sustained great loss by the frequent incursions of those hostiles, Speaker of the House of Representatives. Council Joint Memorial in relation to the enlargement of the United States Penitentiary of Montana Territory. To the Honorable the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States, in Congress assembled : Your memorialists, the Council and House of Representatives, composing the Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Montana, most respectfully represent that the United States has entered into a contract with the Territory of Montana by which it has undertaken the custody and maintenance of Territorial convicts; That the United States Penitentiary at Deer Lodge contains but twentyeight cells, and that a greater number of prisoners cannot be confined therein without danger to their health and security; That the present number of prisoners is thirty-four, and that this number will be considerably increased within a few months, and continue to increase with the now rapid growth of the population of the Territory. Your memorialists would therefore pray that an appropriation be made during the present session for the enlargement and completion of the Penitentiary in accordance with the plans approved and on file in the Department of Justice. And your memorialists will ever pray. SAMUEL WORD, Speaker of the House of Representatives. ARMISTEAD H. MITCHELL, President of the Council. House Joint Memorial asking Congress to make further appropriation to pay the expenses of the eleventh session of the Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Montana. To the Congress of the United States, now assembled: Your memorialist, the Legislative Assembly of Montana Territory, respectfully represents: That it has been with great difficulty your memorialist has been able to procure clerks for the compensation allowed by law; and that it is impossible for the number allowed to perform the duties required of them without materially retarding legislation; and that the sum appropriated for the purpose of incidental printing, and publication of the laws, of said session is wholly inadequate therefor: Wherefore, your memorialist asks that it be authorized to employ an assistant chief clerk, and an assistant enrolling and engrossing clerk, in each branch of said Assembly, at a reasonable per diem therefor, and that an appropriation be made by your body therefor, and that an additional appropriation be made of not less than four thousand dollars for the purpose of such incidental printing and the publication of the acts of said assembly: All of which your petitioner urges as being indspensably necessary for such purposes and for which it prays. SAMUEL WORD, Speaker of the House of Representatives. House Joint Memorial in relation to the improvement and repair of the Mullan wagon road, built by the Government of the United States during the years of 1859 and 1861, extending from Walla Walla, in the Territory of Washington, to Fort Benton, in the Territory of Montana. To the Honorable the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States, in Congress assembled: Your memorialists, the Council and House of Representatives of the Territory of Montana, would respectfully represent to your honorable bodies: That the Mullan wagon road, built by the United States Government, during the years 1859 and 1861, from the waters of the Columbia river to those of the Missouri river, from what is known as Six Mile creek, in the county of Missoula, Territory of Montana, to the Spokane river, Territory of Washington, is so out of repair as to be impassable for practical purposes; That no loaded team can pass over the same; That the said Mullan road lies in that portion of Montana, Idaho and Washington Territories where there are but a very few settlers,-in fact along a portion of the road above named there are none; That the Territory of Montana, following the example of the older settled sections of our country, has imposed upon the local communities throughout the Territory the duty of building and repairing roads; That some of them have already expended considerable sums in keeping in repair and improving this road of the general government in other portions of the Territory than those named; That the people of the Territory of Montana, charged with laying the foundations of civil society in this isolated section, in building school houses, churches, court houses, jails, and roads through the settled portions thereof, and in administering the laws, finds itself unable to devote any of its resources to the opening up and maintaining this road. The road, if placed in a good condition, would be extensively used as a highway for the citizens of Idaho, Washington Territory, and Montana principally, and as a route over which to transport mails, and afford proper communication between these isolated localities, and, we trust, would afford facilities for travel to many in other sections of our common country who, not satisfied with their present abodes, are moving in a restless tide westward to seek new homes and assist in founding new communities. The region the portion of the road named traverses is a most picturesque and entertaining one, and connects two promising and fertile sections of the West, namely: eastern Washington Territory and western Montana. But chiefly would the said road, if placed in good repair, afford means of transporting United States troops and military supplies from one section of that country to the other. There is now a fort established near the town of Missoula, in western Montana, within four miles of this Mullan road. There is also a military post on the said Spokane river. With this road open there would be but little difficulty in transporting troops and supplies from one of these posts to the other in case of Indian difficul ties. If there should be an Indian outbreak in either section, the troops now quartered there, in considering the present condition of the Indians as to arms and ammunition, would be totally inadequate to meet the emergencies. The general government of the United States made an appropriation in 1877 for the improvement and repair of the military road between Sioux City, in the State of Iowa, and Fort Randall, in Dakota Territory. Without disparaging that appropriation, but rather rejoicing that the government has turned its attention in that direction, we submit that the road we have named needs much more the care and liberality of the general government than that road. There is no navigable river between the military post on the Spokane and Fort Missoula, but many a swift mountain stream that must now be forded, and a densely wooded mountain range. For the truth of the above facts we would respectfully refer your honorable bodies to the report of the General of the United States Army, for the year 1877, concerning the same. Wherefore Your memorialists pray that your honorable bodies, while mindful of the many wants of the older and more densely populated section of our common country, will not refuse to turn your eyes to this western pioneer community and observe its wants in this particular, and will make a suitable appropriation for opening and repairing said road. And your memorialists will ever humbly pray. SAMUEL WORD, Speaker of the House of Representatives. House Joint Memorial remonstrating against any radical change in the present system of land surveys. To the Honorable, the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States, in Congress Assembled. Your memorialists, the Council and House of Representatives, composing the Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Montana, would respectfully represent to your honorable bodies: That, as the question of a change in the system of surveys of public lands is now, as we are credibly informed, being considered in Congress, and various bills have been introduced for that purpose, that we most respectfully and earnestly protest against any radical change in the present system of public land surveys, and especially against the proposed abolition of the offices of surveyors-general, and the concentration of their duties in one surveyor-general with an office at Washington: That the present system is one well adapted to the wants and necessities of settlers upon the public domain, and many years of trial have proved its practical value: That the proposed abolition of the offices of surveyors-general, and the transfer of the records to Washington, would work great delay and injury to parties entering public lands as well as those engaged in mining and desirous of patenting their claims: That the office of surveyorgeneral, whatever representations may have been made to the contrary, is not a sinecure, and that a proper administration of its duties requires more than average ability, constant care and a minute attention to details: That the presence, in each surveying district, of a responsible head acquainted with the needs of the public, personally supervising the details of office work, and inspecting surveys in the field, is an absolute necessity to the faithful execution and recording of surveys. Your memorialists therefore most respectfully and earnestly request that the present system of surveying public lands may remain unchanged. And your memorialists will ever pray, etc. SAMUEL WORD, Speaker of the House of Representatives. ARMISTEAD H. MITCHELL, House Joint Memorial to the President of the United States, petitioning for the erection of the two military districts of Montana into a military department under the command of Brevet Major General Miles. To His Excellency, the President of the United States: Your memorialists, the Council and House of Representatives, composing the Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Montana, respectfully represent: That the treaty Indians domiciled upon reservations within the geographical limits of our Territory are, |