798 



UTAH. 



In returning with his approval " An act relative 

 to the heritable rights of the issue of polygamous 

 marriages," the Governor sent the following mes- 

 sage: 



"I understand that the purpose of this act is to 

 re-enact and make clear the laws already in opera- 

 tion, and that it entitles the issue of polygamous 

 marriages, born previous to March 3, 1888, to in- 

 herit or to be entitled to any distributive share in 

 the estate of the father of such issue. I believe 

 that this legislation is proper and right, and it ap- 

 pears to me, in view of the fact that conditions 

 which called forth congressional legislation on this 

 subject are settled, and that the past has been con- 

 doned, that it would be in the interest of public 

 policy and for the welfare of the State to remove 

 whatever ban may exist against the issue of polyga- 

 mous marriages, 'up to one year succeeding the 

 date of the amnesty proclamation of the President, 

 or (what would be "better, in my judgment) up to 

 the date of the admission of the State. I am con- 

 vinced that such legislation would not only be in 

 the interest of the State, but the children them- 

 selves affected thereby would be better citizens in 

 the knowledge that they are entitled to all the legal 

 rights and privileges of their fellows. Legislators 

 will not forget that while the manifesto was final 

 with the great majority of the people, it signaled 

 the immediate surrender of what had for a lifetime 

 been held as a vital religious sacrament, and some 

 hearts can not change in a day." 



Accordingly, another act was passed, legitimizing 

 the children of polygamous marriages to Jan. 4, 

 1896. 



The statute controlling the incorporation of cities 

 was so amended that the great mining camp of 

 Mercur can be incorporated. A board of Land 

 Commissioners will have charge of the State lands. 



The Governor vetoed a bill providing for court 

 stenographers and one concerning the penitentiary, 

 both of which were again passed. 



An issue of State bonds to the amount of $200,- 

 000 was voted, in order to fund the outstanding in- 

 debtedness. The tax-levy bill fixed the amount to 

 be raised for general State purposes at not more than 

 $515,000, and for school purposes at not more than 

 $300,000. County commissioners may levy a 5- 

 inill tax for general county purposes and a 3-mill 

 tax for schools. A revenue bill was passed fixing 

 the date of assessment on the first day of March. 

 Mortgages are not taxed. Bankers are to make 

 statements of the aggregate amount of deposits on 

 hand, and this, being subject to check, will not be 

 taxable. Railroads, telegraph and telephone com- 

 panies, car companies, and railway depot companies 

 will have their property assessed by the State Board 

 of Equalization. Mines are assessed on their net 

 proceeds. The State board is to consist of 4 mem- 

 bers appointed by the Governor, and not more than 

 2 may belong to the same political party. 



Salaries of State officers were fixed as follows : 

 Governor. $2.000; Secretary of State, $2,000: Au- 

 ditor, $1,500; Treasurer, $1,000; Attorney General, 

 $1,500; Superintendent of Public Instruction, 

 $1,500; Fish and Game Commissioner, $500; Jus- 

 tices of the Supreme Court, each, $3.000 ; Clerk of 

 the Supreme Court and ex-officio Librarian and 

 Statistician, $1,800 : District Judges, each, $3,000 ; 

 Adjutant General, $500; 2 Land Commissioners, 

 each, $1,200; Coal Mine Inspector, $1,000. To 

 these are added allowances for clerical assistance, 

 traveling expenses, etc. For necessary expenses 

 the Land Commissioners may use $28,000 in 1896, 

 and the Governor is allowed $10,000 for procuring 

 surveys. 



The appropriations for State institutions were as 

 follow: University, for 1896, $25,000; deficit fftr 



1894-'95, $13,500; school for the deaf and dumb 

 and the blind, $10,750 ; industrial school, for 189G, 

 $6,000; deficit for 1894-'95, $6,157; insane asylum, 

 for the care and maintenance of 235 patients for 

 the year 1896, at $3.50 a week, $42,770; for special 

 purposes at the asylum, $7,095; for the Agricul- 

 tural College, general maintenance, 1896, $10.000 ; 

 for deficit, $8.930, and for special purposes, $3,070 ; 

 for the prison, $24,000 ; library, for 1896, $3,000, 

 and for deficit, $3,014; for the "militia, $3,000; for 

 the Board of Equalization, $2,000. 



Counties were divided into four classes, according 

 to assessed valuation, and the salaries of officers of 

 the first three classes were fixed, those of the fourth 

 class being left to be determined by the boards of 

 county commissioners, though the maximum salary 

 was prescribed in each case. The sheriff, who receives 

 the largest salary among county officers, has $2,400 

 in counties of the first class (those showing a valua- 

 tion of $20,000,000 or over), $1,800 in counties of 

 the second class, and $1,500 in those of the third 

 class. 



The State University was made a body corporate, 

 and it is provided that its courses of study shall be 

 so arranged as to supplement the courses of the 

 public schools. It is to be under control of a board 

 of nine regents. One hundred free scholarships 

 may be maintained. 



The act says further: "The Normal School shall 

 be continued for both sexes, and its course may ex- 

 tend to a period of four years, or until graduation, 

 and shall include practice in teaching and peda- 

 gogy. No partisan political, sectarian, or religious 

 doctrine shall be taught, and no political or re- 

 ligious test required." 



A libel law was made which provides that before 

 bringing suit against a newspaper the aggrieved part y 

 shall serve notice on the publisher at least three 

 days in advance of serving the complaint, and if it 

 shall appear that the statements were made in good 

 faith and that a full and fair retraction was made 

 and printed as conspicuously as the libel, within three 

 days after the matter was brought to the notice of 

 the publisher, then the plaintiff in such case shall 

 recover only actual damages ; provided, however, 

 that the provisions of the act shall not apply to the 

 case of any libel against any candidate for a political 

 office in the State unless the retraction ' of the 

 charge is made editorially in a conspicuous manner 

 at least three days before the election, in case 

 such libelous article was published in a daily 

 paper; if published in a weekly paper, at least ten 

 days before the election. 



Among the other more important measures were: 



An irrigation act. 



For the codification of the laws. 



Regulating insurance, and imposing a tax of If 

 of 1 per cent, on the gross premium of each com- 

 pany collected from poficyholders in the State, sub- 

 ject to some deductions, and requiring annual re- 

 ports to the Secretary of State. 



A fish and game bill. 



Providing for a State board of examiners. 



For the release of one joint debtor without re- 

 leasing others. 



Amending the law in regard to civil actions so 

 as to make a contractor liable at the place where 

 the contract is to be fulfilled. 



Providing that mayors of cities may disapprove 

 of parts of an appropriation without vetoing all. 



Furnishing a design for a great seal for the 

 State. 



Providing the manner of establishing public 

 libraries. 



For the prevention of disease among sheep. 



To prevent sale of stock under fraudulent pedi- 

 grees. 



