The Nevada journal., 1852-02-26

and elected two u. S Senator's, Su
preme Court Judges, District Judges
and other officers, and still further pro
vided for the appointment and cleo
ton Of additional officers, who, like {
cloud Of locusts, oversprcad the lane
and consumed the substance Of the
people. "On, Stanley, on" was the
watchword and reply. The people are
still wrapped in their golden dreams,
they exclaimed, "hasten, before they
awake from their trance, to weave
around them the meshes of Law, and
fasten upon their necks the yoke Of
Taxatioran and debt" The election re-
turns now on the file in the office OF
the Secretary of State, develop the
sad reality, that the people were asleep,
and oblivious of the mighty change
that was going on around them. 1t is
there found on record, that out of the
100000 inhabitants then in Califor-
only eleven thousand two hundred and
ninety voted for the Constitution; nine :
tenths of whoom, perhaps, have long
since left the State. BY the force OF
association of ideas, we are here re-
minded of the NEUROLOGICAL TACT, that
while Jove, the mighty thunderer,
slept upon his throne, his scepter was
stolen away by the cunning Mercu-
ry.
Having traced the Constitution
through all its various phases, from its
inception to its formation and ratifica-
ton, let Us look into the integral II erits
of this majestic State paper, this off
spring of ambitious hopes and bantling
of an ardent longing after immortali
ty.' When we reflect that the Con-
vention was composed Of men from
every state in the Union, each enter
tanning his own peculiar notions of
State policy, and each desirous of con-
tributing stone TO this monument Of
wisdom, we ought not to be surprised
at its faithful resemblance, fgSrative-
ly speaking, to Chinese chequer-
board, or the many colored coat of the
sanity Joseph. The most prominent
idea impressed upon the mind by a
careful perusal of the constitution, is
that of wonder, at the enlarged scope
of patriotism which prompted those
Lycurgan artizans to throw protecting
arms over an expanse Of country near
ly equal in area to the old thirteen
states. AT the same time the convic-
ton rushes upon US, that this error
alone was fatal to the proposed scheme
of Government, and more especially
when it is taken i'll connection with
Sec. Ii, Art. !, which declares that
Cali laws of general nature shall
have a uniform operation )" and por-
tion of Sec. Is, Art, II, which pro-
vides that taxation shall be equal and
uniform throughout the State We
freely admit that these are good pro-
visions of law in States Of moderate
dmentions; but cannot be 80 consid-
cred in reference to California, the
boundary lines Of which embrace an
extent of country having different cli-
mates. varieties of soil, conflicting in
tcreots, and contraricty Of resources.
There seems TO he no shadow Of doubt,
that the mining counties require a
system Of laws entirely distinct from
the commercial and agricultural coun-
ties. One of,v"'hr@ "a imperitive-
ly called for, ("..ir can be accom-
plished only by a change OF the Con-
stitution, either 10 greatly redvce the
limits of the State, or give to the Leg
islature the power of special legisla-
ton the latter plan being somewhat
equivocal and dangerous, the former
might be adopted as the dernier re-
sort. ~
In order to illustrate, to some extent.
the unequal and unjust operation, in our
State, of the principles that "al laws of
general nature shall have u uniform
operation" and 'hata 'taxatioa s,all be
equal and uniform throughout the State
we take the liberty of citing the follow
ing passage in Governor Nc Dougars
message: From an examination of the
taxes assessed upon real and personal
property, and of tho 'e returned as delin-
quent, which will be seen by reference
to the Comptroller of State, the six
southern and grazing Counties with u
population of 6,367 souls as taken from
the census returns, have paid into the
Treasury for the fiscal year ending the
first Of July last, the sum of s4l,705 26
while the twelve mining Counties, with
population of 1897, have paid s2l,-
253 &c. The latter have representa-
tion in the Legislature of fory-four,
while the former have but twelve. The
amount OF capitation tax assessed IN the
twelve mining Counties is So ,495 90,
and the amount returned as delinquent,
S47,9l5, co. while the mount assessed