Arizona silver belt., 1897-01-28
INVALID LAWS.
Extract from the Report of the Gila County Grand Jury, October
 Term, 1895.

"Our attention having been called to the acts of the Eighteenth Legislative Assembly making appropriations for the Territorial Normal School, the University of Arizona and the Terri torisl Reform School, in addition to levies for those institutions previously provided for, we have inquired into the matter, and believe the said acts are illegal. They are:
 Act No. 53, to provide and complete suitable buildings for the Normal School.
 Act No. 64, to provide and complete suitable buildings for the Reform School.
 "Act No. D, to provide for dormi- tory at the Territorial University.
 "And in compliance with the above acts the board of supervisors of Gila county, at s regular meeting held on August 30, 1895, did make levies as follows;
 "For the Normal School, four cents upon each Sl00 valuation of taxable property within the county.
 "For the Territorial University, two and one-hslf cents upon each s100 valuation;
 And for the Reform School, three cents upon each sl0O valuation.
 "'The aggregate amount to be collect. ed from the tax payers of Gils county under these acts, and through levies otherwise provided for, for the year 1895, is Sl, ,173.34, and like amount, or greater, will be demanded mex, year unless some action Is taken to re- strain the board of supervisors from making the levy.
 "The levy under the acts of 1895 is illegal, for the following reasons, to- wit:
 "Section 8, Organic Law of Arizona, (page 37 R. $. A.) provides:
 "'That no law of any territorial legislature shall authorize any debt tc be contracted by or on behalf of any such territory, except in the following cases: To meet casual deficit in tht revenues; to pay the interest upon the territorial debt; to suppress insurrec tions, or to provide for the public de iense-except that in addition to any indebtedness created for such pur poses, the legislature may authorize [ loan for the erection of penal, charita ble or educational institutions, if th, total indeb}edness of the territory ii not thereby made to exceed one pei centum upon the assessed value of tax able property in such territory, etc.
 "And section 4, Organic Law, pro vides:
 "'That no political or rnunicipa corporation, county, or other subdi vision in any of the territories of tn, United States. shall ever become in debted in any manner, or for any pnr pose, to any amount in the aggregate including existing indebtedness, ex ceedins four per centum on the vslu' of taxable property, etc.
 "First-The levies authorized b, the Eighteenth Legislature, for tn, purposes named, are not loans, but direct tax upon property, and there fore illegal within the meaning of tn law.
 "Second-The existing indebtedness of the territory of Arizona greatly OK ceeds one per centum of the value O taxable property-iD fact is over eigh per cent
 "Third-The indebtedness of Gil county exceeds four per cent of tn valuo of taxable property in the county
 "For the reasons stated the taxe levied for the improvement of th aforementioned territorial institution are illegal, and the acts authorizin them unconstitutional.
 Therefore, we, the grand jury, aI peal to the board of supervisors of Gil county to refuse to make any furthe levies under the acts of 1895 for tn Territorial Normal School, the Univel sity of Arizona and the Territori. RefoYm School"