The Pony Legislature’s Last Stand

OLYMPIA, Jan. 19.—Much comment in this city was the result of an article which appeared in the Olympia Commonwealth a few days ago, in which it was intimated that the "pony legislature," which met here last Monday, had for its object removal of the capital question.

C. Herren, of Lewis county, who is still in the city, having been one of the members who constituted the "pony legislature," was seen by your representative this morning, and asked what grounds there were for the article referred to.

"The expression amounts to nothing," said Mr. Herren, "as there is no agitation of the capital question and will not be until after we are admitted as a state. The defeat that the cities east of the mountains met at the last legislative session was sufficient to check any movement of that kind now. The removal question was not thought of nor entertained by any Member who signed the petition dispatched to Congress. The dispatch was not official, as the session had been called by law for that date and no subsequent legislative act or concurrence by the courts had intervened.

The only course left for the present legislature was to meet, or apparently disregard what was the evident will of the people as expressed by the last election of its representatives."

Mr. Herren impressed himself as being satisfied that there was a sentiment in the territory adverse to the assembling of the legislature at this time, and it was strange to him that the appropriation bill should pass the lower house of Congress, the only place where the territory has a voice, and then be killed in the Senate, by a man evidently unacquainted with the condition of our territorial affairs.

Said Mr. Herren, "I am decidedly opposed to any agitation of the capital removal question, and shall do all I can against it."