Show t Utah's New Capitol Grows From Humble t Beginning First Political I Sessions Were Held in in Council House Fight for fOit Statehood SQ EW UTAH CAPITOL at top old council house N IN V NE where state ruling bodies sat in in Salt Salt Lake Lake a a photo photo- graph aph ST ST. taken in I 1875 8 73 by C. C W. W Carter and copied by C. C E E. Johnson middle at left middle center an early steel engraving of Brig am Young middle rig right Utah's first statehouse at Fillmore bottom Salt Lake City Ci in n 1853 from 1853 from a steel engraving 1 l i Tap 0 0 L 4 0 0 0 r it TI w E Er p friT S f r t r i Brigham Young Yoting First Chief Chiel State Officer Justice Dispensed Dispensed Dispensed Dis Dis- Dis- Dis Impartially By Donald Smith T TIT TAR was born in the fear of 01 God and under the rule of ol roughshod righteousness I say ay this because for the fIrst rs nineteen months Of f the com ay existence here here from from July 24 2 1 7 1 to March 8 S 1849 there 1849 there was no noal ical al go government eminent During that per pek pe pe- pe- pe r k he the young commonwealth was wason on oIled solely by ecclesiastical pro pro- allons ere is iR another reason car for for reng reng re- re ng t to these matters at this par- par ular tim tiro The Has state Just ned fled lt its new and ent capi- capi Hardy Lot aV Dg waged battle with ele I en and d in m l nature and t and savage men the the Ot ders j e-j f Utah and a a hardy lot I r y religious They could Ight i fis as lo long long- longas as aa a they could pray pray and and nen Is 18 dura sa rg mg much for br t Weir fight fight- I IH In n their across ross the rhe plains 1 i organization organisation was wasn I ays Wit wt n these trail breakers and e found r rd form of oflas g hed j las lasalley is valley alley w wien en they I It x i then t tie le church m remain In control all bl K vii lul an and 1 religious us until um n matters political could e fo torn lorn I l oz r v ars irs rs the lower court of I ite r re land and e wa n 1 found lound in in the per per- IJ 1 r I office of the ward u was complaint heard I concerning this his method of tion Gentiles referred their disputes to these primitive courts quite as often ofte as did the Mormons that Mormons that Is in proportion to their relative numerical strength Historians record few cases casesI j I I wherein anything but a a rather high 1 f quality of unembellished Justice was wasI I dispensed Powerful and Just I It is fair to say that while the ru rule e of thumb heretofore referred to was powerful it was also just Out of that simple and rugged ruler ruler- ship of an outpost of c civilization and of a pioneer pioneer band as lustily fearless tearless of a struggle for life as It was Intensely intensely intensely In in- tensely reverent of the Almighty have come a state which Is t the e glory of the union and a people of mightiest st strength of faith in the destinies of the nation Officer Here and There Here and there was a secular ar officer officer of of- to levy and collect taxes and andI I to keep the peace and administer Justice justice Jus jus- jus tice but even these few were elected I at religious meetings and were held responsible to the people on religious principles Usually the bishops bishop's court and the high council purveyed in the I matter of Justice the justice the latter being the superior tribunal If Jr however any man felt aggrieved at what he fancied fancied fancied fan fan- I to be an unfair decision by either of these tribunals he was always certain certain I tain tam of a further hearing from BrigI Brigham Brig Brig- Brigham I ham Young Mind you I meant Just what I said said that the complainant was certain of a hearing bearing Bear in mind also that no word was permitted to tobe be wasted In that further hearing and I that the manner in m which final decision decision de de- de- de was customarily ripped out gave ample force to Let thy conversation conversation conver conver- be yea yea and nay nay nay j Move to Organize Politically Political The firA movement toward organizing ing Utah politically came in m a convention convention con con- which met in Great Salt Lake City on March 8 9 and 10 1849 The call for this meeting was addressed to all citizens of that portion of Upper California lying east of the j Sierra Nevada mountains The convention convention convention con con- adopted the following constitution constitution for the temporary state of Deseret Deseret Des Des- eret Preamble Whereas Preamble Whereas A large number of the citizens of the United States before and since the treaty of peace with the republic of Mexico emigrated to and settled In that portion of the territory of the United States lying west of the Rocky mountains and in the great Interior basin of Upper California and Whereas By reason of said treaty all civil organization originating originating origin origin- from the republic pf f Mexico became abrogated and Whereas The congress of the United States has failed to provide a form of civil government for the territory so acq acquired ired or any portion por por- portion tion thereof and Whereas Civil government and laws are necessary for the security security ity peace and prosperity of so society society so- so clety and Whereas It Is a fundamental principle in all republican governments