Arizona weekly citizen., 1886-08-21
TIE TERRITORIES.
The Text of the New Law Restricting
 special Legislation.
AN ACT

ted States, to limit territorial indsbt-
 edness, and for other purposes.
 Be 1t enacted by the Senate and House of Represe ntBtives ot the United States of America in Congress assem- bled, That the Legislatures of the ter ritories of the United States now or hereafter to be organized shall not pass local or special laws iu any of the fol- lowing enumerated cases, that is tO say:
 Granting divorce-,
 Changing the names of persons or places.
 Laying out, opening, altering, and working roads or highways.
 Vacating roads, tOvn-plats, streets, alleys and pubic grounds.
 Locating or changiog county seats.
 Regulating county and township at- fairs. :.
 Regulating the practice ia courts Of justice.
 Regulating the lurisdiciion and du- ties of the peace, police magistrates and cOnstRbles.
 Providing for changes of venue in civil and criminal cases.
 Incorporating cities, towns, or vllia- ges, or changing or amending the char ter of any town, city or village.
 For the punishment of crimes or mis- demesnors.
 For the assessment and collection of taxes for territorial, county, township, or road purposes.
 Summoning and impsnneling grand or petit jurors. ,
 Providing for the management of common schools.
 Regulating the rate of interest on money.
 The opening and conducting of any election or designating the place of voi- ing.
 The sale or mortgage of resl estate be- longing to minors or Othere under dlsa- bilIty.
 The protection of game or fish.
 ChsrteriDg or licensing ferries or toll bridges.
 Remiiting fines, penalties or foriei- lures,
 Creating. increasing, or decreasing tees, percentage. 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, associa- tion, or individual, the righ, to lay down railroad tracks, or amending existing charters for such purpose.
 Granting to any corporation, RssociR- tion, or individual, any special or ex- elusive privilege, immunity, or franchise whatever.
 In all other cases where R general law can be made applicable, no special law shall be enacted in any of the territories of the United States by the territorial legislatures thereof.
 Sec. ,. That no territory of the Uni ted States now or hereafter to be organ ized, or any political or municipal cor poration, or sub division Of any such territory, shall hereafter make any sub scripIiOn to the capital stock of any in- corporated company, or company or as- sociatiOn having corporate powers, or in any manner loan it's credit to or use it for the benefit of any such company or association, or borrow any money fHr the use of any such company or assO- cistiOn.
 Sec. 3. That no law of any territor- ial legislature shall authorize any debt to be contracted by or on behalf of such territory except ID the following cases: To meet a casual deiicIt m the revenues, to pay the interest upon the territorial debt, to suppress lnsurrections, or Co provide for the pubic defense, except that in addition to any indebtedness created for such purposes, the IegIsla- ture may authorize. s loan for the cree tion of penal, charitable or educational institutions for such territory, II the total indebtedness of the territory Is not thereby made to exceed one per centum upon the assessed value of tGxsble property in such territory as shown by the last general assessment for taxation. And nothing in this act shall be con- strued to prohibit the refunding of any existing indebtedness of such territory or of any political or municipal corpora ton, county, or other subdivision therein.
 Sec. 1. That no political or munici- pal corporation, county, or other sub division Tn any of the territories of the United States shall ever become indebt- ed ID any manner or for any purpose to any amount m the aggregate, including existing indebtedness, exceeding four centum on the value of the taxable pro- perty, within such corporation, county, or subdivision, to be 8scertained by the last assessment for territorial and county taxes previous to the inclrrinR of such indebtedness; and all bonds or obliga- tions in excess of such amotn. given ty such corporation shall be void. That nothing in this act contained shall be Sd construed as tOi effect the validity of any act of any territorial legislature heretofore enacted, Or Uf any obligs- tons existing or contracted hereunder, Ng, v,ranF.,A.. ha f.f hnV.Ia al ready contracted for m pursuance of e1- press provisions of law; nor to prevent any territorial legislature from legaiiZ- ing the acts of any country, municipal corporation, or subdivision of any terri tory as to any bonds heretofore issued or contracted to be issued.
 Sec 5. That section eighteen hun dred and eighty-nine. title twenty three, of the Revised Statutes of the United States be amended to read as follows:
 "Ihe Legislative assemblies of the sev- eral territories shall not grant private charters or special privileges, but the msy, by general incorporation acts, per init persons to sssocIAte themselves to- gether as bodies incorporate for mining, manufacturing, and other industrial pur- suits. and for conducting the business Ot insurance, banks of discount and depOs- 1t (but no issue) loan, trust or guRTan- tee associations. and for the construc- tion or operation of railroads, wagon roads, Irrigsting ditches. and the colODi- zatiOn and improvements of lands in connection herewith, or for colleges, seminsries, churches, libraries, or any other benevolent, charitable, or scien- fife association.
 Sec. 6. That nothing in this act con- tanned shall be construed to abridge the power of congress to snnul any law passed by territorial legislature, or to modify any existing law of congress re- curing in any case that the laws of any territory shall be submitted to congress.
 Sec. [. That all acts and parts of acts hereafter passed by any territorial legis- lature in conflict with the provisions of this act shall be null and void.
 Approved, July 30, lSs6.
 Good Mines.