The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1880-02-24
JURY FEES.
The Matter Still Shrouded in
Mystery.

In our issue OF Sunday morning 8
resume was given of the speeches il
the Legislative Assembly relative tc
an appropriation of 10000 and odd
dollars to pay deficiency bill run up
By the courts and alleged to be for
jury and witness fees, for which GER
thcstes have been listed by the
courts. 1t is a notorious fact that but
little OF this scTip was in the hands oil
the Jurors sn1 witnesses to whom il
was paid, but was held by speculstors,
who had purchased it from the re-
ceivers at all figures, ranging as low
as Zoe. and even 15c On the dollar,
who expected that the Assembly
would again do ss it has repeatedly
done, appropriate means TO cover at
least i..fge portion of this def
cheney, from which they would re-
alize a neat per cent. by getting
nearly the full amount that the
scrip called for, thus making as
much, in tome cases, as 75c. on
every dollar. This was known to
the members of the Legislature,
and it was also stongly believed that
some Of the officers OF the court bad
invested means in the scheme, with
the expectation Of harvesting a good
crop outside Of salaries. The mem
bers OF the House decided that they
would not encourage any such
schemes, and it was on this ground
that the dead lock took place.
Finally, 3 compromise was effected,
the appropriation Tor the next two
years being increased from $50, 900
to $35, COO; the appropriation for the
deficiency being stricken cut, and
following attached TO the general sp-
preparation bill:
WhereGS, 1t is alleged that the
certificate of service as jurors and
Witnesses in attendance upon courts,
ana the abstract thereof, fail to dis
tinguish between civil and criminal
business, therefore the Hons. John
7. Caine. of Salt Lake County, John
r. Murdoch, of Beaver County, and
John E. Booth, of Provo, are hereby
appointed special commissioners 10
examine district court records, and
make diligent search in their respec.
tive judicial districts for al criminal
matters, and report the result of their
examination to the Auditor OF Public
Accounts, and said auditor is hereby
instructed to aid and cooperate with
said commissioners, and shall issue
warrants on the treasury to pay court
expenses for witnesses and Jurors
as shall De found legal Snd proper
under the laws Of the territory.
Brokers who had purchased this
scrip were in state of fermentation
as soon as it was ascertainad that
there was disposition on the part of
the Assembly to refuse appropriations
to CONVEX the scrip, and they imme-
diately disposed OF what they had on
hand at any figure that would bring
them out even. Thus considerable
of it was disposed to the Office
holders, WHO, in turn, were in q
boiling state, and their sun seemed
to set as soon as the bill passed and
Was signed without the deficiency
sum. During Sunday, however, the
whereas published above was ex-
amined, and the construction they
placed upon it was such as not only |
eased their minds, but gave them re.
neWed confidence, and yesterday the
scrip was being purchased az before,
those buying intimsting that they had |
assurance Of favorable decision from |
the courts in the event that suit |
was brought on the subject, and the !
inference was that the suit would be |
brought; and 80 the purchasing OF this
scrip went on. There is q difference
of opinion az to the intent of the
whereas. and a decision on the
construction OF the language
will be of importance in
regard to whether the commission
was intended to cover future or past
jurors and witness fees. 1t is but
10 suppose from the senti-
ment of the members of the House
that the proviso was intended to cover
only future fees, but the language
seems dubious. However that may
be. scrip is still being purchased, and
those buying say positively they will
collect every dollar it calls for from
the treasury, while every person sp-
plauds the sentiment of the House in
refusing to appropriate for any more
deficiency bills brought on by the
courts. We shall see.