16                                   GOVERNMENT OP ALASKA.
sions in the Territory, which fairly divide the population, and 4 members of the lower house from each of those divisions. That bill is here and the members of the committee can examine it. It has been carefully drawn, and I think it commends itself to some members of the committee very fully, certainly at least that portion of it which limits the power of the legislature, for the bill now before the committee is lacking in that respect. There are absolutely no limitations in it.
I want to read from the bill before you briefly, and call attention to the objections I have to it. It is a bill introduced by Senator Beveridge, and is said to have been drawn by the President, or at least to represent the President's wishes.
The Chairman. It does reprasent his wishes.
Mr. AVickersham. I am astounded to learn that the President shall approve of some portions of this bill. It is a bill "to create a legislative council in the district of Alaska, to confer legislative powers thereon, and for other purposes." I notice that the first section of it provides—
That there shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, for the period of four years, unless sooner removed by the President, a governor, an attorney-general, a commissioner of the Interior, a commissioner of education and health, and a commissioner of mines, who shall reside in Alaska during their official incumbency and have the powers and duties hereinafter provided for them, respectively, and who, together with four otheij persons, to be also appointed by the President for a like term of four years, by aba with the advice and consent of the Senate, shall constitute a legislative council, at least four members of which shall be, when appointed, residents of the district of Alaska, one in each of the four judicial divisions into which the district is now divided, and in addition to the legislative dujties hereinafter imposed upon them as a body shall exercise such powers and perform such duties as are hereinafter provided for them, respectively, and who shall have power to employ all necessary deputies and assistants for the proper discharge of their duties as such officials and as such legislative council.
Then it provides that the governor shall be the presiding officer of this body, and that there shall be a vice-governor, and that the official title of the chief executive shall be the " governor of Alaska; *' that he shall grant reprieves, etc., and see that the laws are executed.
The third section provides—
That the attorney-general shall have all the powers and discharge all the duties provided by law for an attorney of a Territory of the United States, in so far as the same are not locally inapplicable, and he shall perform such other duties as may be prescribed by law, and make such reports to the governor as he may require.
I do not know what that means, and I do not think anybody else does, because there is no law which provides for an attorney of a Territory of the United States, that I know of, passed by Congress— that is, general, at least—and I know of no rule that would govern the attorney-general and no general law which would be met by that suggestion. I do not know what that means, except that it appoints an attorney-general for the Territory of Alaska.
Senator Piles. The legislature would define his duties.
Mr. Wickersham. That is not what it says. It says he "shall have all the powers and discharge all the duties provided by law for an attorney of a Territory of the United States."
Senator Frazier. The Territories of the United States have no attorney-general.   There never was one in the United States.