Even if it were settled that the old and not a new body were to act, it
would be found impracticable to execute the law, because a considerable
number of the members, as I am informed, have ceased to be residents of
the Territory, and in the sixty days within which the legislature is to
be convened after the passage of the act there would not be sufficient
time to fill the vacancies by new elections, were there any authority
under which they could be held.
It may not be improper to add that if these proceedings were all regular
and the result to be obtained were desirable, simple justice to the
people of the Territory would require a longer period than sixty days
within which to obtain action on the conditions proposed by the third
section of the bill. There are, as is well known, large portions of the
Territory with which there is and can be no general communication, there
being several counties which from November to May can only be reached by
persons traveling on foot, while with other regions of the Territory,
occupied by a large portion of the population, there is very little more
freedom of access.
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