Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1897-02-06
REMOVAL OF COUNTY SEATS
The Bill Introduced by Representa-
tive Morrow Providing for KemOv-
al of County Seats Becomes
a Law.

Yesterday afternoon Gov. Thornton
attached his signature to house bill No.
II, and now county seats may be removed,
provided the requirements of the new law
are fulfilled. The bill reads as follows:
Be it enacted by the legislative assem-
bly, of the territory of New Mexico.
Section L. Whenever the citi-
zens of any county in this ter
ritory shall present petition to
the board of county commissioners sign
ed by qualified electors of said county,
equal in number to at least one-h half the
legal votes cast at the last preceding
general election, asking for the removal
of the county seat of said comfy 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
vote of the qualified electors of said
county, at the next general election, if
the same is to occur within one year from
the time of presenting said petition,
otherwise at special election to be
called for that purpose within six weeks
from the date of presenting said petit
ton.
Provided, That before making such
order the said commissioners shall re-
ouire a written guaranty from RESPONSE
BILE citizens from the place to which the
petitioners desire the county seat moved,
that thew will provide free of cost to the
county a suitable site and sufficient
ground for court house and jail, and
that they will pay to the county treasurer
a 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 election, and
Provided, further, That the city, town
or village named liz the petition shall be
at least twenty miles distant from and OF
a larger population than the then county
seat. and that no proposition to re-.
move a county seat, from city, town O,
village, situated on railroad to one no,
so situated, shall be entertained or va
GATED upon. and that no vote shall be or.
dered on substantially the same PROPOSE
ton ofteuer than once in ten years.
Sec. 2.-The county commissioners
shall cause certified copy of such order
to be published in some newspaper of
general circulation published in said
county for four consecutive weeks imme
diately prior to such election, and by hand
bills posted up at three of the most pub
lie places in each precinct at least -four
weeks prior to such election. The bal
lots to be voted at such election shall
have printed thereon the words "Fo,
county seat"--, with the name Of
the place for which the voter desires tt
cast his ballot either printed or writer
thereon. Such ballots shall be canvasseo
AZ in elections for county officers and the
returns of each election shall be certified
by the probate clerk to the territoria
secretary together with certified cop,
of the order Of the county commissioners
aud sworn certificate of publication
thereof, to be filed in the office of sait
secretary.