The History of Salt Lake City and its Founders, Volume 1. Edward William Tullidge
at any time be called by the Mayor or any two Aldermen.
Sec. 40. All process issued by the Mayor, Aldermen, or Municipal Court shall be directed to the Marshal, and in the execution thereof, he shall be governed by the same laws as are or may be prescribed for the direction and compensation of constables in similar cases. The Marshal shall also perform such other duties as may be required of him under the ordinances of said City and shall be the principal ministerial officer.
Sec. 41. It shall be the duty of the Recorder to make and keep accurate records of all ordinances made by the City Council, and of all their proceedings in their corporate capacity, which record shall at all times be open to the inspection of the electors of said City, and shall perform all other duties as may be required of him by the ordinances of the City Council, and shall serve as clerk of the Municipal Court.
Sec. 42. When it shall be necessary to take private property for opening, widening, or altering any public street, lane, avenue, or alley, the corporation shall make a just compensation therefor; to the person whose property is so taken; and if the amount of such compensation cannot be agreed upon, the Mayor shall cause the same to be ascertained by a jury of six disinterested men, who shall be inhabitants of the City.
Sec. 43. All jurors empaneled to enquire into the amount of benefits or damages, that shall happen to the owners of property so proposed to be taken, shall first be sworn to that effect, and shall return to the Mayor their inquest in writing, signed by each juror.
Sec. 44. In case the Mayor shall, at any time, be guilty of a palpable omission of duty, or shall willfully or corruptly be guilty of oppression, malconduct, or partiality, in the discharge of the duties of his office, he shall be liable to indictment in the Probate Court of Great Salt Lake County, and on conviction he shall be liable to fine and imprisonment; and the court shall have power on the recommend of the jury, to add to the judgment of the court, that he be removed from office.
Sec. 45. The City Council shall have power to provide for the punishment of offenders and vagrants, by imprisonment in the county or city jail, or by compelling them to labor upon the streets, or other public works, until the same shall be fully paid; in all cases where such offenders or vagrants shall fail or refuse to pay the fine and forfeitures which may be recovered against them.
Sec. 46. The inhabitants of Great Salt Lake City shall, from and after the next ensuing two years, from the first Monday of April next, be exempt from working on any road or roads, beyond the limits of said City. But all taxes devoted to road purposes, shall, from and after said term of two years, be collected and expended by, and under the direction of, the supervisor of streets, within the limits of said City.
Sec. 47. The Mayor, Aldermen, and Councilors of said City shall, in the first instance, be appointed by the Governor and Legislature of said State of Deseret; and shall hold their office until superseded by the first election.
Approved January 9th, 1851.
The first municipal Council of Great Salt Lake City was composed of Jedediah M. Grant, Mayor; Nathaniel H. Felt, William Snow, Jesse P. Harmon and Nathaniel V. Jones, Aldermen; Vincent Shurtliff, Benjamin L. Clapp, Zera Pulsipher, William G. Perkins, Harrison Burgess, Jeter Clinton, John L. Dunyon and Samuel W. Richards, Councilors.
The City Council met pursuant to notice from the clerk of Great Salt Lake County. The members having been severally sworn in by the county clerk "to observe the Constitution of the United States and of this State," organized in due form.
The ordinance incorporating Great Salt Lake City was then read by the clerk of the county, when the Mayor informed the Council that it would be necessary to appoint a Recorder, Treasurer and Marshal of the city: whereupon Robert Campbell was appointed Recorder, and Elam Luddington Marshal and Assessor and Collector of Great Salt Lake City. Afterwards Leonard W. Hardy was appointed Captain of the City police.
At the afternoon's session committees were appointed to formulate governmental methods for the City. Enquiry was made relative to the disposition of taxes, when it was stated that the State taxes would be applied as formerly for State purposes, and that a city tax of one half of one per cent, should be levied for city purposes.
