Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1889-02-19
THE SIERRA COUNTY DEBT

THERE has been quite 4 furry as to the
question whether or not Sierra county, at
the time Of its creation five years ago, as
sumed its propomionate share OF the debt
of the counties from which its component
parts were taken. bona Ana county
brought suit against Sierra and recovered
quite sum Of money on account of the
debt assumed by Sierra, and the decision
of the territorial supreme court sustained
the claim. A legislative committee has
been at work investigating the claim set
I'D by Sierra county's attorney, that the
law had been tempered with and that
Sierra county was not liable in the prem
ises.
Hon. Amado Chaves, ex-speaker OF the
house, and Hon. Nicholas GALES, mem
Der of the 25th legislature, have been ex
amined, but the claim set up by Sierra
was not in any way sustained by Their
testimony
Hon. J. A. Miller, member of the coun-
Gil from Grant county, says concerning
the matter in an interview in the Lords
burg Liberal, as follows:
When the copy of the bill that had
passed the house was given to me 1t con-
tanned no provision for the division OF the
debts. | noticed this, as was financially
interested in thesubject, being a tax payer
in Grant county. drew the attention o.
the friends OF the bill to the fact and tolc
them it was hard bill to pass and that
it would be impossible to pass it without
this provision. The friends of the bill
said that it had been amended 30 as t
cover this point. The bill WAS returned
to the house for correction, and was short
" returned to me with the amendmen
attached with mueilage. The bill passeC
the council and contained the provision
for dividing the debt.
| Col. Rynerson, representing Don
Ana, and the Hon. N. GALES, represent
ing Sierra, agreed that the debt should b.
divided 30 that Sierra county should no
be required to pay the court house bomb
which had been of 10 Deneiit to it. Nov
Sierra does net Want to pay any OF tn
debt and Dona Ana wants her to help pa
all of it, If they were both honest an
-,, ia. 4
upon inc S"'"e 9"'Je'' eN-''''' H. ~
Sheldon WIFI IS ~ loIIo|5'
The NV Nl.. y aJtes that il j
charged tina, the a"t rr"ain& the co1M
of Sierra was cGGu cI somewhere Ig
tween the Cn.n,ilunt t.c -uvcruor." ~
change in that or aay other at was csc
made TO nv knoWin,tge after it pHsso,
the two branches of the legislature. TAcr
was hitch about the passage of tn
Sierra county hjII growing ont OF tn
question OF tie iuGpl tcthess of the coun
ties from VIII. II II uas taken. My rcrol
lection is, the matter YRS satisiHrtori.
arranged before the act was passed IN tn
| legislature. 1t was ilnpracticable for m
to examine the records of the two bodies
and relied upon the signatures of TIN
presiding officers and never went behint
those, which is the practice everywhere
Each body had its committee on enroIle,
bills. and thro,.h these all ats wer
transmitted 10 TIE governor. The Sierr
county at must have come to me in til
usual way, and after examination Wa
signed. think it came to me on TIN
last night of the session or at least near tn
end. Mr.. Gales was greatly exercised
ABOUT 'le 'Hi, ior Z" ll''lc' WI. Dooiie.
| WAS maze llnl)lt lOf Il llfODOfllOIlult SIluI