Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1886-07-24
SPECIAL LEGISLATION.
The Conclusions Of the Committee
Relative to Territorial Legislation
The Bill Passes Congress

Relative to Territorial Legislation
The Bill Passes Congress.
Washington, July 21-Senators Harri-
son, Henderson and Butler and Repre-
sentatives Springer, Hill and Symes,
conferees on the bill to prohibit the
passage of local or special laws in the
territories, and to limit the Indebtedness
of the territories, have agreed upon q
report. which was adopted by the senate
yesterday and will be approved by the
house. The delegates from all of the
territories have taken great interest in
the bill. 1t is thought that it will have
very important bearing upon the
future of the territories by checking or
preventing reckless and burdensome
Legislation, and thereby improving the
credit of the territories and avoiding
the danger of contracting obligations
likely to lead 60 repudiation. Mr..
Springer, the author OF the original bill,
says IN the amended form it is the most
important general legislation for the
territories that has been enacted by con-
Rress Tor many years. 1t provides that
the Legislatures of the territories now or
hereafter to be organized shall not pass
local or special laws granting divorces; /;
changing the names of persons or
places; laying out, opening, altering and
working roads or highways; vacating
roads, town plats, streets, alleys and
public grounds; locating or changing
county seats; regulating the practice In
courts of justice; regulating the jurisdic-
ton and duties of justices of the peace,
police magistrates and constables; pro-
yiding for change of venue in civil
cases; incorporating cities, towns. or
villages, or changing or amending the
charter of my town, city or village; for
the punishment of crimes and misde-
meanors; for the assessment and collec-
tIons of taxes for territorial, county,
township or road purposes: summoning
and impanneling grand and petit jurors;
for the management of common schools;
regulating the rate ofinterest on money;
the opening and conducting of any cleo
tion designating the place of voting; the
sale or mortgage of real estate belonging
to minors or others under disability; the
licensing ferries or toll bridges; remit
ting fines, penalties or forfeiture;
creating, increasing or decreasing
fees, percentages or allowances of pub
lie officers during the term for which
said officers are elected or appointed !;
changing the law of descent; granting
to any corporation, association or indI-
vidual the right to lay down railroad
tracks or amending existing charters for
such purposes; granting to any corpora
tlon, association or individual any
special or exclusive privilege, immunity
or franchise whatever. In all other
cases where general law can be
applicable no special law shall be en-
acted in any of the territories of the
United States by the territorial legls-
latures thereof.
Section provides that no territory OF
the United States now or hereafter to be
organized, or any political or municipal
corporation or subdivision of any such
territory, shall hereafter make any sub.
serlption to the capital stock of any
incorporated company or association
having corporate powers, Q. in any man
ner loan Its credit to or use 1T for the
benefit of any such company or associa.
! tion, or borrow any money. for the nse ni
such company or association.
Section 8 provides that no law Of any
territorial legislature shall authorize any
debt TO be contracted by or on behalf OF
such territory, except in the following
cases: 70 meet casual deficit in the
revenues; to pay the interest upon the
territorial debt; to suppress Insarrection,
or to provide for the public defense
except that in addition to any indebted.
ness created tor such purposes the legis-
lature may authorize loan for the erec
tion of penal, charitable or educational
institutions for such territories, if the
total Indebtedness of the territory is moi
thereby made to exceed one per centum
upon the assessed value of the taxable
L l.
the last general assessment for taxation
and nothing in the act shall be construed
to prohibit the refnnding of any existing
Indebtedness Of such territory, or OF any
| political or municipal corporation, coun
| ty or other subdivision therein.
Section declares that no political OF
municipal corporation, county, or Other
sub.division in any OF the territories o.
the United States shall ever become
| indebted in any manner or for any
| purpose to any amount in the aggre
gate, including existing Indebtedness
exceeding four per centum on the value
of the taxable property within such cor
poration, county or subdivision, to bt
ascertained by the last assessment fo
territorial and county taxes previous to
the incurring of such Indebtedness; ant
all bonds or obligations in excess o
such amount given by such corpora
tion shall be void, but nothing in thil
act she'll be 30 constructed as to aztec
the validity of any act of any terri
torial legislation heretofore enacted
or of any obligations existing OF
contracted Hereunder, or Il
|preclude the issuing OF bonds
already contracted for in puruance of ex
press provisions OF law. nor to prevent
any territorial legislature from legaliz
ing the acts OF any county, municipa
corporation, of or subdivision of any
bonds heretofore issued or contracted I,
be issued.
| Section providee that section 1885
title %, of the revised statutes of tn
4 United States, be amended to read o.
follows:
The legislative assemblies of th
several territories shall not grant pri
yate charters or special privileges bn
they may, by general incorporation acts
permit persons to associate themselye
together as bodies corporate for mining
manufacturing and other industria
pursuits, and for conducting the bust
ness of insurance, banks of discount ant
deposit (but not of issue), loan
trust, and guaranty associations, and TO
the construction or operation of rail
roads, wagon roads, irrigating ditches
and the colonization of improvement O
lands in connection Herewith, or fo
colleges, serninaries, churches, libraries
J or any other benevolent. cliaritabiel o
scientific associations.
Nothing in the act is to be construe,