The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1849-10-20

but what It is as good e one as some oil our
Suites have been able TO form after months
,f deioerations We give some OF its main
features
In February last, notice was given to all the
citizens Of that portion Of Upper Caiiiofn'a,
wing east of the Sierra Nsvade Mountains, that
s Convention would be held at the Great Salt
Lake City, on the 5th of March, for the pur-
pose of taking into consideration the propriety
Of organizing Territorial or State Severn
ment
Accordingly, on the day appointed. the Con,
yention met, consisting Of large portion OF
tho inhabitants of that portion OF Upper Caii-
fornia lying east of the Sierra Nevada Noun
tains," and, after several addresses, Commit
tee of ten was appointed to draft CONSTITUTION
under which they could govern themselves I'm,
Ill the Congress Of the United States should
otherwise provide. The Convention then 40.
ioxlrned TO Thursday, the 9Th, when they met
10 receive the report Of the Committee.
This report was made in the shape OF Pre-.
amble and Constitution for the government OF
the new State. The first clause is as follows:
eve, the people, grateful to the Supreme Be
inc for the blessings hitherto enjoyed, and ieei-
ipr our dependence on Him for continuation
of those blessings do ordan and establish free
and indepe ndent Government, by the name OF
the State Of DESERT, including all the following
boundaries, to-wit: Commencing at the 35'
north latitude where il crosses the lOeo longi
tude, west Of Gree hwich; thence running soutf
west to the northern boundary Of Mexico
thence west to, and down the main channel OF
the ella River, on the northern line Of Mexico,
and on the northern boundary of Lower CALI
foraa to the Pacific Ocean; thence along the
coast northwesterly to the 1l8o 30 OF west
longitude; thence north to where said line IN
teraects the dividing ridge Of the Sierra Nevada
mountains; thence north along the summit Of
the Sierra Nevada mountains to the dividing
range of mountains that separate the waters
flowing into the Columbia River from the wa
ters running into the Great Basin; thence easter
| ly along the dividing range OF mountains thal
| separate said water flowing into the ColuIhbis
River on the north, from the waters flowing In
| TO the Great Basin on the south, to the SUNNI
of the Wind River chain Of mountains; thence
southeast and south by the dividing range o
mountains that separate the waters flowing In
to the Gulf of California, to the place OF be
ginning, as ret forth in map drawn by Charlie
Preuss and published by order OF the Senats Of
the United States, in S4S."
The powers of the Government are divided
into three Departments-Legslative Executive
and Judicial. The article in relation to thu
Legislative Deps rtment is not essentially differ
ent from the Constitutions Of the several States
The first Senate 10 to consist o; - members
and the House Of IS members. In the Execa
tive Department provision Is made Tor the cleo
ton Of Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secre
tary Of State, Auditor Of Public Accounts an
Treasurer. The Judicial power 10 vested in
lSurreme Court and such inferior tribunals a
the Legislature shall establish. A Chief Justic
and two Associates compose the Supreme Court
In the Declaration Of Rights, it is declares
I"that all men have a natural and inalienab
right to worship G I'd according 10 the dictate
of their own conscences, and the General As
sembly shall make no law respecting an estab
lishment of religion, or prohibiting the free ex
ercise thereof, or disturbing any person in hi
religious worship OF sentiments-prOrided h
does not disturb the public peace nor obstruc
others in their religious worship"
This Constitution was adopted on the 10Th o
March, lS49.
The first General Assembly met on the I'd o
July. Miliard Snow was elected Speaker O
the House. After the organization, the Chair
man announced to the House that majority Q
all the votes of the people had been given 70
the adoption of the Constitution; and tina
Brigham YOUNG had received majority Of al
the votes for Governor; Heber c. kimbsll 70
Lieut. Governor; VIM. Richards for Secretar
of State; Jos 5. Haywood for Treasurer, &c
and they were severally informed thereof.
On the Sd, resolution was passed proyidin
for a Joint committee TO memo rialize Congres
for a State, or Territorial Government, whic
was aiterwsrd reported and adopted.
| On the Sth according TO previous resolution;
the Legislature met in Joint session, and pro
ceeded to ballot for Delegate and Representa-
tive TO Congress, when Almon w Babbitt, Esq
having received d majority OF all the votes wa
declared duly elected.
On the 9Th the Legislature adjourned sine die
Before doing so, they adopted memorial l.
Congress, in which they set forth the reason
which have induced them TO organize Stat
| Government. They cite the failure OF Con
gress TO provide Government for the terrltor,
acquired from Mexico, the atrogation Of tn
Mexican law, the anarchy which has followed
''the revolver and the bowie-kuife (they say
have been the highest law Of the lsnd-th
strong have prevailed against the weak--whl'
| persons, property, character and religion hav,
been unaide0, and virtue unprotected" Final
| ly, they represent that there Is now a suficien
number of inhabitants residing within the Stat
Of Deseret to support State Government, AM
to relieve the General Government from the ex
pense Of Territorial Government; and the,
| therefore ask that the Constitution accompany
ing this memorial be ratified, and that the Stat,
| of Deseret be admitted into the Union on al
equal footing with the other States, or that sucl
form Of government may be given TO them a,
may deemed expsdien ut; and that their Delegat,
may be received and their interests properly re
presented in the Congress Of the United States
Not a word is said Ia the Constitution abou
Slavery and the Wilmot Proviso, such thing,
not having entered into the ipaginations of the
law ivers as important for their welfare. The
Constitution will be pressed upon Congress
and IL railfie tuo nayv Senatnre and Ranra
sentative will soon appear in that body from the
State Of Dsseret--a State which was without q
settled inhabitant four years ago, and which il
some twenty-five hundred miles from the seal
of the Federal Government.