The Empire County argus. [volume] (Coloma, El Dorado County, Cal.) 1853-1857, 1853-12-31
CoIoma. Saturday, December 81, 1853.
MEETING OF THE LEGISLATURE-ITS
DlTTJES &c


it will meet at Bencia, probably organize, and be
ready to go to work. On Tuesday the Governors
Message will IN all likelihood be delivered, and we
expect to receive copy by Thursday night, too
late for our next paper. but which will place be-
fore our readers at the earliest possible moment.
1t is of paramount Importance that the session
should be neither protracted nor extravagant, and
to avoid being either let the members at once go
earnestly to work. dispatch the business for which
they were elected speedily but not rashy, steadily
refuse to countenance all unnecessary and irrelevant
questions, treat with Indifference all subjects of
Buncombc character and work earnestly, faithfully,
zcalously, for the good Of the State. If there be
laws that are defective amend or repeal them; in
troduce and pass such as will have a tendency to
raise the credit of the State; relieve us from our
financial embarrassment; reduce the present exor-
bitant taxes; abolish number Of useless and mere
snccure Offices drive from the capital set of lazy
idle, worthless hangers-on; make some provision
for the Court of Sessions to appropriate money for
the Improvement Of the public roads; dispense with
three -fourths of the clerks who generally frequent
the perous of the State House. and are paid extrav
agant wages for nothing; remove the seat Of Gov
ornment, if it be desirable and necessary, and can
be done without expense to the State, and pass an
act to allow the people to decide at the next gene
raj election where the permanent scat of Govern
ment shall be set definite time for the election of
U. S. Senators allow jurors reasonable and just
compensation for their time and services; equalzc
the fees of county officers; allow the owners of
bridges in the mountains compensation for the
large sums they expcnd in putting in order the
county roads; grant some stability security and
protection to persons who own town lots in mining
towns and stock in canals; recommend the building
of the Pacific Railroad by private enterprise discon-
nected with Government patronage; pass some
stringent laws to suppress riots be cautious in al
lowing claims pass no relief bills but such
absolutely necessary and imperatively demanded /;
be economical in your expenditures and appropria-
tons; work early, long, aboriously, do it well and
quickly and then adjourn
Among the first things that should be done by the
Legislature we deem the passage of an Act for the
better observance of the Sabbath, of vital impor-
lance. Such an Act we confidently believe, would
meet the unqualified sanction of all intelligent,
fectng, wel-meaning citizens. Our merchants de-
sire it. All good citizens desire it. regard for
the morals of the children who are growing up in .
our midst demands it. A law so necessary and
beneficial, would meet with but slight opposition
from any others than the vicious and depraved
The famous Stamp Act in regard to which so
much gass has been expended by our immaculate
Wing friends we would be pleased to see repealed
or greatly modified Let the advertising be open
to the competition of the different Offices in each
promised to exert their influence to have it repeal
ed. If so, they must redeem their promise.
We have listened until our heart grew sick and
our patience was exhausted to long, windy, foolish
speeches in the Legislature in which the Ameri-
can Eagle, the Stars and Stripes, this great and
glorious country its free institutions, liberal and en-
hghtencd constituency, the acquisition of territory
Tammany tactics and CEiyalry notions and a hum
dred other phrases foreign to the subject and hav
ing no connection, were all commingled in incxtri-
cable confusion full of sound and fury, sgnfying
nothing" The Legislative Hall of young gigan-
tic progressive State is no theaer for such exhibit
tons. Our people are emincntly practical, indus
trous and energctic--their servants should be
equally They care little for the speculative Wis
isaary, and unreal. A splenddp imaginative speech
may be listened to with pleasure and be greeted
with applause by the oilers and clerks about the
Legislature, but it will neither pay the debt of the
State nor benefit the community. Acts not words
are needed.
Let the industrious and practical men, those who
are disposed to earn their per diem by doing the
State service, who feel interest in its credit, its
welfare and its advancement lead off in the mat
ter, and they will soon silence all opposition that
may be made by the droncs who yearly fatten on
the public crib, and whose interest it is to protract
the session as long possible, in order to raise
little money to enable them to live in idleness the
rest of the year.
The Democratic party during the last canvass,
very unusty were held responsible for all the acts
passed by the Legislature of California since it be-
came State. Extravaganza long sessions, needless
and wasteful appropriations the State debt, &C.,
were all attributed to them, simply because "a ma
jority of the members that composed the different
Legislatures were Democrats 1t mattered not who
introduced bill Or who supported it, its passage
was prima facie evidence of its having been done by
the Democracy, and they had to bear all the odium
that attaches to unpopular measures Though it
might have received the unanimous and enthusiast
tic support of the Wing vote, and though nine
tenths Of the Democrats strenuousy opposed it, its