The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-02-12

20, granting compensation to election
judges for 1896 Calls house bill GOV
erinS this subject was rejected by tn
senate on the ground that all it's pro
Vlslonst except that granting compen
Satlon 10 the judges of 1896, were con
tanned in the code. A motion tina
the attorney general be asked for al
opinion on the constitutionality of tn.
measure was defeated, Kenner declar
ing that the constitution was so cleal
that no opinion was needed.
MI. Thomson introduced house join
memorial No IA. proposing an amend
nent to section ,, article Is, of the
constitution, relating to revenue and
taxation As amended the section viii
exclude the taxation of mortgages and
deeds of trust, and notes secured
thereby wherein said property upon
which the security is given is assessed
| at its full value
Mr. Gibson introduced a memorial to
congress, asking that the Uintah reser-
walton be thrown open to settlement
as provided by The act of Aug. H. 1894
On Thoreson's motion the senate was
| asked to forward to the house such
! portions of the code as it had passed.
| with amendments thereto, and that
| hereafter, upon the adoption of any
parts of the code they be Immediately
forwarded to the house. Thoreson ex-
pressed the opinion that the house
| should get to work on the code report
if ii expected to dispose of it.
The state auditor transmitted the
claims of Utah and Iron counties for
maps and plats.
ANTI CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
BILL.
Kenner's capital punishment bill was
then taken up on its third reading
| 10 Car csTTre 49,. i
ment for murder in the first degree
shall be solitary confinement for life,
and limits the pardoning power in such
cases.
Gibson offered an amendment to
strike out the word solitary before
the word confinement" and Dresser
proposed an amendment providing for
imprisonment at hard labor.
Duffin moved that the enacting
clause be stricken out, which would
kill the bill
Kenner. the author of the bill. ex-
pressed the belief that some memb ers
had just discovered that there was
such thing as striking out an en-
acting clause and declared they were
using it pretty much as George Wash
ington used his little Ratchet, and with
Just as much discretion. He believed
that large majority of the people of
the state favored the measure, and
made an argument in its support.
Dufin resented the arrogance of
the gentleman from Salt Lake and OPP
posed the bill.
Taylor argued against the bill and
freely used the scriptures to sustain
his position. An eye for an eye and
tooth for a TOOTH was the spirit of
the law today, and ministers of the
gospel who cried out against capital
punishment would be quick to demand
n n 4ra..r
wronged or injured by others. This
subject" said he, is not comprehend
ed by the human mind, and must come
to US through revelations from Cod
There was no forgiveness for a muir
derer, and TO withhold the death pen
atty was greater cruelty than 10 in
fict it.
Mrs. La Barthe was opposed to CAPT
tai punishment and wanted to record
her vote ION the side of humanity
Thomson believed capital punishment
had proven failure, for, after a trial
for centuries, murder was increasing
The taking of life, under any circum-
stances, was murder. The murderer
should be permitted to reform and
make reparation for his crime
Parry cited many atrocious crimes
of recent occurrence, and believed the |
execution Of this class of criminals had |
a deterrent effect. He feared that a |
repeal of the law would be followed |
by an increase in the number of crimes |
of this class and was opposed to the |
bill.
Greer was not opposed to capital pun
except in cases where convic- |
ton was had on circumstantial evil
dence, but believed that in such cases
the punishment should be imprison-
ment for life
Hanson favored the death penalty,
and his constituents were opposed to t
any such measures as that before the
house. The people were becoming too
tender-hearted in their treatment of
hardened criminals, but it was no
mercy to a murderer to permit him to
live.
Dresser thought the bill, in its pres
ant shape, was more brutal than capt.
tai punishment, but he would like to
see the death penalty abolished If
properly amended, he would favor the
dill.
A P. Sorensen announced himself as
The author of a similar measure in the
asst legislature and he was still op-
posed TO capital punishment. The abol-
ton of the death penalty in other
states had been followed in a decrease
n the number of murders. The life
-or life" passage in the Bible had
been shown to be an incorrect trans
alton.
Further debate was cut off by mo-
ion to adjourn to meet again at 7:30,
he evening session being for the con-
liberation of the Church and state