Show I In nth n t the h e Beg Beginning B e g inn I n n i n g 9 By J. J Cecil cr AlleT Law v of Medes and Persians The people of Deseret continued to govern covern themselves without expensive expensive ex ex- pensive outside assistance under the adequate provisions of the laws ordinances and constitution of the fictitious state stale of or in the conviction that that people is governed governed gov gov- best which is governed least And they did so quite as e effectually ally as If It Deseret really had been a state and as if the laws had come comedown comedown comedown down from front the Medes and Persians Indeed the spirit of or Deseret persisted persisted persisted per per- long after aCler Utah became a fact one authority explaining that the deliberations of the Utah legislature legislature legislature legis legis- lature for tor some time were made the action of the legislature of or Deseret immediately after the Utah sessions closed Thus were both sets of or legislative leg let and executive officers records records rec rec- and laws maintained for several several sev sev- eral months Earl Early Highway Laws Among the laws passed by the general a. a assembly embly of the slate tate of Deseret some of which were made the laws of Utah follow An ordinance ordinance ordinance nance providing for state and md county county coun coun- ty road commissioners was approved ap imp- proved January 15 1850 the state road commissioner to be elected by the general assembly take an oath give a bond and serve two years Whenever er the general assembly I shall grant a road from one given point to another the state stale road rond commissioner shall Institute a speedy survey Ion foe said road The governor with wilh the commissioner were to lo decide as to the precise location of the road from the maps prepared by the commissioner If it shall appear evident that there is but one feasible route for tor any road granted by the general D. D assembly or If Jt the governor shall Instruct the commissioner to locate any given road on any particular route previous previous previous pre pre- to a survey then it shall be the duty of the commissioner to locate said aid road delay Any person feeling damaged by the opening of at any road should have the same appraised by three judicious ju ju- men and if ff it shall ap apr appear car the person perron is dama damaged ed more than he may recover through the county cour courts The ordinance Incorporating the University of or Des re was wa approved February 2 23 23 1850 The powers of the chancelor and board of regents were made to include all buin business needful to the prosperity of or the university t. t in advancing til m useful and fine tine arts and sciences to select and procure lands erect and purchase purchase pur pun chase buildings solicit donations send agents abroad receive subscriptions subscriptions sub sub- purchase books maps charts and all apparatus nece necessary ary for the mos most l liberal beral endowment of any library and scientific institution institution tion employ professors and teachers teach teach- ers ens rn m make a k e laws by establish branches of the university throughout through through- hout h- h out the state and do all other things that fathers or guardians of or the institution in in- ought to lo do As soon as funds arising from donations or otherwise may justify it shall be bethe bethe bethe the duty of the board to establish a free rree school institution for lor the benefit of orphans and other indigent indigent in in- worthy orthy persons Public Records Instituted An ordinance providing for lor county county county coun coun- ty recorders was approved M March 2 2 1850 assigning to lo them the duty of or serving four years taking laking an oath and giving bond and to lo provide provide provide pro pro- vide themselves with wilh good and well bound books suitable for the purpose and re record ord therein all transfers or conveyances of land or tenants Also for recording town and city plats and plats of all surveys surveys sur sur- veys cys of ot lands rO roads and public works of ot a permanent character The books of record shall be indexed indexed indexed in in- alphabetically An ordinance creating a surveyor generals general's office otrice was approved the theS S same day providing that hat the general general general gen gen- eral assembly elect a surveyor general gen gen- eral oral to serve two years take an oath and give bond who should keep a record at the scat seat of government government government govern govern- ment of ot all surveys made by him or reported to him by other surveyors in a book suitable for the purpose He shall also have a general supervision supervision supervision super super- vision over all aU surveys of ot land in inthe inthe inthe the state the county surveyors to 10 have direct supervision in the counties ties Laws to lo Protect Indians An ordinance approved March 28 1850 provided That if any p person person per per- r- r son shall hereafter trade or give any JU gun gurs rifles pistols or any other deadly weapons ammunition or liquors to lo any Indian without having a license shall shan on conviction thereof before re an any justice justice jus jus- tice of the peace be fined lined in a sum not exceeding for tor each offense offense of of- lease and also forfeit all the prop prop- erty received from the Indian which shall be sold and the proceeds proceeds proceeds pro pro- thereof paid into the public treasury At the next session of the general assembly several additional ordinances ordinances nances were passed One approved December 9 1850 provided that Ezra T T. Benson is hereby granted th the exclusive privilege of control- control ing the waters vaters in Tooele valley Tooele county known as Twin springs also the waters that issue Rock nock Rockspring Rockspring from a z spring called the spring in said valley and county count for lor mills and irrigating g purposes Canyons and streamS Stream Allotted Another approved the same date provided That Brigham Young have the sole control of City creek and canyon and that he pay into the public treasury the sum of 01 Still another January 9 1851 provided that Heber C. C Kimball Kimball Kimball Kim- Kim ball have the exclusive privilege of conveying the waters of or North MillCreek MillCreek Mill MillCreek Creek canyon and the waters of ot the next canyon north to lo wit vit about hall half a mile distant to some convenient convenient con- con point below the mouth of the two Iwo canyons and of approprIating ing the same to lo the use of a sawmill saw sav- mill grist rist mill and other machin- machin machinery ery cry Sec 2 Nothing herein contained contained con con- the waters tamed shall prevent aforesaid from being u used cd whenever whenever whenever when when- ever and wherever it Is S necessary for irrigating Timber Under tinder Regulation At the same time lime January i 9 1851 it was ordained That the exclusive control of the timber in inthe inthe the canyons on the cast east side of the range of mountains west of 01 Jordan county is hereby hereby hereby here here- in Great Salt Lake a by granted t to George A. A Smith who is hereby authorized to control control con con- the timber in said canyons to work roads into them and to lo direct when and md where and by whom timber may be taken talen out there there- from and that the exclusive control control con con- trot of or the timber limber in the canyons and mountain leading into Tooele valley alley and the canyons between Salt Lake valley and Toole is hereby hereby hereby here- here by granted lo to to Ezra T. T Benson in inthe inthe the same exclusive way as that awarded to George A A. A Smith Smith- and that Willard Richards hove the the cx- cx right of or working a road or roads Into or through h the North Cottonwood canyon and control th the same Approved Januar January 18 1851 |