Year: 1864




trious people, not migratory people like those
of California or of the new Territories of Idaho
and Montana. 1t is true that portion of Idaho
was taken from Washington, in fact all of pres
ent Idaho; but it was settled up, not by the old
settlers of Washington Territory, but princi-
pally by Californians and people from the
States.


In 1853 the organic act of Washington Terri
tory was passed by Congress, and the people
were allowed the same privileges in regard to
enacting their laws that the people of Oregon
Territory were in the act organizing that Ter
ritorj. In order that the House may under
stand Just what powers were given to the people
! ofWashington Territory in their organic act,
L ailf ask the Clerk to read section from the
law organizing the Territory.


The Clerk read as follows:


Sec. 6. And be it further enacted, That the
legislative power of the Territory shall extend
to all rightfu subjects of legislation, not incon
sstent with the Constitution and laws of the
United States But no law shall be passed in
terfering with the primary disposal of the soil;
no tax shall be imposed upon the property of
the United States nor shall the lands or other
property of non-residents be taxed higher than
the lands or other property of residents All
the laws passed by the Legislative Assembly
shall be submitted to the Congress of the United
States, and, if disapproved, shall be null and of
| no effect: Provided, That nothing in this act



bank or any Institution with banking powers,
or to borrow money in the name of the Terri
tory or to pledge the faith of the people of the
same, for any loan whatever, directly or indi-
rectly. No charter granting any privileges of
making, issuing or putting into circulation any
notes or bills in the likeness of bank notes, or
any bonds, scrip, drafts, bills of exchange, or
granting any other banking powers or privile-
ges, shall be passed by the Legislative Assem-
bly,; nor shall the establishment of any branch
or agency of any such corporation, derived from
other authority, be allowed in said Territory;
nor shall said Legislative Assembly authorize
the issue of any obligation, scrip, or evidence
of debt, by said Territory, in any mode man
ner whatever, except certificates for service to
said Territory. And all such laws, or any law
or laws inconsistent with the provisions of this
act, shall be utterly null and void And all
taxes shall be equal and uniform; and no dis
tncton shall be made in the assessments be-
tween the different kinds of property but the
| assessments shall be according to the value
thereof To avoid improper influences, which
may result from ntermixing in one and the same
act such things as have no proper relation to
each other, every embrace but one object, and
that shall be expressed in the title"


Mr.. COLE, of Washington 1t will be SEEM
Mr.. Speaker, that the powers of the Legislature
of Washington Territory are very limited, that
they hardly exceed those of the board of super
visors of county in the State Of New York
Besides this, all laws of the Legislature are to
| be submitted to the Congress of the United
States, and If disapproved by congress, they
are to be null and void Here you have an alb
solute veto. All laws inconsistent with the or
ganic act are null and void; and the court to
decide upon them is court appointed by the
President of the United States. At the time of
its organization the population was about five
thousand. Its present population is three or
four times that number-somewhat less, not
much-and with about the same ability to sus-
tain a state organization as two of her sister
Territories which are about to assume position
in the family of States, if their people listen to
the voice of politicians instead of consulting
their own interests. The principal interests of
our people are farming and numbering. But
small amount of mining is carried within the
present limits of our Territory, though good
mines exist throughout its entire eastern Sec
ton But the adjacent mines in Idaho present
| greater inducements at present


Men who are elected to the Legislature are
generally men who are interested in the well
fare of the Territory, and | venture the asser-
ton that no Territory possesses better code OF
laws or are the people in any better satisfied
with their condition. We have had some half
| dozen Governors, none of whom, if we except
the present incumbent, has desired the veto
power.


The people have not abused the power with
which the Legislature has been clothed No
conflict between the Territory and the General
Government has ever arisen. The plan so far
as our Territory is concerned, has worked well.
| And may add for the eight years of the terri
torial existence of Oregon, l was citizen of
that Territory, and it worked well there. The
people there as well as in Washington Territory
proved themselves abundantly able to make
their own laws No portion of the people of
my Territory have asked for this change. No
! acts on the part of the people or the Legislature
coming in conflict with any interests of the
General Government have ever been perpetra-
ted or enacted. And no considerable number
Of the people of the Territory, and l doubt if
any of its permanent residents, would look upon
this change with favor. 1t was stated in the
other branch of Congress when this bill was be-
fore it for consideration that the Federal officers
of the Territory had asked it. 1t may be true
that the Governor of the Territory, and perhaps
some other of the Federal oficials-though l
think not many-may desire it and they may
have asked for it. But l am quite certain no
permanent citizens of the Territory ofany party
desire it. Were we always certain of having
| Governor selected from among our own citi-
! zens or could the people of the Territory elect
their Governor, the case would be different, as
the legislative power would then be entirely in
the hands of those who are identified with our
interests and understand our wants. But gen
tlemen all know what kind of men are gene
rally-sent out to new Territories by the party in
power, it makes no difference what party that
may be.


am certain that gentlemen who represent
the new States, and were residents of those
States when they were Territories, will agree
with me when say they are not generally men
noted for their talents, and their morals are not
calculated to improve and elevate even from
tier community. They are more frequently men
who are anxious for place. a requital for ser
vices rendered, or supposed to have been rem
dered, to the party appointing them. They are
known generally to be unfit for position in the
States, and they are therefore sent off to the
Territories not so much because they are sup
posed to possess the necessary qualifications for
the position, butt they are troublesome fellows"
and the Administration must get rid of them
Having received their commission, signed by
the President, with the broad seal of the Union
affixed, they set out for their destination. Ar
irving in the Territory, they very frequently i'm
agne themselves, if not ''monarchs of all they
survey" at least decidedly "some pumpkins"
Coming in contact with the people they en-
deavor to impress them with their importance
by putting on airs" las it is termed in the
expressive language of the country,) and play
ing the cheap lion on all occasions. Frontiers
men are generally good judges Of human na-