The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-04-13
County Commissioners.

the choice of Messrs. j. 9. BURBANK, j. w
J. R. IRVINE, JOHN SMITH, and
JOHN NICHOLS, as a Board of County Com
missioners. The four first named are DEM
ocrats, while the political status of Mr..
NICHOLS is described as that of an old-line
Wing; he was nominated by the Republic
cans, but cordially supported by many
Democrats. We are well satisfied with the
composition of the Board; the members of
it are gentlemen Of conceded integrity and
correct business habits, and we have no
doubt will bring order out of the chaos Of
our county affairs. This is the labor they
were elected to perform.
The term of Office of the Commissioners
is one year. The Office is not a renumerative
one, for they are not allowed by law to de-
mand or receive pay in any one year for
more than Is days service, for attendance at
regular or special sessions. Their per diem
is $l.50 per day. The County Auditor is
clerk of the Board. The duties of the
Commissioners may be briefly stated, as
follows TO select petit and grand jurors;
provide Offices, books and stationery for
county officers to fill vacancies in the office
of Register of Deeds; to publish annually
full and accurate statement of the receipts
and expenditures of the county; to fix the
amount of the county tax, and cause the
same to be collected, (but in no case, except
authorized by vote of the people, is the
tax to exceed three mills on the dollar) to
organize and vacate towns to create elec-
ton districts, under certain restrictions,
upon the petition Of ten legal voters.
The Commissioners, or either of them, are
forbidden to take or receive any contract,
either directly or indirectly, which may be
entered into by the Board. At their first
meeting, on the first Monday of June, the
members of the Board are required to lay
off their respective counties in commissioner
districts, in conformity with the following
section of the law:
Sec. 2. The several counties which are or.
gained into townships, shall be divided into q
number of districts equal to the number of
members constituting the Board of Commission.
ers of each county, respectively; the said dis
lines, and shall be composed of contiguous ter.
ritory, and shall contain as nearly as practica.
BILE, an equal amount of population; Provided,
that for the first distrcting under this act, the
votes cast at the last general election shall be
taken as an indication of the population; and
provided further. that the Board of Commits
sioners may re-district their counties respec
lively, after each Unit ID States or State census
taking the population as shown by the
said census as the basis; and the said districts
shall be numbered in numerical order.
Sec. 3. In each of said districts one Com
missioner shall be elected by the electors
| thereof, who shall, at the time of his election,
be resident of said district, and shall reside
therein during his continuance in office, and the
election of said Commissioner shall be con.
Quoted in all respects as that of other county
officers.
MOB LAW IN MtNNEAPoL1s.--The people
of the " dual /" cities of Minneapolis and
St. Anthony have been under great state
of excitement for week, in relation to the
liquor traffic amongst them. The origin Of
it was the death of ayoung man by delirium
tremens. Last Sunday, Rev. Mr.. Nichols
preached, in the Congregational Church, a
strong sermon, in which he advised, as we
are informed, the citizens to take the
higher law into their own hands for
clearing out the liquor sellers, and utterly
exterminating the traffic in Minneapolis.
On Tuesday, committee of the Order of
Good Templars, composed entirely OF ladies',
waited on the proprietors of saloons, and
demonstrated with them in relation to the
iniquity of their business, and warned them
to close up. This was in the morning in
the afternoon the saloons were all opened
for free blow" and large number of
the citizens got gloriously drunk. On
Wednesday night the Congregational
Church, in which Mr.. Nichols preached his
sermon, was entirely destroyed by fire, and
it was supposed, by the temperance folks, to
have been kindled by the liquor sellers.
VI 1uuAouoy, W00UAuS vi ClClAcuS was
held, and deputation of about fifty gentle
men was instructed to wait on all the saloon
keepers and give them notice that unless
they closed up their business it would be
closed by force. This duty was performed
yesterday, and we learn that the saloon
keepers announced their intention of making
forcible resistance, in case they were mo.
Tested by a mob Of the citizens. In the
meantime, an association has been formed
in st. Anthony, composed of Americans and
Germans, Of which prominent German
politician of the Republican stripe, named
John Orth, is the leader, for the purpose of
assisting the liquor sellers in case they are
unlawfully molested, and our informant is of
the opinion that, unless compromise is
effected between the parties to the contro.
versy, scenes of violence will ensue.
NH