governments govern govern- ments month that all political power is ia inherent in the people and governments governments governments govern govern- ments Instituted for their protection protection tion security and b benefit should emanate from the same Therefore your committee beg leave to recommend the adoption of the following constitution until the congress of the United States shall otherwise wise provide for the government government government govern govern- ment of the territory hereinafter er named flamed and descrIbed by admitting us into the union We the people grateful to the Supreme Being for the blessings hitherto enjoyed and feeling our dependence on him for a continuation continuation continua continua- tion of these blessings do ordain and establish a free and Independent independent independent dent government by the name of the state of Deseret including all the territory of the United States within the following boundaries wit to Commencing at the thir thir- ty-third ty degree of north latitude where It crosses the one hundred j and eighth degree of longitude west i A Splendidly Comprehensive Comprehensive Compre Compre- I. I I Article on the theL L Stat States State's Early History W of Greenwich thence running south and west to the boundary of Mexico thence west to and down dawn the main channel of the Gila river or the northern line of Mexico and on on n the northern boundary of Lower to the Pacific ocean thence along the coast northwesterly to the one hundred and eighteenth degree and thirty minutes west of longitude thence north to Where said line intersects the dividing ridge of bf the Sierra Nevada Nevada Nevada Ne Ne- vada mountains thence north along the summit of the Sierra Nevada Nevada Nevada Ne Ne- vada mountains to the dividing range of mountains that separate the waters flowing into the Columbia Columbia Colum Colum- bia from the waters running into the great basin thence easterly along the dividing range rang of mountains mountains moun moun- thins that separate said waters into the Columbia flowing river on the north from the waters flowing into the great basin on the south to the summit of the Wind river rive chain of mountains thence southeast southeast southeast south south- east and south by the dividing range of mountains that separate the waters flowing into the Gulf of Mexico from the waters flowing into the Gulf of California to the place of beginning as set forth Ina in ina ina a map dra drawn n by Charles Preuss and published by order of the senate of the United States in 1848 I The constitution provided a legislature legislature legisla legisla- ture to consist of house and legiSla j senate and which was to meet annually the first session to begin on the first Monday Monday Monday Mon Mon- day in July 1849 and succeeding sessions sessions ses ses- to open on the first Monday in each December Salt Lake City was named as the seat of government Members of Committee Men constituting the committee which drew up ip the constitution were Albert Carrington Joseph L L. Heywood William W VT Phelps David Fullmer John S S. Fullmer Charles C C. Rich John Taylor Parley P P. Pratt John M M. Bernhisel and Frastus ErastUs Snow An election of officers for the provisional provisional provisional pro pro- visional state of Deseret was held j I March 12 1849 at S Salt lt Lake City when i ithe the following were declared elected Governor Governor Young Secretary Secretary Willard Willard Richards Treasurer Treasurer Newell Newell K IC Whitney Chief Justice justice justice-Heber Heber ber C C. Kimball Associate Justices justices John John Taylor aylor an and I N N. K Whitney Attorney general general Daniel Daniel H H. Wells Marshal Marshal Horace Horace S S. S Eldredge Assessor and collector collector Albert Albert Car Car- rington Surveyor of of highways Joseph highways Joseph IL L. L Heywood Magistrates The Magistrates The bishops of the several several sev sev- eral wards in the city Charles C C. C. C Rich and Daniel H H. Wells Welli I named as s a committee on military af at affairs affairs af- af fairs began in Mar March h to organize th the e state militia and in May reported completion completion com corn of their work The military V organization was called the Nauvoo Nauvo Legion and it had the following general general gen gen- general eral officers Adjutant general James general James Ferguson camp Aide camp de Hiram B B. Clawson Quartermaster general general Albert Albert P P. P Rockwood Surgeon general general Ezra Ezra G G. Williams Chaplains Ezra Chaplains Ezra T T. Benson and andWIl- andWIl Wilford Wilford Wil Wil- ford Woodruff Chief musician musician Edward Edward P P. P Duzette Color bearers general general general-Ephrain I Hanks and Lot Smith Military Districts Created Later the legislature lee created military r districts in several counties and amon among r the first of these district commanders commander 9 were George A A. Smith Iron county Peter W W. Conover Utah county Cyrus C C. Canfield Web Weber r county Nelson Higgins Higgins Higgins Hig- Hig gins Sanpete county It was on July 2 1849 that the gen general general eral oral assembly of the state of Deseret held its first session in Salt Lake City Congress was wa then memorialized forA territorial form of government for tae HIe