Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1909-03-11
COUNTY
SEAT LOST TO
H|LLSBORO
TERRITORY MAY REBUILD
COURT HOUSE AT SANTA FE
Measure Passes Hause Provid-
ing Convict Labor and Bricks
for Purpose; Spirited 0ppoSi-
ton Proves Futile.
Morning Journal Bureau.
The Palace Hotel,
Santa Fe. n. M. March 10

Inc IAfdce fiottl, 7
Santa Fe, n M, March 10
Both houses Of the legislature to-
day passed pill changing the coun-
ty seat of Sierra county from the old
town OF Hillsboro TO Gutter on the
Santa Fe railroad. a few miles south
OF Engle. The bill as passed takes
into Sierra count. that portion of
Socorro county extending south along
the eastern boundary along Otero
and Lincoln, and places the new
county seat very close to the center
of the county. Tho bill was some
what of surprise In legislative cir
cles as it had been very little dis
cussed Residents and property own
ers in the town OF Cutter appear to
have been the chief advocates of the
change. There have been rumors Of
a plan to change the county seat of the
county since early in the session. But
il was not until within the last TWEEN
ty-four hours that the matter became
active. Once introduced into the
house, however, as house bill No. 256
by Mr.. Chaves, of Sierra county the
bill went through like flash. Mr.
Chaves. after introducing the bill
moved the suspension of the rules for
its passage The bill was read in
full and was passed without discus
sion by a vote of 81 to 0. Thereafter
il went to the council where It pass
ed by vote of nine to nothing upon
motion of Mr.. Catron, Messrs. Upton,
Baca. of Valencia. and Mechem, be-
ing absent. The bill provides that
the new county seat shall furnish
buildings equal In value to the comfy
buildings now at Hllsboro and that
the coRnty seat sfW' n3t be moved
until such buiidinBs e ready for oc-
cupancy. iillsboro Is some fourteen
miles from the railroad. the nearest
railroad oint being Lake Valley on
the Santa Fo The town is one OF
the oldest towns in southern New
Mexico. having been famous at one
time as mining center. Cutter was
established short time ago when the
Victoria Chief Mining company began
operations in the mountains to the
west. 1t is understood that all ar
rangements have been completed for
furnishing the necessary buildings for
county purposes and that the county
seat will be moved very shortly after
the approval Of the bill.
To Rebuild Santa Fc Courthouse.
Aside from the passage of the ST.
ezra county bill the feature of the
afternoon session in the house, was
a spirited debate centered upon house
bill No. 9S providing for the rebuild
ing of the Santa Fe county court
house partially at territorial expense,
and council bill No 129 by Mr. Ca
tron, renewing the appropriation of
one thousand dollars made by the leg
islature of 1905 for building monu-
ments along the Santa Fe tran in
New Mexico aud marking the termi
nus of the trail in the plaza at Santa
Fe by the erection of a stone arch |
at territorial expense.
House bill No. 9S was introduced |
by Mr Baca some days ago and pro- |
vides that the territory shall furnish !
brick and convict labor for the re-
of the Santa Fe county !
which was destroyed by |
fire some five weeks ago. The bill |
provides that upon the payment Of |
the insurance carried upon the build
ing. the territory shall be reimbursed |
to the amount of the insurance.
The bill came into the house. to-
yether with a large number of bills
by the steering committee. |
It was the first bill taken up and Mr. |
Baker. of Guadalupe county. led the
opposition In a vigorous speech in
which he said that the demand upon
he territorial treasury was absolute
y without precedent. He declared |
hat the bin was class legislation Of
he worst kind and said that Santa Fe
md it's public buildings had steadily |
,Xisted at the expense OF the terri
ory. The demands of Santa Fc. he
'aid. were becoming an eyesore to
he people Of the territory that san
a Fe demanded everything Of the
legislature including the building up
IF a city beautiful. az territorial eN-
,ense, while its people steadily re-
used to give anything for its own
ipbuilding He said that II was prob
lble that Santa Fc would soon be ask
ng the territory TO pay for the paw
ng of it's streets and the repairing Of
he dilipidated private buildings when
~ fiiNt tdlllf 10 Ndtlta re- MI tsdN'i !
aid. he had heard that Santa f. was
ired OF three things. it, beautiful
'apitol. its palace OF historical inter-
st. and It's Industrious representative
n the legislature. n l.. Baca He
ilosed with the statement that the
legislature had no right to appro-
sTiate funds 70 build county cour,
house for Santa Fe county any more
han II had the right to- appropriate
unds TO build court house for any
ither county. Air. Baca replied with
IN eloquent defense of his bill. He
lrgued that the territory should make
.pecial concessions to Santa r be-
'ause il was the capital Of the terri
ory and argued that everything done
or Santa r. was for the benefit Of
he whole territory. He referred to