The Nevada journal., 1852-03-18

{ X TRACT

| En- hhGI
From Mr.. Ellis Speech on the Bill pro.
riding for Constitutional
Convention.
But what are the specific allegation
brought against the present much abus
ed Constitution Why, sir, strange te
say, it 10 grandly asserted TINT the "Su'
preme Court should have appellate ju.
risdiction in all cases in which the Dis
trict Courts have original jurisdiction. >
And pray. is this not the provision of the
present Constitution But the report
proceeds to set forth that e Magistrates
and Recorders Courts should have origi-
nal Jurisdiction in civil cases of $500
and under, and in criminal cases below
the grade Of felony" Does the present
constitution define the jurisdiction Of
magistrates, or deny to the Legislature
the power to determine the jurisdiction
Of those useful judicial officers? No!
But, sir, this famous report seems to ia
vor what some have boldly attested as
new, dangerous and anti-republcan
dOctrine. and enc that is fast becoming
the current coin of this House. 1t is
that taxation is the true basis OF repre-
sentstion y in other words that horses,
mules and asses, not freemen, should be
represented in Legislation. This doc
trins might be fattering to the wealthy
land holder, and q very handsome rep
resentation would be sent to this Assem-
bly, from his 10000 or 10000 acres Of
rich and valuable land, and the Wild
horses and herds Of cattle grazing upon
its thousand hills or their equivalent
plains but how it will meet the views
Of the 100, 900 miners that look down
upon onr deliberations, from their tents,
pitched upon the lofty snew-eovsrsd
mountains that surround us, glittering
in the distant sunlight, leave them to
answer at the ballot box. But, sir, as
principle sought to bs sngrafted upon
our Republican Institutions, | denouncs
it as striking at the very foundation of
free government, destructive to the
rights and liberties of the people, and,
of all countries on earth, most odious to
California, which was purchased not by
the wealthy lordlings who seek to GO
vern it, but by the perils, privations,
and blood Of the freemen whom that
principle would rob of their birthright.
and sink TO the condition Of serfs and
slaves. Sir, the souls of freemsn is the
only property ever wish to see repre-
sentsd in the halls Of legislation. have
objections to the aristocracy of England,
as we'll as to the despetism of Russia,
and desire to sec neither the enc nor
the other substituted in place of our
present republican form Of government
But, sir, the argument which charges
the constitution with introducing this
alleged inequality of taxation, is in
keeping with the inoonsiste ciss of the
bill under consideration. The constitu-
ton declares that taxation shall be
equal and uniform throughout the State.
All property in this State shall be taxed
in proportion to its value" Do gentle
men desire that the now constitution
which they propose to take the place of
the present, shall contain a provision
that taxation shall not be equal and
uniform throughout the State" and that
property shall not be taxed in proper
tion to its value 2" If they do not, the
inequality Of taxatien sf which gentle
men complain, proceeds from defects in
the revenue laws or their execution, and
not from the constitution. But, sir, the
real object Of this bill, if it must be ex-
posed, is a division OF the State--taking
with the south San Francisco, the agri-
cultural districts, and every sea port
that might be rendered available to the
mining districts, and thus shutting them
out from the sea coast, and confning the
northern State to IL range Of mountain
counties, and ultimate y forcing the
whole mining population to 20 back to
territorial government. This is the
true object sought by portion Of tho
supporters Of this bill, and warn gen |
tlemen from the mining counties that
this must be the certain and inevitable |
result. 1t is folly to pretend to be igno-
rant or blind to The fatal tendency Of
the policy proposed to be practeed in
relation to the mining interests OF the |
State. Sir, have had it hurled at my
head that the miners pay no taxes and |
are entitled TO no representation: | deny |
the proposition and the deduction.
am willing to admit, that according to
the Comptroller's Report for the last
year, an inequality exists in the amounts
paid by the different counties, but this,
apprshend, is susceptible of satisfac-
tory explanation. Mostof the mountain
counties have been but recently organ
lied, and time has not yet elapsed suf-
6cient to put the active machinery Of
government into operation. My own
county Nevada is scarcely yet nine
months old j; her assessor failed to dis.
charge his duties and never returned
his books, nor made any thing that
might be called q valuation Of the pro-
perty Of the citizens; and yet sir, | am
proud 10 say that $1,000 have been paid
into your treasury, and all you have re-
turned or paid for our benefit, is the
amazing sum of $50 each TO four OF our
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