people of bf the great basin Dr John M M. Bernhisel carried this document to Washington where he it to Senator Stephen A A. Douglas Then it was decided again to seek admission of Deseret as a state and Almon Almon Al- Al AlI I mon W W. Babbitt was elected delegate to carry a new memorial to congress Subsequently a new plan was formulated for for- This was to ask congress to admit Deseret and California as one state with the understanding that segregation should came later This movement was begun in August and September of 1849 but it never got be beyond beyond beyond be- be yond the initial stage because the peole people peo- peo pie le of California rejected the plan University Is Chartered The general assembly met again in December 1849 and among other things It chartered the University of Deseret n w the University of Utah on February 28 1850 This session of the he legislature lasted almost until spring on account of Indian uprisings wh which c had begun to take on ona a serious aspect On January 9 1851 Salt Lake City was incorporated the legislature again in n session having ju Just t previously been granted ranted a charter Gov Brigham Young and the assembly appointed the following fol- fol lowing owing to act as the city's officials pending the first election provided for forin forin forn in n the charter Mayor Mayor Jedediah Jedediah M M. Grant Aldermen Nathaniel Aldermen Nathaniel H H. Felt Willam William Wil- Wil liam lam Snow Jesse P. P Harmon Nathaniel Nathanel Nathan- Nathan tel iel el V V. Jones Councilman Vincent Councilmen Vincent Shurtliff Benamin Benjamin Ben- Ben Benjamin jamin amin L L. L Clapp Zera Wiliam Wil- Wil iam G Perkins Lewis Robison Harrison Harri- Harri son on Burgess Jeter Clinton John L L. Dunyon Samuel W W. Richards Tanu January ry 11 1851 Thomas Bullock clerk lerk of Salt Lake county administered administered adminis- adminis ered the oath to these officials and they hey immediately appointed Robert Campbell city recorder Thomas Rhodes tre treasurer surer Elam Luddington marshal and assessor and collector While all this was going on congress had lad denied the petition for B statehood for tor or Deseret and had p passed an act net to organize out of a portion of the provisional provisional provisional pro pro- visional state of ot Deseret the territory of of Utah The act was signed by President President President dent Millard Fillmore on September 9 9 1850 although the news did not reach Salt Lake City until January 1851 Contraction of Boundaries The territory as admitted was bounded on the west b by California on the east by the Rocky mountains on the north by Oregon Oreon which then In Included included in- in eluded Idaho and on the south by New Mexico from which was afterward taken Arizona This was a considerable considerable considerable consider consider- able contraction of the proposed Deseret Deseret Des Des- eret boundaries which extended to Kansas and Texas on the east and southeast to the Mexican border on the south to Oregon on the north and to California on the west Thus the proposed proposed proposed pro pro- posed state of Deseret took in much of what are now Wyoming and Colorado cob Colo rado all of Nevada all of New Mexico and all of Arizona With news of the admission of Utah as a territory came the appointments made by President Millard Fillmore as follows Governor Governor Brigham Brigham Young B. Secretary B D D. Harris Chief Justice justice Joseph Joseph uffington Buffington who declined the appointment when Lemuel G GJ Branc Brandebury b i was named amed In his stead stead Associate Justices justIce Perry JUstices Perry C. C Brocchus Brocchus Brocchus Broc- Broc chus and Snow United States district attorney Seth attorney Seth Seth M M. Blair United States marshal marshal Joseph Joseph L L. Heywood On February 3 1851 Brigham Young took the oath oath of office as governor of the newly formed territory and on r 7 March 26 he addressed a special message message message mes mes- sage to the general assembly of Deseret Deseret Des Des- eret ret in which he suggested that steps be Immediately taken to dissolve that body and provide for transition to the territorial form of government This was done on April 5 1861 1851 In the resolutions adopted by the general 1 assembly of Deseret on that date appears ap appears ap- ap pears the following Building Given to Church That whereas the statehouse in Great Salt Lake City having 1 ep or originally designed as a council house and erected by and at the expense of the Church of f Jesus Christ of Latt Latter Latter- r day Saints for the purpose as well well well-as as to to accommodate the provisional government government gov gov- that we now do relinquish unto Into said church the aforesaid building building build build- ing mg tendering unto them our thanks for forthe forthe forthe the free Use thereof during the past session So It will be observed that the first fust legislative session ever h held ld in this territory convened in the Council house bouse a photograph of which appears with this article and which was lo located 10 on the southwest corner of the the intersection of South Temple and Main streets where the Deseret News building now now stands The Council Coun Coun- cil house was partly destroyed destroyed at the time of the Clawson |