The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-04-20

| ton. therefore, was taken from the
table and defeated. The reports went
on the calendar of the committee of
the whole.
Francis. of Morgan. offered a resolu-
ton instructing the committee on ac-
counts and expenditures to investigate
whether all the officers OF the house
are still necessary.
Anti-Bounky Section.
The convention. at $50. took UP the
article on public debt. and Varian Of
fered the following substitute for the
first section:
1.-THE state may. to meet casual de-
ficits or failures in revenues and for
necessary expenditures for public pur-
poses. including erection of public
buildings. and for the payment Of all
territorial Indebtedness assumed by the
state. contract debts. not exceeding in
the aggregate at any one time the sum
Of $500, 600: over and above the amount
of the territorial Indebtedness shall
have been paid. the state shall never
contract indebtedness for the purposes
of 100000. And all moneys arising
from loans herein authorized shall be
applied to the purposes. and none other
for which they were obtained
Cannon offered an amendment, to be
added to the end of the section. which
provides that 5000. 900 shall be the limit.
including territorial indebtedness, max
the liquidation of the present debt the
limit shall be 5000, 900.
Cannon's amendment was lost and
Varian'S substitute carried.
Evans Fixes Bountiez.
Evans. of Weber. moved to strike out
section g. which provides that the peo-
pie may contract debts for specific pur-
poses by a majority vote. Varian said
the first two sections covered every
thing necessary for the state and it
should be stricken out. Roberts upheld
this view. Cannon said he would vote
to strike out. The motion carried.
An endeavor was made by Snow, of
Washington, backed up by some of the
representa- tives from the smaller
counties, t5 make special bond cleo
tons effective only when a majority of
all the voters shall cast their ballots
in favor of the proposition in favor of
the proposition. However, this was
defeated by an overwhelming vote.
To Be Running Wild.
Evans, of Weber, moved that the
be fixed at l per cent, for general pur-
poses and 1 per cent for special pur-
poses, instead of III each case.
Evans said the convention seemed to
be running mad on this question of
creating debts. Under the article as
proposed Ogden could incur an obliga-
ton of one-fifth of the city's assessed
valuation. The city's assessed valua-
ton was about $4,000, 900. If the article
passed unamended it might go on in
curing debt until it reached the ap-
palling figures of 81 100000. The same
condition would apply to Salt Lake.
Greer moved per cent in each case
Too low a limit on the debt power
would work an injustice to some other
cities outside Of Salt Lake and Ogden
Cannon said that all through the ter
rtory the most progressive cities have
already exceeded the limit proposed in
the amendment. The matter can very
safely be left to the people.
Both amendmen ts were lost.
Peters Lowers 1t.
On motion of Peters counties were
debtedness and cities, towns owns and
school districts per cent for
general purposes and, on motion of
Evans, of Utah, per cent was fixed
as the limit for special water sewer
and lighting purposes.
Bounties Knocked Crossways.
There was a great deal of discus
sion as to the effect of Variants sec
tion to limit Indebtedness outside the
territorial debt TO 100000 Thurman
and Roberts feared it would leave a
loophole through which it would be
possible to contract debts for other
than the distinctly specified purposes.
After consultation this was arranged
to the satisfaction of all concerned.
The article was then passed.
Lund, chairman of the committee on
accounts and expenditures. reported
on the resolution of Francis calling for
an investigation as to whether all Of
fcials of the house are now needed.
The committee said the clerks had
been hired for the whole session and
had plenty of work to do. 1t would
he undignified to discharge any of
them at this late day.
a recess was taken from Il until .
o'clock.
Upon reassembling Evans, of Utah,
gave notice that he would move to re-
consider the vote whereby the report
OF the committee on accounts and ex-
pendatures was adopted.
Irrigation Article.
The conversion then went into
committee of the whole, and took I'm
the article on water rights and irri-
cation, with the minority report on
it.
Snow moved to reject the majority
report and adopt the minority report.
Cannon. in the chair. ruled that this
could not be done in committee of the
whole, and was sustained on appeal
from his decision.
The debate took wide range.
Every proposition found its advocates.
Members wanted tlie title declared
TO be in the state. In order that the
title may be taken from the United
States. 1t was said this would not
affect vested rights, but would be for
the benefit of Inc people. others held |
that the legislature should have full |
power in the matter. in order THAI |
the best system should be adopted.
Made 1T Brief.
After two hours of discussion. the
committee finally made the whole ar |
ticle consist of section l OF the minor |
ity report. which reads, GAN existing I
rights to the use of any OF the waters
Of this state for any useful purpose, !
shall be recognized and confirmed
This was combined with the for |
estry article, which was passed with |
out debate.
Against High Schools.
The article on education and school |
lands was taken up and Maeser pre- |
cipitated the first discussion by NOV |
ing to strike out the provision making /
high schools free. He said the COM /
mon schools are all important. They |
are not for feeding the high schools
however. Three-fourths of the people |
obtain their whole education in he |
common schools. He is in favor of high |