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along the Arkansas river, and in the San Luis and Taos valleys, are without mail communication, except by a weekly mail, carried on horseback, and that they are thus almost cut off from communication with the rest of the world; therefore, in view of the additional fact, that more than one-third of the population of the said territories are thus inadequately supplied with mail facilities, your memorialists most respectfully and earnestly pray that your Honorable Body will make provision, by law, for a tri-weekly mail service from Denver, Colorado territory, to Santa Fe, New Mexico, by the way of Colorado City, Wood Valley, Pueblo, St. Charles, Hicklin's, El Vadito, Fort Garland, San Luis, Costilla, Rio Colorado, Arroyo Hondo, Fernando de Taos and Los Luceros.

Resolved by the Council and House of Representatives of Colorado Territory: That His Excellency, the governor of Colorado territory, be instructed to forward a copy of the foregoing memorial to the president of the senate and to the speaker of the house of representatives in congress, and to our delegate in congress.

Approved February 20th, A. D. 1866.

JOINT RESOLUTION

RELATING TO MAIL CONTRACTS.

SECTION 1. Resolved, That Hon. Allen A. Bradford, delegate in congress from Colorado, is hereby requested to inquire into and make public the facts in relation to the overland mail contract awarded to Ben Holladay & Co., in March, 1865, and why the people of Colorado are deprived of mail facilities accorded to all other parts of the United States.

SEC. 2. Resolved, That the said delegate in congress be further requested to use his best endeavors toward inducing congress to reduce the present rates of postage on newspapers, magazines, periodicals and other mail matter, to the standard establised under the general postage laws regulating postage in other parts of the United States.

SEC. 3. That a copy of these resolutions be forwarded by the proper authorities to Hon. Allen A. Bradford.

Approved February 2nd, A. D. 1866.

JOINT MEMORIAL

TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.

The representatives of the people of the territory of Colorado, in general assembly convened, respectfully represent unto His Excellency, the president of the United States, that the people of this territory, and of the entire frontier, have been for two years past exposed to all the horrors of indian war; that our lines of communication have been cut off; that our means of obtaining the necessities of life have been so reduced as to double the cost of living; that simple justice to this people demands ample protection in life and property; that our present safety and future security demand a rigorous prosecution of war, until the indians sue for peace.

We further respectfully represent, that the unanimous experience of the people of this territory, demonstrates the necessity of the transfer of the management of indian affairs, from the department of the interior to the war department, and the creation of a department, or district, embracing the field of indian hostilities, under the command of an experienced general.

We further respectfully represent, that we, in common with the entire people of the frontier, have perfect confidence in the capacity, integrity, patriotism and experience of Brig. General P. E. Connor, now in command of the district of Utah; that while in command of the district of the plains, Gen. Connor preserved our lines of communication unbroken; that while leading an expedition against hostile indians, hundreds of miles from his base of supplies, through a desert, with troops half equipped, half provisioned, and poorly armed, he developed those qualities which demonstrate his superior fitness to command in an indian country; we therefore respectfully request that Brig. Gen. P. E. Connor may be placed in command of a department or district, which shall include the territory of Col-. orado, and your petitioners will ever pray, &c.

Be it Resolved by the Council and House of Representatives of the Territory of Colorado: That the governor of the territory be requested to forward a copy of this memorial to the president of the United States,

Approved February 5th, A. D. 1866.

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TO THE HONORABLE WILLIAM Dennison, POST-MASTER-GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES.

Your memorialists, the council and house of representatives of Colorado territory, beg leave most respectfully to represent to your Honor:

WHEREAS, A community which polls from forty to fifty legal votes, in Hardscrabble precinct, in the county of Fremont, Colorado territory, and comprising thrifty farmers, all permanent settlers, are now, and have been since they settled there, obliged to travel from eight to ten miles to reach the nearest post-office, and,

WHEREAS, A weekly mail is now being carried from Pueblo, on the Arkansas river, via Canon City to the different points in the South Park, and the said mail is carried on the north side of the Arkansas river, but little expense would be incurred in granting the good people a post-office, as the mail could be carried over a good road, of no greater distance on the south side of the Arkansas river, which would then pass through this settlement, and greatly accommodate them, with very little additional expense to the government; now, therefore, your memorialists, the legislative assembly of the territory of Colorado, would most respectfully represent, that the settlement, in the vicinity of Castle Rock, would be greatly benefited by the establishment of a post-office in that vicinity, and would recommend that Gideon B. Frazier be appointed as post-master at that place, and that said post-office be called Castle Rock; and be it

Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions be forwarded to the post-master-general of the United States, and also a copy to our delegate in congress, the Hon. Allen A. Bradford, and that he be requested to use his influence to have said post-office established, and the mail route from Pueblo to Canon City changed so as to accommodate the said post-office. Approved February 6th, A. D. 1866.

