History of Utah, 1540-1886 - Brigham Young University

THE FIRST GENERAL ELECTION. 443
On the 12th of March a general election was held
at the bowery in Salt Lake City, this being the first
occasion on which the saints had met for such a pur-
pose. For the successful ticket 624 votes were polled,
Brigham Young being chosen governor; Willard Richards,
secretary ; Horace S. Eldredge, marshal ; Daniel
H. Wells, attorney-general; Albert Carrington, assessor
and collector; Newell K. Whitney, treasurer; and
Joseph L. Heywood, supervisor of roads. As no session
of the assembly had yet been held, the judiciary
was also elected by the people, Heber C. Kimball
being chosen chief justice, and John Taylor and
Newell K. Whitney associate judges. 11
The general assembly was first convened on the 2d
of July, and on the 3d Willard Snow, being appointed
speaker of the house of representatives, administered
the oath or affirmation to the executive officials.
Thus did the brethren establish, in the valley of
the Great Salt Lake, the state of Deseret. It was
certainly a novel and somewhat bold experiment on
the part of the saints, mustering then little more than
one sixth of the number required for admission as a
state, thus to constitute themselves a sovereign and
independent people, with a vast extent of territory, and
calmly await the action of congress in the matter. It
will be remembered that they themselves had lent their
aid, in howsoever slight degree, in wresting a portion
of this territory from Mexico, and they did not claim
more than they believed that they could in time subdue
and occupy. Already they felt assured that prose-
S. L. City Contributor, ii. 177. In the Deseret Neios of Oct. 19, 1850, is an
account of a three days' muster of the legion. In Id., Sept. 14, 24, 1850,
Feb. 22, 1851, July 30, 1S53, are copies of general orders issued to the legion
during certain Indian troubles, of which more later. Other general orders
will be found in Id., Dec. 8, 1853, Jan. 26, 1854, Oct. 3, 1855, July 11, Sept.
10, 1856, Apr. 1, 15, June 17, 1857. For additional items concerning the
legion, see Id., Jan. 25, March 21, Apr. 4, 1S55; S. F. Herald, Feb. 22, 1854;
Sen. Doc., 32d Cong. 2d Sess., no. 33; Fishers Am. Stat. Ann., 1854, 120;
Burton's City of the Saints, 408.
11 Utah Early Records, MS., 66; Harrison's Crit. Notes on Utah, MS., 5-6;
S. L. City Contributor, ii. 177; Smith's Rise, Progress, and Trauls, 19. At
the same election 25 magistrates or bishops of wards were elected. The number
of votes polled was 674. Hist. B. Young, MS., 1849, p. 38.