The weekly Placer herald., 1853-01-08

proceedings required under 1t, through a
Board of Commissioners, might be well
and benefcially dispensed with, and those
claims brought directly into the DISTRICT
Court of the United States, where the
rules of legal evidence are observed;
where witnesses are brought INTO court
examined and cross-examlned, ana Wnere
ali the parties interested can be heard by
counsel. Commissioners acting under the
existing law, defective as 1t Is cohceued
TO be. have made or will hereafter make,
few decisions which will not be appealed
to the District Court 1t must, therefore,
be readily perceived how it will operate as
a great saving of time and expense to re-
nuire them, in the first instance, to be
brought before the judicial tribunal. |
recommend that Congress be memorial
lied on the subject, with view to the re-
peal of the present law, ana the passage
of an act prescribing the mode OF br'ng-
ING these claims for adjudication and set
tement at once before the United states
District Court.
The superior importance in promoting
the prosperity of States is too well ull-
derstood, and too universally conceded, to
require extended comment. For the en-
couragement Of this interest, and as an
inducement to diversity of pursuits
amongst the people of the State, res
pectfully call your attention TO the pro-.
priety of again exerting the influence OF
the Legislature in an effort to obtain the
passage of a law by Congress donating
the public lands in limited quantities to
actual settlers.
The interests of both State and Nation
....e,ou..to,luIy NC suuoelNou ny mus
donating the public domain in small tracts
1t will induce emigration to the State;
greatly increase the amount OF taxable
properly; and above all, secure to us
an abundance of the necessaries of life
produced at home; and thus retain
amongst ourselves to be applied in ex-
tending agricultural operations, the mil
lions now expended annually for products
of fore gn growth"
The Governor still adheres to the opin-
ion expressed in his message of the 90th
the mineral lands by the General Govern
ment, would exert bli9hting influence
upon the advancing prosperity of our
growing State, and parayze the energies
of the enterprsng body of men now en-
gagged in developing the mineral resources
Of California. At present there are no
exactions upon labor w the mines. All
that can be gathered from the bed sands
of our rivers, or dug from the deep recess
ses Of our hills, belongs to the industrious
and adventurous miner; and the knowl-
edge that such is the fact, encourages to
perseverance in we'll directed efforts to
secure the hidden treasure. The reasons
are indeed numerous and cogent why the
National Government, iii common justice,
should make no additional eXHctlons upon
the industry and enterprise of our people,
nor pursue course of policy favored by
none except those interested in the estab
lishment of powerful monopolies, against
the domination of which Government
assiduously y guard"
'srho report of the Superintendent of
Public Instruction contains many valuable
on the interesting subject of
Education. California will, probably, as
possess ample means to foster and sustain
a system of Common School Education,
which must, in time, give high charac-
ter to our evil institutions. The fund
applicable to this subject, the interest on
which is to be annually appropriated for
the exclusive support Of Common Schools,
is now nearly TWO hundred thousand dol
lars, and when the residue of the school
lands are sold, will amount to one million.
This considerable sum is still, not the full
extent of our means, or the only resource
upon which our Common School System
rests its future prospects and hopes. The
last Legislature, alive to the great inter
ests of Education, and regarding its per-
manent and liberal support us intimately
interviewer with the first duties of the
representatives of government which
has derived form and vitality, and the flu
ture existence of which may be said to
depend upon the intelligence of the peo-
pie, wisely made provision for an addi-
tional sum pledged to the extension of the
blessings and bounies of knowledge and
science, to every family within this, the
youngest State of the confederacy. The
additional means relied upon, consists in
an annual tax of five cents of the thirty
imposed on each one hundred dollars Of
valuation which has already commenced
flowing into the treasury; and on the 18th
of December last amounted to $40 ,6S7 l6;
and the amount of interest due on the
School Land Fund on the first day of
January, 35,412 81: making total of
S16 ,099 46, now in the treasury. The
amount of assessment, deducting expenses
Of collection, 500, ,696 26, of which sum-
S12,059 10 is still due from the several
Countv EreoSurieS