A JOINT MEMORIAL

ASKING THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES TO APPOINT A CITIZEN OF THIS TERRITORY AS CHIEF JUSTICE.

To His Excellency, the President of the United States:

The people of the territory of Colorado, through their representatives in the legislative assembly, respectfully represent

unto the president, that many of the questions growing out of mining operations and concerning mining titles in this territory, are novel and peculiar, while other questions, concerning the irrigation of lands, and growing out of the peculiar situation of the people, remote from all other communities, are almost unknown to the laws of the eastern states; and persons residing in the territory have acquired a knowledge of these questions, necessary to a correct understanding of them, which is not possessed by residents of the eastern states, and for this reason, among others, the people of this territory are exceedingly anxious that citizens of this territory, who are identified with the people and will attend to their public duties, should be appointed judges of the territory; therefore, the council and house of representatives of Colorado territory do most earnestly and respectfully pray that your Excellency will appoint Moses Hallett, a citizen of this territory, in whom we have confidence, to be chief justice of this territory.

Approved February 8th, A. D. 1866.

JOINT RESOLUTION

AUTHORIZING THE GOVERNOR TO HAVE ALL LAWS, ETC., PASSED BY THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY FOR THE YEAR 1866, PUBLISHED.

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Council concurring:

That the governor of Colorado territory, in the absence of the secretary, is hereby authorized and requested to have all laws, resolutions and memorials, passed by the legislative assembly of the session of 1866, and the journals of both houses, published and authenticated properly, and certify all bills and acts necessary to make the same effective and in force. Approved February 9th, A. D. 1866.

JOINT MEMORIAL

TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES.

WHEREAS, A national railroad is being built across the continent to facilitate travel and commerce between the Atlantic and Pacific states, and from ocean to ocean, and

WHEREAS, Early communication by railroad with the older states is of the utmost importance to the development of the

unsurpassed mineral and metallic resources of this territory, embracing gold, silver, iron, copper, lead and coal; and

WHEREAS, The said Pacific railroad, as now located, about will run through an unpeopled wilderness for a distance of nearly one thousand miles, where the soil and climate is uninviting to the pioneer settler; and

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WHEREAS, The territory of Colorado is on the central line from the Atlantic coast, New York City and Philadelphia, through Cincinnati, St. Louis, Topeka, Denver, Salt Lake, to San Francisco, a line indicating the most inhabited portion of the globe, within which is also found the most feasible pass in the world; a line, too, two hundred miles shorter than the one now proposed by the present Pacific railroad charter, and embracing a population of more than fifty thousand people, whose commerce already amounts to many millions of pounds of freight; therefore, be it

Resolved by the Council and House of Representatives of Colorado Territory:

1st. That we would most respectfully ask the congress of the United States to so amend the Pacific railroad charter that it shall be built on the Smoky Hill route from Fort Riley to Denver, and through the most feasible pass to Salt Lake.

2nd. That our delegate to congress be hereby requested to use all honorable means to accomplish such action, and that copies of these resolutions be forwarded by the governor of Colorado territory to the president and heads of each department at Washington, and to our delegate to congress, the Hon. Allen A. Bradford, and to our representative, the Hon. George M. Chil

cott.

Approved February 9th, A D. 1866.

A MEMORIAL

TO THE HONORABLE, THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED.

The legislative assembly of the territory of Colorado, respectfully represent, that no public buildings have, as yet, been erected in this territory, nor has congress made any appropriation for the erection of said buildings. The territorial government was organized in the beginning of the late rebellion, and the donations for this purpose, usually given to territories, were rightfully withheld from this territory, while the extraordinary demands of the war for the preservation of the union and the

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