Resolved by the Council and House of Representatives of the Territory of Montana: That the said organization of Custer county, and all the acts of said county commissioners accordant with law, and of the other officers of said county, appointed by them, or elected at the late general election, and which are in pursuance of the laws of this Territory, be, and the same are hereby, declared as valid, to all intents and purposes whatever, as if the appointment of said county commissioners had been expressly authorized by law. [The foregoing resolution, having been presented to the governor of the Territory of Montana, on the eighteenth day of January, 1879, for his approval, and not having been returned by him to that House of the Legislative Assembly in which it originated, within the time prescribed by section 1842, chap. I, title XXIII, Revised Statutes of the United States, has become a law without his approval.] House Joint Resolution authorizing certain committees to employ clerks. Be it resolved by the Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Montana: That the judiciary committee, and the committee on ways and means, of each branch of said assembly be, and they are hereby, authorized and empowered to employ additional clerks, not to exceed two in each House, whose duty it shall be to assist the chief clerk, and enrolling and engrossing clerk, and the various committees of the two Houses, and perform such other duties as may be assigned them; and for such service they shall be entitled to receive the sum of five dollars per day, each, for the time actually employed in such service. [The foregoing resolution, having been presented to the governor of the Territory of Montana, on the twentieth day of January, 1879, for his approval, and not having been returned by him to that House of the Legislative Assembly in which it originated, within the time prescribed by section 1842, chap. 1, title XXIII, Revised Statutes of the United States, has become a law without his approval.] House Joint Resolution appointing committee to accept printing proposition. Be it resolved by the Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Montana: That a committee of three from each house of said Legislative Assembly be appointed and empowered to accept, on behalf of the said Legislative Assembly, the proposition of Messrs. Kerley, McQuaid & LaCroix to do the necessary printing of this session; but it is distinctly herein expressed that no liability is to be considered as being incurred by the Territory under any contract, or contracts, made hereunder. Approved January 21, 1879. House Joint Resolution asking the establishment of Montana as a separate Military Department, and the appointment of General Nelson A. Miles as commander thereof. Resolved by the Legislative Council and House of Representatives of the Territory of Montana: That it is the judgment of the Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Montana that the insecure position of the settlements within this Territory from hostile Indians is greatly augmented by the remoteness therefrom of the General commanding the Department, and that the imminence of danger from such Indians requires that a separate Department be organized comprising this Territory; and that General Nelson A. Miles, by reason of his familiarity with the topography of the country and the character of the Indians, and many soldierly qualities, exhibited in various positions and on many occasions, is signally fitted to command the same. Approved February 5, 1879. House Joint Resolution referring to information concerning Montana. Resolved by the Council and House of Representatives in Legislative Assembly convened: That for the purpose of accepting the proposition of Mr. Robert E. Strahorn to furnish ten thousand copies of the matter which is to comprise seventy pages of his forthcoming book concerning Montana, its topography, climate, resources, and the inducements which it offers to immigrants, with additional matter descriptive of the methods by which the Territory can be most easily and cheaply reached by rivers and railroads, to be approved by the governor and treasurer of the Territory, the sum of seven hundred and fifty dollars be, and the same is hereby, appropriated out of any moneys in the Territorial treasury not otherwise appropriated; of which said sum, six hundred and fifty dollars, or so much thereof as shall be necessary, shall be paid to the said Robert E. Strahorn, whenever he shall have delivered to the auditor of this Territory, or his agent in the city of Chicago, the said ten thousand copies of said pamphlet in compliance with his said proposition; and one hundred dollars thereof shall be disbursed under the supervision of the auditor of the Territory in paying freights on said books to the Territory of Montana, and distributing the same therein; and the auditor is hereby authorized to draw his warrant, or warrants, on the treasury of the Territory as may be necessary and convenient, and in favor of such person, or persons, as will carry into effect the provisions hereof, not exceeding said sum; and of the said pamphlets, four hundred copies may be furnished on request of the boards of county commissioners to each county of the Territory, and the like number to the corresponding secretary of the Historical Society of Montana, and also to the secretary of the Helena Board of Trade, the freight thereon from Helena being paid by the said counties respectively. And the further distribution thereof shall be directed by the governor, auditor, treasurer, and superintendent of public instruction of the Territory of Montana. Approved February 20, 1879. House Concurrent Resolution requesting the county clerk of Missoula county to furnish a statement of the financial condition of said county. Resolved by the Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Montana, the Council concurring : That the county clerk of the county of Missoula be, and he is hereby, requested to furnish the Speaker of the House, and President of the Council, without delay: Ist. The amount of county bonds of said county outstanding and overdue, with the rate of interest which said bonds bear, and the amount of interest due thereon; 2d. The amount of county bonds of said county outstanding and not yet due, and when they will become due, with the amount, if any, of interest overdue, and the rate of interest which they bear, and the amount of interest which is now due thereon; 3d. Under what laws the said bonds were issued; 4th. The amount of outstanding warrants which bear interest, and the rate of said interest, and the total amount of interest due thereon; 5th. The amount of outstanding warrants which do not bear interest; 6th. The amount of moneys received into the county treasury, for county purposes, from all sources, during the year 1878; 7th. The amount of moneys in the county treasury to credit of the various funds of the county; 8th. The amount disbursed during the year 1878 for the prosecution and punishment of criminals. SAMUEL WORD. Speaker of the House of Representatives. House Concurrent Resolution in relation to the financial affairs of Missoula county. Resolved by the Legislative Assembly, the Council concurring: That it is the sense of the Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Montana, that the indebtedness of the Territory, and of each county and municipality therein, should be paid according to the terms of the contracts therefor, and that the Legislative Assembly should furnish any necessary legislation to enforce such payment if it shall seem to be required. That in consideration of the exceptional condition of Missoula county, resulting largely from criminal prosecution at a time when that county was overrun with a transient population in mining camps remote from its county seat, the committees on ways and means be requested to inquire if the public interests will not justify some assistance by the Territory to that county, and, if they will, to devise the method by which it can be most efficiently rendered. SAMUEL WORD, Speaker of the House of Representatives. President of the Council. MEMORIALS. Council Joint Memorial asking the establishment of a cavalry post at, or near, Henry's Lake. To the Honorable George W. McCrary, Secretary of War: Your memorialists, the Legislative Assembly of Montana, would respectfully represent that the interests of the people of southeastern Montana would be greatly promoted, and the settlement of that section hastened, by the establishment of a cavalry post at or near Henry's lake, near the head of the Madison river. Henry's lake is on the trail taken by the hostile Nez Perces Indians in 1877, and the hostile Bannacks in 1878, in their passage from Idaho Territory into the valley of the Yellowstone; and it is by this route that all hostile Indians in south-eastern Montana, or Idaho, will in the future endeavor to make their way to the valley of the Yellowstone, and from thence to British America, it being the only route north of the South Pass, that is now open to their passage; and the tribe known as Ten Doy's Bannack Indians, which have heretofore had a reservation at or near Fort Lemhi, in Idaho Territory, having been ordered to remove to the Fort Hall Agency, serious apprehensions exist lest they may (or a portion of them) open hostilities during the coming season, in which case they will undoubtedly try to make their way to the north and east, by way of Henry's lake and Clark's Fork of the Yellowstone. The people of this section of the Territory are largely engaged in raising horses and cattle, and during the past two seasons have |