, 1890-01-26
CITING A SECTION.
The Council Points Out an Error
to Secretary Meldrum.
Made a Private Contract and There
Should Have Been Bids.
Saratoga and Big Horn Counties
and Visiting Committee.
Territorial Council.
THE PRINTING.

IL
The council is taking co%gnizance of the
fact that Secretary Medium has entered
into a private contract for Legislative
printing, in direct violation of the United
States Statutes. Mr.. Liggett presented
this resolution OF the subject:
WHEREAS, Under section 3709 of the
Revised Statutes of the | nited States
AL purchases and contracts for sup
plies or service in any of the departments
of the government, except for personal
services. shall be made by advertising a
sufficient time previously for proposals re-
specting the same when the public ext
%Qencies do not require the immediate de-
liv,rg of the articles or performance of
the service. When immediate delivery
or service is required by the public ext.
gency, the articles or service required may
be procured by open purchase or contract,
at the place and in the manner in which
such articles are usually bought and sold
or such services engaged. between indi-
viduals; and,
WHEREAS. The printing of council
files are contracts for supplies or ser
vices" within the meaning of said sec
ton. the printing of which should have
been advertised for a sufficient length OF
time previous to the meeting OF the body,
in accordance with said section, and the
contract therefor awarded to the lowest
and best bidder; therefore, be it
Resolved, That a committee of three of
the council be appointed by the president
thereof, whose duty 1t shall be to ascer-
tain and report what action the honorable
secretary of this territory has taken in re-
gard to said printing. and whether he has
complied with the provisions of said sec
ton 3709 in relation thereto, and if it is
ascertained that said section has not been
complied with, whether the printing of
said files is being done as cheaply as il
said section had been complied with: and
that said committee be empowered to
send for persons and papers.
A brief debate followed suspension OF
the rules for consideration of the resolu-
ton.
Mr.. Stotts said he favored the spirit of
the resolution, butdoubted if the secretary
was a proper subject for investigation by
the legislative council, he being a federal
officer and disbursing in this instance
government funds.
President Beck called Mr.. Murphy to
the chair and spoke to the question. The
secretary. he said. was simply an agent
for the United States in this matter, and
that even if the council could not compel
him to refrain from violation of the stat
ute, the body could at least bring the mat
ter to the attention Of the secretary OF
the interior. In his opinion the subject
was certainly one for Legislative consider
alton.
The resolution was adopted by this
vote
Ayes-Liggett, Hunter, Campbell,
Murphy, Reel, Kinney, Trabing, Presi.
dent Beck.
Nays-Burdick, Galbraith, Stotts,
Absent-McGill.
Messrs. Liggett, Stotts and Campbell
we're named for committee service.
~ STOCK TAX
A bill amendatory to that chapter of
the session laws of 1888. which prescribes
the manner of taxing live stock on the
open range, will be introduced by Mr..
Campbell Monday.
ADOPTED.
Speaker Downey's statehood memorial
has been adopted in the council, and will
be sent to the governor Monday.
SARATOGA COUNTY.
Mr.. Burdick's bill for an enabling act
for the county of Saratoga was read a
first time and referred. The county is to
be forty-6ve BY eighty four miles. It is
said to contain 200 people and 5000, 900
worth of property. There are two coal
fields and several gold and silver mining
districts. The Burlington has surveyed
to Saratoga and the Union Pacific &
Western Colorado is graded from Fort
Steele to within seven miles of Saratoga.
Platte valley people want the county, but
its formation will be opposed BY Rawlins'
residents and Snake river settlers.
PROBATE COURTS.
The judiciary committee has Mr.. Bur
dicks bill making slight amendments to
the law on probate courts.
CAPITOL COMMISSION.
Mr.. Campbell, for a council committee
said on the report of the capitol commits
sion that it was complete and showed an
economical expenditure of the a%ppropria.
ton.
In the Hnuse