The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-03-13
THE COURSE OF THE GOVERNOR.

Governor Caleb W. West has per-
formed the duties of his office during the
trying time of the last days of the
thirty-first Legislative Assembly, with
excellent judgment and with firm fidel-
ity to the public interest.
1t has been customary to delay many
weighty measures until late day in
the session. because they require crit
zeal examination and usually much de-
bate But at this assembly over 50
per cent. of the bills passed were
dumped upon the Governors desk on
the sixtieth or last legal day of the
session. This includes nearly all the
measures that may be called import
ant
The appropriation bill, the most Vi
tai Of all. containing items of great
number, each of which had to be care
fully examined, and aggregating $685.
600, was not sent TO the Governor until
, o'clock on Sunday morning, the sixty
third day-three days after the legal
expiration of the session! The Cover
nor and the Secretary had then been
seventeen hours at the desk and were
utterly weary. They stayed two hours
longer on some of the minor bills re-.
Gently received, and then had to retire
to take some rest. But they returned
at 10 O'Clock a. m. on Sunday and went
10 work at the bills in their hands.
Some of the incorsiderate or Insult
ing members have attempted to throw
the odium of the long delay on the
Governor They had sixty-three days
in which to formulate the appropria-
ton bill, and expected him to dispose
of it and other measures in one day.
It is argued that the bounty bills might
have been signed or vetoed before.
But the Governor had to hold them. to
see what provision would be made for
them in the revenue bill, and to COM
pare all with the appropriation bill
so that he might view the whole ques-
ton intelligently.
He had TO send back scores of bills
for amendment in consequence of mis-
takes in preparation or in their enroll
ment. Two important bills were pass
ed by the Council and sent to the
House but failed of passage there, and
were yet sent to the Governor as pass
ed by both Houses, receiving the sigma
lures of the President of the Council
and the Speaker of the House. Of
course they were signed by the Cover
nor. But when the gross blunder was
discovered and the Council informed of
it, an attempt was made to get them
from the Secretary. who would have
been guilty of malfeasance if he had
complied with the demand
The Governor informed the Council
that the only way to rectify the bI4n-
der was to pass repeal law for both
measures. This was done in the Coun-
ell, but the bill did not pass the House,
so the whole tumble was left without
being Strengthened out That is the sort
of Legislature the Executive had to
work with.
On Sunday night at 6:25 o'clock, the
Council sent the Governor word that
its table was clear. but with il came
bill to put the University and Afri-
cultural College on a tuition basis. AT
the same time he had in hand The ap-
preparation bill. the bounty bills and
the memorial bills.
The latter he very properly vetoed.
His reasons will be found in our Iegis-
lative report and viii be seen to be
ample and to the point. The revenue
bill also came under the Executive dis
approval. He refused to be a PARTY to
the destruction or depression of our
public school system, by taking away
half a mill from the school taxes. This
was particularly Objectionable. from
the fact that it would deprive the dis
trict schools of about $50, 900 and the
sum of SCI 900 was proposed to be
given away in the shape of bounties
TO private interests! Rob the schools
to pay out bounties Cor beets, silk
worms and canagrie rootl
There was another point for the Gov
ernor to watch over. The apprcpria-
ton bill provided for an expenditure
of $4,000 But the bounties were not
inserted in that bill. Adding them the
total would be $4,000. But the revenue
provided would only net about 100000
considering the depreciation in proper
ty valuations. This would leave a de-
felt of $4,000 or without the boun-
ties, of $4,000. The Governor drew
the attention of the legislature to this,
but that body dissolved IN confusion
without making provision to meet 1t,
and ignored the endeavor of Demo-
cratic members to reetify the error.
One more blunder of the legislature
pointed out by the Governor We must
refer to- Provisions for the district
courts were so made that one judicial
district was left without any appro-
priation and another received a double
appropriation.
1t viii be seen that the Governor was