Bozeman Avant Courier

RAILROAD—PETITION TO GOV. POTTS, &c.

We have received a petition, asking Gov. Potts to call an Extra Session of the Legislature, for the purpose of passing such laws as may be deemed wise and necessary to authorize the commencement of the work of constructing one or more railroads. The document emanates from Helena, and is an able and forcible one, and we fully concur in all that is said in regard to the necessity for a railroad and the advantages to follow to the Territory by its completion. There is an imperative necessity for such a communication at the earliest period, and we do not mean by any action of ours to throw the slightest obstacle in the way of the efforts made to build the road, and we believe this is the feeling of a large majority of the citizens of Gallatin county, and they will do their whole duty in aid of the road. But we think that our friends over at Helena have not adopted the best plan, under the present condition of affairs, to secure to a certainty harmonious action on the part of all friends to the North and South road. Extra sessions of the Legislature have never been popular in Montana, and the meeting of the Legislature now will certainly increase the indebtedness of the Territory, and, owing to the depression prevailing all over Montana for the want of a market for the abundant crops and the low prices prevailing, the people are harder pressed to pay their taxes than in any previous year since Montana was organized. We are decidedly in favor of an early meeting of the Legislature. Two months ago, in the Courier, we earnestly advocated a meeting in regular session on the second Monday in January, 1873. We foresaw then the necessity for an early meeting. Our efforts in that direction met with no encouragement either from the press or people of Helena.

We think that a session can be obtained by the action of Congress even at an earlier day than next January, but a meeting there would be in ample time to extend all proper aid to the North and South road, and then the expenses of the Legislature would be paid by the General Government, and not by the people of Montana. Congress meets on next Monday, and if a concerted move was made on the part of our Delegate he can have a law passed authorizing a meeting of the Legislature a day early enough for all practical purposes to aid the railroad. Congress will increase the pay to thirty thousand dollars. All Mr. Clagett has to do is to ask for it. That sum will do away with the necessity for "extra compensation." Why not take this course? We are not influenced in the least in our opposition to an extra session by an attachment to the plan proposed repeatedly in the Courier for the last two months. We opposed the action of one of the best friends we ever had in Montana, in calling an extra session in 1867. Our allusion is to Gov. Thomas Francis Meagher, who, in our opinion, was the ablest and most patriotic Governor who has administered our affairs. We incurred his displeasure by opposition to an extra session. We feel satisfied that our friends over at Helena and Virginia, who are true friends to the railroad, will lose nothing by delaying action until Congress can pass the bill necessary for a regular session. We prepared a bill at the last session of Congress, which, if it had received the support of our Delegate, would have secured a meeting of the Legislature next Monday. Congress was perfectly willing to pass it if our Delegate would have set there. Even if the Legislature did not meet till the first of March, it would be early enough to pass all laws necessary to secure proper aid to the railroad, and we feel perfectly convinced Congress will appropriate thirty thousand dollars to pay expenses, and authorize a meeting of the Legislature at any day the Delegate will name in his bill. We are convinced there is much to be gained by taking this course. The railroad question will be better understood by a little delay, and many objections now urged against voting aid will be removed. There is, even now, a division among the friends of the road as to the mode in which assistance should be given. Some favor a subsidy—others oppose this form of aid, and prefer subscriptions of stock. The citizens of this county are in favor of aid being extended to the road by the Territory and not by the counties, and whilst we are willing that any county, in its corporate capacity, may give as much as a majority of her people by a vote may decide, we prefer that the Legislature should pass a law submitting to a vote of the whole Territory a proposition to take stock to an amount sufficient to bring the road to central Montana, instead of authorizing counties to take stock. The road is bound to benefit every part of Montana and everybody in it, and every county and every citizen should bear its proportion of the expense. We are not in favor of letting Deer Lodge or any other county get the advantages of the road and not pay a part of the cost of building it. This, in our view, is the only just plan. But all these matters require consideration and reflection, and we hope ample time will be given for a full discussion of all matters connected with the proposition to aid in building the railroad. No hasty action should be taken, else the whole thing might fail. The friends of the measure should be united, and we feel confident, by a little delay, the Territory will, by an overwhelming vote, aid liberally and largely an enterprise that is to accomplish so much for her people and all her interests.

So far, the friends of the railroad on this side have learned very little in regard to the programme of the projectors of the North and South Railroad. We do not know who are the corporators—know nothing of how much road has been built—know nothing of the means and resources of the company—do not even know who they are. Nothing from the Utah side has been disclosed; no proposition has been submitted. They may have known all these things in Helena, but if so, their papers have failed to furnish the public with the knowledge they possessed. We do not make these suggestions to create any prejudice whatever, but to show the propriety of a little delay, and the great advantages that will be derived from it.

We do not desire to be misunderstood. If, against our judgment and wishes, an extra session should be called, and a proposition, just and liberal in its character, is submitted to a vote of the people, by which an early completion of the road will be effected, we say in advance, that it will receive cordial support in the columns of the Courier, and personal aid from us. We feel that a railroad will be a blessing to Montana, and in the language of the petition to Gov. Potts, entertain the further belief, that the present depressed condition of all industries here will soonest cease, if the enterprise shall be wisely inaugurated of constructing a road which shall connect us with the present "Continental Railway."

We are decidedly opposed to an extra session of the Legislature under existing circumstances, though in favor of a meeting at the earliest day it can be brought about by the action of Congress, and hope to see the Legislature in session by the second Monday in January in regular session. This can be accomplished by Mr. Clagett next week, if he will only bring in a bill for that purpose. If this course is adopted, the views and wishes of the friends of the railroad can be accomplished, and entire harmony preserved amongst friends. Let this course be adopted, in preference to hasty action in an extra session, that is bound to involve a large expense to the tax payers of the Territory. Then, we have no fondness for a system that makes a subsidy necessary. We do not favor subsidizing any railroad. We prefer to subscribe stock. We doubt the policy of counties voting aid in their separate capacity, but think the proposition should embrace the whole Territory, and let every county bear its equal share in a sum the Territory may see fit to subscribe as stock. Gallatin county will vote almost unanimously for such a plan as this. Even in Virginia City, whose citizens we know to be anxious for the building of the North and South Railroad, we find nearly every business man against an extra session and subsidy. Below is a list of property owners, business men and officers in Virginia City who have signed the remonstrance against the Extra Session or Subsidy:

Henry Elling, merchant; Samuel Russell & Co., merchants; Patton & Lambrecht do; James F. Brown, banker; C. J. Kinney, County Treasurer and banker; P. A. Large, E. T. Yager, member Council; Harrington & Baker, merchants; D. W. Tilton, merchant; W. P. Armstrong, do.; Maxham & Winter, merchants; L. Daems, druggist; W. W. Morris, do.; O. B. Barber, merchant; R. O. Hickman, Territorial Treasurer; W. H. Rodgers, Territorial Auditor; M. H. Lott, Probate Judge.