The Great Legislative Mess of 1877

Much of the business before the last session of the legislature was of a very important character. When it adjourned, it was hoped, if not generally believed, that in many important respects permanent improvements were made in the law. The business presented was in excess of the usual amount. Those who presented it belonged mainly to that class who have found much fault with our statutes for their numerous contradictions and inconsistent provisions. It was generally supposed that their labors were chiefly given to systematizing our laws, and removing these imperfections; yet we are sorry to be compelled to say that the Acts of 1877, when published, will present a worse general appearance and cause more confusion and humiliation among the people of the Territory than the statutes of any state or territory have ever effected since the American Union was first formed. When the Legislature convened, it was generally regarded that all the business likely to be presented could easily be done in the 40 days the law allowed. In place of doing so, for the first half of the session, a huge part of the time was spent traveling to Olympia and visiting various regions of the Sound. This important body seemed to avoid settling down to regular work before the last week of its session. Then, when too late to attempt to do well what absolutely needed to be done, the attempt was made to rush through an almost unlimited number of bills. The hurry of the session resulted in some 90 such rough drafts of bills being presented to the Governor. These were written with no more care than an attorney would take to prepare a memorandum of his argument at a place where he never designed that others would see or read it; with amendments all over these outlines of bills, some interlined, some pasted on the original draft of the bill, and many pinned to it; looking as if the opposing counsel had taken the attorney's brief, and with intent to ridicule it, had attached his comments to every part of it.