Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1897-01-28
FOR COUNTY DIVISION.
Bill introduced Making Provision for
a Settlement Of This YeXed
Question.
10 REGULATE SLEEPING CAR FARES
A Rate Schedule Proposed for All
Sleeping and Palace Car Companies
Doing Business in the
Territory.

Fl. B. No. II, introduced for an initial
reading in the council on January 25 by
Hon. John Morrow, and relating to the
removal of county seats, has caused SO
much more discussion than usually falls
to the lot of the average measure, that a
brief review of the same is given herewith.
The bill provides in section that when
ever the citizens of any county in the
territory shall present a petition to the
board of county commissioners, signed
by the qualified electors of said county
equal in number to at least one.half the
legal votes cast at the last preceding gen
eral election, asking for the removal of
the county seat of said 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
remove the county seat to the place
named in the petition be submitted to a
vote of the qualified electors of said coun-
ty, at the next general election, if the
same is to occur within one year from the
time of presenting said petition, other
wise at 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 written guaranty from responsible
citizens of the place to which the petit
tioners desire the county seat removed,
that they will provide free of coat to the
81 A.n.a
ground for a court house and Jail, aud
that they will pay to the county
treasurer sum not less than $4,000
to be used in constructing such court
house and Jail, in the event that the
proposition for removal shall receive a
majority of the votes cast at such cleo
ton, and
Provided, further, That the oity, town
or village named in the petition shall be
at least twenty miles distant from and of
a larger population than the then county
seat of said county, and that no PROPOSE
ton to remove county seat from city,
town or village situated on railroad to
one not SO situated shall be entertained,
or voted upon and that no vote shall be
ordered on substantially the same prop
osition oftener than once in ten years.
The county commissioners shall cause a
certified copy of such order to be publish
cd in some newspaper Of general oircula-
ton 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 to 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 canvassed
as in elections for county officers and the
returns of such election shall be certified
by the probate clerk to the territorial
secretary, together with certified copy
of the order of the county commissioners
and sworn certificate of the publication
thereof to be filed in the office of the
secretary.
Should ma GRITTY of the votes at such
election lie cast IN favor of the place
named in the petition, the county seat
shall be removed TO such place, and it
shall be the duty of the county commits.
sioners, SO soon as the citizens of such
place shall have delivered the deed and
paid over the sum Of money mentioned
in the written guaranty provided for in
section of this act, to cause to be erect
cd upon the site so provided 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 per cent
per annum, as they may deem best, such
bonds to be solo at par, or taken at par
in payment of snoh construction.
The contract for the construction of
such buildings shall be let to the lowest
responsible bidder after advertising the
time and place of opening sealed bids for
the same in Newspaper published liz
said county for four consecutive weeks.
So soon as convenient buildings can
be had at said new county seat, the com
missioners shall cause all county rec
ords, county officers and property per-
tanning 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 neglect
or refuse to carry out any Of the provi-
sions of this act, and to appoint his sue
cessor.
When 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 con.
secutive weeks, and all suits, actions,