Civil Procedure
IS principally amendatory 10 sections re-
ferred to IN the Oregon and other codes.
with the aim Of fitting IL to the conditions
peculiar % Alaska.
The bin or Criminal Code that will go
70 Congress Is simply what It's name Sig
uifies. II defines crimes and fixes pun
ishment therefor, and Is not essentially
different from other criminal codes. 1t
provides severe punishment for robblng or
maliciously inJu1ng fumes, sluice-boxes
or anything in general pertaining 10 min
Ing OF mining claims. Sections in this bill
fixing license on various businesses, oc-
CUpatiOns and vOcations In sums ranging
from $40 70 $500, in accordance with the
present law imposed by the last Congress-
and reducing liquor licenses much below
the figures fixed IN the present law, were
sJTicken out oy the convention.
In the course OF the debate on this
matter Il was declared by Delegate Cobb
OF Juneau that every one OF the Congress-
men who vis.ted Alaska with whom he
talked on the subject gave Il as his opin-
ION that the vocation tax law is unconsti-
tluonal. II Is pot improbable that II the
next congress does not repeal the law It's
cCnStituuouaLty Will be tested In the Su-
preme Court OF the United States by Al
aska interests. Alaska attorneys In aen-
eral think the law unconstitutional Al
askaus DO not 60 much object to paying
& tax as they do 20 paying il in e manner
required Of no other people under the
stars and stripes.
The location Of mining claims by power
Of attorney is made null and void In the
bin reported on public lands and land
laws. This is something new, and is
partly due to the complaints from Porcr-
pine and Cape Nome against powers Of
attorney being used IN behalf Of friends /
al home, TO the great DISADVANTAGES OF
men who spend time and money and labor
in getting to the diSangs.
The education committee made a recor, /
mendinE report, which exposes the Few
shredg OF the educational system In All /
aska There are 1l05 white Children of /
school age IN the district, II states. This
IS regarded as an underestimate. ne q /
number Of towns in the Yukon VALLEY and
to the westward were not taken into con- |
The number OF schools is four
and the number Of teachers seven Atten- |
ton is called 70 the utter inadequacv az |