| Show REQUIRES alterations A BILL relating to fugitives from justi justice ceJ has been introduced in the legislative council and referred to the committee on judiciary when reported back it will probably be after it has under undergone 9 one a process of trimming its object is to empower the governor to take steps to secure the return to this territory of fugitives from justice charged with the violation of the laws of utah defining the extent of the authority intended to be conferred in that regard it provides that he the governor may demand from the executive authority of any state or other territory or from the executive of any foreign government the surrender to the authorities of this territory of such fugitive from justice etc the governor might make the demand on the executive of any foreign government for the surrender of persons charged with violation of the territorial laws but the result would be as successful as when one calls up spirits from the vasty deep they come the governor of a territory is a local official and has no authority to treat on any subject with the representatives of foreign governments all correspondence in that line must be done through the national secretary of state no such power can be conferred upon any person whomsoever by a territorial or even a state legislative body it is proper to say in this connection that a member of a legislature who introduces a measure may be by no means responsible for its contents neither does he approve them As an instance that might be cited is the introduction into the house of representatives of the measure intended to disfranchise the people because of their religious belief representative stewart who introduced the measure mea suie did not formulate it and presumably he does not favor it claiming that he merely acted as a matter of courtesy to the vindictive anti mormon liberal of this city who forwarded it to him to be introduced we make this explanation so that errors in 1 n information and J judgment may not be attributed to the wrong persons |
