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  1. Overview: Utah State Constitutional Convention 1895 (2020 Edition)
  2. Full Record: Utah State Constitutional Convention 1895 (2020 Edition)
  3. Committee:The Convention
  4. Session: 1895-05-01 09:00:00
  5. Event type: CREATE

Utah State Constitutional Convention 1895 (2020 Edition)

Proceedings and Debates of the Convention Assembled to Adopt a Constitution for the State of Utah

The Convention

All the delegates.

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Document introduced in:

Session 7396: 1895-05-01 09:00:00

Document View:

Article on Schedule [Article No. 25.3]

There is 1 proposed amendment related to this document on which a decision has not been taken.

Section 1. That no inconvenience may arise by reason of the change from a Territorial to a State government, it is hereby declared that all writs, actions, presecutions, judgements, claims and contracts, as well of individuals as of bodies of corporate both public and private shall continue as if no change had taken place and all process which lay issue under the authority of the Territory of Utah previous to its admission into the Union shall be as valid as if issued in the name of the State of Utah.

Section 2. All laws of the Territory of Utah now in force which are not repugnant to this constitution shall remain in force until they expire by their own limitations, or are altered or appealed by the Legislature. The act of the governor and legislative assembly of the Territory of Utah, entitled “an act to punish polygamy and other kindred offenses, approved February 4th, A. D. 1892,” in so far as the same defines and imposes penalties for polygamy, is hereby declared to be in force in the State of Utah.

Section 3. Persons who, at the time of the admission of the State into the Union, may be confined under lawful commitments or otherwise lawfully held to answer for alleged violations of any of the criminal laws of the Territory of Utah, shall continue to be so confined or held until discharged therefrom by the proper courts of the State.

Section 3. All fines, penalties, and forfeitures accruing to the Territory of Utah or to the people of the United States in the Territory of Utah shall inure to this State and all debts, liabilities and obligations of said Territory shall be valid against the State and enforced as may be provided by law.

Section 4. All recognizances heretofore taken or which may be taken before the change from a Territorial to a State government shall remain valid and shall pass to and be prosecuted in the name of the State and all bonds executed to the Governor of the territory or to any other officer or court in his or their official capacity to the people of the United States or to any official board for the benefit of the Territory of Utah, or the people thereof shall pass to the Governor or other officer or court and his or their successors in office for the uses therein respectively expressed and may be sued on and recovery had accordingly and assessed taxes; and all revenue, property, real, personal, or mixed, and all judgements, bonds, specialties choses in action, claims and debts, or whatsoever description, and all records and public archives of the Territory of Utah, shall issue and vest in the State of Utah, and may be sued for and recovered in the same manner and to the same extent by the State of Utah as the same could have been by the Territory of Utah; and all fines, taxes, penalties, and forfeitures, due or owing to any county, municipality, or school district therein, at the time the State shall be admitted into the Union, are hereby respectively assigned and transferred, and the same shall be payable to the county, municipality, or school district, as the case may be, and the payment thereof may be enforced under the laws of the State.

Section 5. All criminal prosecutions and penal actions which may have arisen, or which may arise before the change from a Territorial to State government, and which shall then be pending, shall be prosecuted to judgement and execution in the name of the State, and in the court having jurisdiction thereof under this Constitution. All offenses committed against the laws of the Territory or Utah before the change from a Territorial to a State government, and which shall not be prosecuted before such change, may be prosecuted in the name and by the authority of the State of Utah, which like effect as though such change had not taken place and all penalties incurred shall remain the same as if this constitution had not been adopted.

Section 6. All actions, cases, proceedings and matters pending in the supreme court and district courts of the Territory of Utah, at the time the State shall be admitted into the Union, and all files, records, and indictments, relating thereto, except as otherwise provided herein, shall be appropriately transferred to the supreme and district courts of the State respectively; and thereafter all such actions, matters and cases shall be proceeded with in the proper State courts. All actions, cases, proceedings and matters which shall be pending in the district courts of the Territory of Utah, at the time of the admission of the State into the Union, whereof the United States circuit or district courts might have had jurisdiction had there been a state government at the time of the commencement thereof, respectively; and all files, records, indictments, and proceedings relating thereto, shall be transferred to the United States courts; provided, that no civil actions, other than causes and proceedings of which the United States courts shall have exclusive jurisdiction, shall be transferred to either of said United States courts, except upon motion or petition by one of the parties thereto, made under and in accordance with the act or acts of the Congress of the United States, and such motion and petition not being made, all such cases shall be proceeded with in the proper state courts.