The Mayor brought forward the subject of dividing the City into municipal wards.
The county clerk then submitted a city plot to the council, and the following municipal wards were laid out from the map, and their proper boundaries designated: First Ward: bounded on the north by Third South Street; west, by East Temple Street; south, by southern limits; east, by eastern limits: Alderman, Jesse P. Harmon. Second Ward: east, by East Temple Street; south, by southern limits; west, by Jordan River; north, by South Temple Street: Alderman, N. V. Jones. Third Ward: east, by East Temple Street; south, by South Temple Street; west, by Jordan River; north, by northern limits: Alderman, Nathaniel H. Felt. Fourth Ward: east, by eastern limits; south, by Third South Street; west, by East Temple Street; north, by northern limits: Alderman, William Snow.
The Mayor instructed the Marshal and Collector to proceed to assessing property and levying taxes. The Council then adjourned.
In April the first municipal election for Great Salt Lake City was held, as provided for by the charter, and the following members were returned: Mayor; Jedediah M. Grant; Aldermen: Nathaniel Felt, William Snow, J. P. Harmon, N. V. Jones; Councilors: Lewis Robinson, Robert Pierce, Zera Pulsipher, Wm. G. Perkins, Jeter Clinton, Enoch Reese, Harrison Burges, Samuel W. Richards, Vincent Shurtliff.
In the meantime Congress had passed an act, approved on the 9th of September, 1850, organizing the Territory of Utah within the following limits: "Bounded on the west by the State of California; on the north by the Territory of Oregon; on the east by the summits of the Rocky Mountains; and on the south by the 37th parallel of north latitude: with the proviso that Congress should be at liberty, when it might be deemed "convenient and proper" to cut it up into two or more Territories, or to attach any portion of it to any other State or Territory. On the 28th of the same month, President Fillmore, "with the advice and consent of the Senate," appointed Brigham Young Governor of Utah; B. D.Harris, of Vermont, Secretary; Joseph Buffington, of Pennsylvania, Chief Justice; Perry E. Brocchus, of Alabama, and Zerubbabel Snow, of Ohio, Associate Justices; Seth M. Blair, of Utah, United States Attorney; and Joseph L. Heywood of Utah, United States Marshal; but Mr. Buffington declining the office of Chief Justice, Lemuel G. Brandebury was appointed in his stead.
The postal communication between Washington and Great Salt Lake City at this period being scarcely opened, an interval of six months passed before the news officially reached Utah. It came first unofficially by way of California, brought by a portion of that same company which explored the southern route to California in the fall of 1849. The returning company consisted of Major Hunt, of the Mormon Battalion, Mr. Henry E. Gibson and five others. To bear the important news, they started on Christmas day, and travelled with pack animals from Los Angeles to Great Salt Lake City. Major Hunt stopped at his home on the way; but Mr. Gibson posted on to Great Salt Lake City, where he arrived on the 27th of January, and presented to Governor Young published reports, in Eastern papers, of the passage of the Organic Act that created Utah a Territory. The news being certain and so many months having passed since the passage of the act and his own appointment, Governor Young at once took the oath of office, on the 3rd of February, 1851; and on the 26th of March he issued the following special message to the General Assembly of the State of Deseret: Gentlemen: —Whereas the Congress of the United States passed an Act. September 9th, 1850, and received the approval of the President to "establish a Territorial Government for Utah," and made appropriations for erecting public buildings for said Territory, etc.; the appointments under said law also having been made, official announcement of which has not as yet been received, but is shortly expected; sufficient intelligence, however, has been received to justify us in preparing for the adoption and organization of the new Government under said Act.
I have therefore thought proper to suggest to you, previous to your final adjournment, the propriety of making such arrangements, as in wisdom you may consider necessary, in view of the aforesaid Act of Congress, that as little inconvenience as possible may arise in the change of governmental affairs, and in relation to the organization of the Territorial Government for erecting public buildings for said