New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1889-07-31
NORTH DAKOTA.
Its Constitutional Convention Still
Struggling Over the PreIiminaries
Of Sovereign Statehood.
Some of tile Matters Discussed in the
Conventional Couple Of Completed
Documents Submitted.
SALARIES OF STATE OFFICERS.


beginning to realize that the constitutional
convention has much to do with their pros
pects financial and political, and a lively
interest is being manifested in the committee
reports, now being prepared and submitted.
They areparticularly interested in the report
~of the committee on the executive. The
committee has agreed on it's report and on
salaries of the state officers, butw not sub
init it to the convention for several days.
The salaries are as follows:
Governor, $1,000; lieutenant, So, 900; audi
Tor and commissions OF insurance, SO, 500
each; secretary of state, treasurer, superin-
tendent of public instruction, commissioner
of schools and public lands and attorney
general, g, 600 each.
The committee also recommend that the
railroad commission consist Of three mem
beers, who shall be elected and whose salary
shall be 50, 900 EACH
SELLING SCHOOL LANDS
The convention has also agreed upon a
plan for disposing of the school lands and
has submitted a proposition to the commit
Tee on school lands, with the request that it
be Incorporated in the cons titution They
ask that no school lands be sold for less
than $40 per acre without the consent of at
least two consecutive legislatures: that no
more than one-fourth of the lands shall be
sold within five years and that at least one
fourth shall never be sold thatlands may be
leased, but not more than one section to one
individual or company, and that no lease
shall De valid unless receiving the sane
zion OF the state board OF school lands.
DIVIDING THE PROPERTY
The commission for the division of prop
erty between the states of North Dakota and
south Dakota is still long way from an
agreement as to the basis Of division. g. W.
caldwell, of the South Dakota commission.
who states that North Dakota had received
$l43,OO0 and South Dakota $4,000 OF
moneys for permanent improvements in
public buildings outside Of the bonded in
<debtedness, acknowledged that he was mis-.
taken and that the difference in favor of
North Dakota is only $4,000. Mr.. Purcell
@show that instead Of the balance being in
favor of the north. South Dakota had re-
ceived over $4,000 and North Dakota
$64, GOO, thus showing that the south had
received nearly $4,000 more than the
"no1th: These are simply illustrations of the
wide discrepancies existing. 1t will be some
time before the joint commission will agree,
as an agreement cannot be reached without
majority of each commission. The COM
mlttee on legislative apportionment is en-
$barrassed by the delay of the convention in
settling the question of whether the legisla-
tive power shall rest with one or two bodies
and deciding upon the mum Der to be elected
SOME OF THE MEASURES DISCUSSED.
Ut was proposed that state senators be
elected for a term of four years, and that
they shall be divided into two classes, the
first class to consist of the senators from the
:. even numbered DISTRICTS and the second
class from the odd numbered. The terms of
Office of the two classes shall not expire on
dates less than two years apart, and that at
the first election the first class shall be
elected for one year and the second class for
three years: Other proposed articles were
as follows: Providing that the supreme
court judges shall be obliged to give their
opinion on Important questions of law when
required by the governor, senate or house
OF representatives; making a three sourths
majority vote of the petit jury a
verdict; compelling school treasurers to de-
post all school moneysin national or 9TH
er duly incorporated bank: providing for the
selectlon Of two commissioners who shall act
with the lieutenant governor and at
torney general as board of commits
sioners for the sale and leasing of school
lands; directing the legislature to provide for
sBhe speedy sale Of one-fourth of the school
lands, and for not less than $40 per acre;
dividing the state into twenty-five senatori-
al districts, which shall have the same bound
aries as the districts created for the election
of members to the CONSTITUTE onal convention,
and that from each district there shall be
: elected one senator and three representa-
Z lives.
RAILROAD TAXATION.
The question of taxing railroads came up
again, Hegge- proposing that board of as
SCISSORS be elected by the people to assess
railroads in each county the railroads to be
subject to the same levy as other property.
An effort is being made by some to have the
convention refuse to submit the question OF
prohibition to vote ofthe people, but there
is every Indication that it will be submitted.
COMPLETE CONSTITUTION PRESENTED
The convention or the Goth, has been
given genuine surprise by the presentation
of q complete constitution, which will be
considered during the present week. This
constitution is said to have been prepared
with great care and after consultation with
some of the best Observation-Disclosures in the
Union. In many respects it is identical witt
articles already introduced in the con
vention. It is a compilation OF the best
ferent states and the United States, fitted tc
North Dakota With regard to taxation
ithas no specific provisions, EN-
Dodying the Wisconsin constitutional pro
vision on this subject, which provides thai
the rule of taxation shall be uniform upoI
property made subject to taxation by legis
Nature, leaving the power of regulating thu
method of taxation with the legislature i
also provides that the property of non-resi
dents shall not be taxed at higher rat
than that of residents, allows the Legislature
to fix the passenger and freight rates on rail
roads and transportation companies, tn
rates to be reasonable and the courts to de
scide what are reasonable rates. 1t prohib
ats the loaning of the credit Of the state tt
any association or corporation, vests tn
judicial power in a court of impeach
ment, consisting. Of the senate