THE TERRITORY OF COLORADO 73 



Atchison to Denver. And though on May 12 all of the territorial bills 

 were tabled for the session/ the need for them was clearer than it had 

 been at any time since the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Bill in 1854. 



The territory of Jefferson, as organized in November, 1859, had been 

 from the first recognized as merely a temporary expedient. The move- 

 ment for it had gained weight in the summer of that year from the proba- 

 bility that it need not be maintained for many months. When Congress, 

 however, failed in the ensuing session of 185 9-1 860 to grant the relief 

 for which the pioneers prayed, the wisdom of continuing for another 

 year the life of a government admitted to be illegal came into question. 

 The first session of its legislature had lasted from November 7, 1859,^ to 

 January 25, i860. It had passed comprehensive laws^ for the regulation 

 of titles in lands, water, and mines, and had adopted civil and Criminal 

 codes. Its courts had been established and had operated with some show 

 of authority. But the services and obedience to the government had 

 been voluntary, no funds being on hand for the payment of salaries and 

 expenses. One of the pioneers from Vermont wrote home, "There is 

 no hopes [sic] of perfect quiet in our governmental matters until we are 

 securely under the wing of our National Eagle." In his proclamation 

 calling the second election Governor Steele announced that "all persons 

 who expect to be elected to any of the above offices should bear in mind 

 that there will be no salaries or per diem allowed from this territory, but 

 that the General Government will be memorialized to aid us in our 

 adversity."^ Upon this question of revenue it was that the territory of 

 Jefferson was wrecked. Taxes could not be collected, since citizens had 

 only to plead grave doubts as to the legality to evade payment. "We 

 have tried a Provisional Government, and how has it worked?" asked 

 William Larimer in announcing his candidacy for the ofiice of territorial 



' Cong. Globe, 36 Cong., i Sess., 2079-2085. 



' The Rocky Mountain News had the text of Steele's message in its issue of November 10, 1859. It 

 is also found in House Misc. Doc. 10, 36 Cong., i Sess., Serial 1063, pp. 11-15. 



3 Provisional Laws and Joint Resolutions Passed at the First and Called Sessions of the General Assem- 

 bly of Jefferson Territory, Held at Denver City, J. T., November and December, 1850, and January, i860. 

 Published by Authority (Omaha, N. T., Robinson and Clark, i860, pp. 298). The writer knows of the 

 existence of only two copies of this pamphlet. 



^Early Day Letters from A merita {now Denver) Written by Libeus Barney to the Bennington Banner, 

 Bennington, Vermont, 1839-1860 (Denver?, n. d., pp.88), 54. 



s Proclamation of September 18, in Rocky Mountain News, September 19, i860. 



