Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1897-02-04
AEM6EAN BN tBtANt ABaFBI


to the board of county commissioners
signed by the qualified electors OF sale
county, equal in number to at leas
one-half the legal votes cast at the las
preceding general election, asking fol
the removal of tho county seat OF sale
county, to some other designated place,
which petition shall be duly recorded
in the records OF said county, said
board shall make an order directing
that the proposition to emove the
county seat to the place named in the
petition, be submitted to a vote OF the
qualified electors Of said county, at the
next general election, IL the same is to
occur within one year OF the time Of
presenting said petition, otherwise at O
special election, to be called for that
purpose within SIX weeks from the date
Of presenting said petition.
Provided, That before making such
order the said commissioners shall re-
quire a written guaranty from respon-
sible citizens of the place to which the
petitioners desire the county seat re-
moved, that they will provide free Of
cost to the county, a suitable site and
sufficient ground for q court house and
Jail, and that they will pay to the
county treasurer a sum not less than
| So. 900 to be used in constructing such
court house and Jail, in the event that
the proposition for removal shall re.
ceive a majority Of the votes cast at
such election, and
Provided, further, That the city,
town or village named in the petition
shall be at least twenty miles distant
from and of a larger population than
the then county seal Of said county,
and that no proposition to remove a
county seat from a city. town or village
situated on q railroad to one no 80
situated shall be entertained, Or voted
upon and that no vote shall be ordered
on sub tantially the same proposition
oftener than once in ten years. The
county commissioners shall cause a
certified copy of such order to be pub
llshed in some newspaper of general
circulation published in the county for
four consecutive weeks Immediately
prior to such election and by hand
bills posted up at three OF
the most public places in
each precinct at least four weeks prior
to such election. The ballots 10 be
voted shall have printed thereon the
words, '.for county seat"-with the
name of the place for which the voter
desires to cast his ballot either printed
or written thereon. Such ballots shall
be c~anvassed as in elections for county
officers and the returns of such cleo
ton shall be certified by the probate
clerk to the territorial secretary, to-
gether with a certified copy of the
order of the county commissioners and
a worn certificate of the publication
thereof to be filed in The Office of the
Should q majority Of the votes at
such election be cast in favor of the
place named in the petition, the county |
shall be removed to such place,
and it shall be the duty of the county
commissioners, so 500 as the citizens
such place shall have delivered the
deed and paid over the sum of money
mentioned 10 the written guaranty
provided for in section / OF this act, to
cause to be erected upon the site so
provided q court house and jail to cost
not to exceed three times the amount
so paid by such citizens, including
said amount.
For the purpose of such construction
said county commissioners are hereby
authorized to issue coupon bonds Of
said county for such time and bearing
such rate Of interest, not to exceed O.
per cent per annum, IS they may deem
hest, such bonds to be sold at par, or
taken at par, in payment OF such con-
structIOn.
The contract for the construction OF
such buildings shall be let to the low
est responsible bidder after advertising
the time and place of opening sealed
bids for the same, in a newspaper pub
IIshed in said county for four consec-
utive weeks.
So soon as convenient buildings can
be had at said new county seat, the
commissioners shall cause all county
records, county officers and property
pertaining thereto. to be removed to
the new county seat.
1t shall be the duty of the governor
of the Territory TO Immediately remove
from office any officer who shall neg
lect or refuse to carry out any of the
provisions of this act, and to appoint
his successor.
When a new county seat shall have
been established In accordance with
this act, the county commissioners
shall cause due notice thereof to be
published In some newspaper OF general
circulation published in said county for
four consecutive weeks, and all suits,
actions, process, prosecution and pro-
ceedings already commenced or that
may be commenced, shall proceed to
final judgment and execution at such
new county seat.
All laws or parts of laws in conflict
with any OF the provisions of this act
are hereby repealed ana this act shall
take effect and be in force from and
after its passage.