Section 7. Upon a change from territorial to state government, the seal in use by the supreme court of the Territory shall pass to and become the seal of the supreme court of the State, until otherwise provided by law; and the several district courts of the State may adopt seals, for their respective courts, till otherwise provided by law.

Section 7. When the State is admitted into the Union and the district court in the respective districts, organized, the books, records, papers and proceedings of the probate court in each county and all causes and matters of administration pending therein shall upon the expiration of the of the term of office of the probate judges on the second Monday in January 1896, pass into the jurisdiction and possession of the district court of the same county, created by this Constitution, and the said district court shall proceed to final judgement, decree order, or other determination in the several matters and causes as the Territorial probate might have done if this Constitution had not been adopted. And until the expiration of the term of office of the probate judges such probate judges shall perform the duties now imposed upon them by the laws of the Territory. The district court shall have appellate and revisory jurisdiction over the decisions of the probate court as now provided by law, until such latter courts expire by limitation.

Section 8.

Section 9. The election of the adoption or rejection of this Constitution and for state officers herein provided for, shall be held on the Tuesday next after the first Monday in November,1895, and shall be conducted according to the laws of the Territory and the provisions of the Enabling Act; and the votes cast at said election shall be canvassed and returns made in the same manner as was the election for delegates to this Convention; PROVIDED, that all male citizens of the United States over the age of twenty-one years who have resided in this Territory for one year next prior to such election are hereby authorized to vote for or against the adoption of this Constitution and for the State Officers herein provided for; and the returns of said election shall be made to the Utah Commission who shall cause the same to be canvassed and shall certify the result of the vote for or against the Constitution to the President of the United States in the manner required by the Enabling Act; and said Commission shall issue certification of election to the persons found to be elected to said offices severally, and shall make and file with the Secretary of the Territory an abstract certified by them of the number of votes cast for each person for each of said offices and the total number of votes cast in each county.

Section 10. The State officers to be voted for at the time of the adoption of this Constitution shall be a Governor, Secretary of State, State Auditor, State Treasurer, Attorney General, Superintendent of Public Instruction, Members of the Senate and House of Representatives, three Supreme Judges, nine District Judges, and the Representatives of Congress.

Section 11. In case of a contest of election between candidates, at the first general election under this Constitution, judges of the District Courts, the evidence shall be taken in the manner prescribed by the Territorial laws, and the testimony so taken shall be certified to the Secretary of State, and said officer together with the Governor and Treasurer of State, shall review the evidence and determine who is entitled to the certificate of election.

Section 12. This Constitution shall be submitted for adoption or rejection to a vote of the qualified electors of said proposed State at the general election to be held on the Tuesday next after the first Monday in November, A.D., 1985. At the said election the ballots shall be in the following form:

For the Constitution Yes No

As a heading to each of said ballots shall be printed on each ballot the following instructions to voters.

All persons desiring to vote for the Constitution must erase the word “no”.

All persons desiring to vote against the Constitution must erase the word “yes”.

Section 13. The Legislature, at its first session, shall provide for the election of all officers whose election is not provided for elsewhere in this Constitution, and fix the time for the commencement and duration of their terms.

Section 14. The provisions of this Constitution shall be in force from the day on which the President of the United States shall issue his proclamation declaring the State of Utah admitted into the Union, and the terms of all officers elected at the first election under the provisions of this Constitution shall commence on the first Monday next succeeding of said proclamation, unless otherwise provided herein. And their terms of office shall expire when their successors are elected and qualified under this Constitution.

Decisions yet to be taken

  • Point of Order: The subject of the proposal had already been decided. (introduced on 1895-05-01 09:00:00 - PROCEDURE - e696165)

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