Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1886-08-14
SPECIAL

SPECIAL LEGISLATION.
What Congress Proposes for the
Territories.
Following is the act to restrain and re.
gulate special legislation in the territor-
les
An act to prohibit the passage of local or
special laws in the territories of the
United States.
Be it enacted by the senate and house
of representatives of the United States of
America in congress assembled, that the
legislatures of the territories of the Unit
ed States now or hereafter to be organized
shall not pass local or special laws in any
of the following enumerated cases, that
is to says:
Changing the names of persons or
places.
Laying out, opening, altering or work.
ing roads Or highways.
Vacating roads, town plats, streets, al
leys and public grounds.
Locating or changing county seats.
Regulating county and township af-
fairs.
Regulating the practice in courts of
justice.
Regulating the jurisdiction and duties
of justices of the peace, police magis-
trates and constables.
Providing tor changes of venue in civil
and criminal cases.
incorporating cities, towns oryillages,
or changing Or amending the charter of
any town, city or village.
For the punishment Of crimes and
misdemeanors.
For the assessment and collection of
taxes for territorial, county, township or
road purposes.
Summoning and empaneling grand or
petit jurors.
Providing for the management Of COM
mon schools. .
Regulating the rate of interest on
money.
The opening and conducting of any
election or designating the place of vote
ing.
The sale or mortgage of real estate
belonging to minors or others under dis.
ability.
The protection of game or fish. =.
Chartering or licensing ferries or toll
bridges.
Renting fines, penalties or ~ferfeit-
ures.
Creating, increasing or decreasing fees,
percentage or allowances Of public Off
GERS during the term for which said Off
GERS are elected or appointed,
Changing the law of descent.
Granting to any corporation, associa.
ton or individual the right to lay down
railroad tracks, or amending existing
charters for such purpose.
Granting to any corporation, associa-
ton or individual any special or exclu-
sive privilege, immunity or franchise
whatever.
In all other cases where a general law
can be made applicable, no special law
shall be enacted in any of the tsrritor-
les Of the United States by the t%erritor-
ial legislature thereof.
Sec. 2. That no territory of the Unit.
ed States now or hereafter to be organ.
ICED, or any political or municipal cor
poration or subdivision OF any such ter.
ritory shall hereafter make any subscrip-
ton to the capital stock of any mcorpor.
ated company, or company or associa'
ton having corporate powers, or in any
manner loan its credit to or use it for
the benefit Of any such company or as
ISOLATION.
Sec. 3. 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
To meet a casual deficit IN the revenues:
to pay the interest upon the territorial
debt; to suppress instructions, or to pro.
vide for the public defense, except that
in addition to any Indebtedness created
for such purposes, the legislature may
authorize q loan for the erection of pen,
al, charitable or educational institutions
for such territory, if the total indebted:
ness of the territory is not thereby made
to exceed n per cent upon the assessed
value Of the taxable property in such
territory, as shown by the last general
assessment for taxation, and nothing in
this act shall he eqpstrued to prohibit