The Sierra citizen., 1854-04-01
SATURDAY, APRIL /, 1854.
Court House and Jail.

In view of .he increasing business in the
Courts of this county, and the fact that
heretofore business has been retar ed and
embarrassed for the want of proper facili-
ties for its transaction, the Court Of Scs-
sions, at special term held a few days
ago, appointed committee to advertise
for proposals for the erection of Court
House and Jail in Downieville. Propo-
sails will be received in accordance with
the published specifications, until the 18th
of the present month.
This is an important move, and one III
our opinion which is imperatively de-
manded. For some time after the organ;-
zation Of the county, the Courts were de-
pendent upon private Ii erality for ROOMS
in which to hold their sessions, while these
were somewhat remote from the Sheriff 5
and County Clerks Offices; the Public
Administrator meantime, having had no
Office assigned to him More recently, the
pents of Court room, Sheriff and Clerk S
offices, have amounted to a considerable
sum, all Of which outlay might have been
avoided and business better ATTENDED to, if
we had a suitable county building. Peo-
pie are too apt, in matters of this kind. to
adopt the " penny wise and pound foolish "
course of considering the Importance of
the first cost, and being deter from
action by the fact Of its being large, with
out taking into considerati II the fact Of
its ultimate saving. Hence many may
complain that SO large an amount as it
will require to build good Court House
and Jail should be taken from the County
Treasury. We ourselves are strong adyo-
Gates for economy in the public expendi-
lures, and would feel called upon to oppose
the present proposition were we not salts.
fed that the benefits to be derived from its
consummation will fully repay the county
for the expense. a request to our Sena-
tor and Representatives i'll the State Legs-
lature has, we are informed, been nume-
rously signed by taxpayers of the county,
for u law authorizing the County to levy
and collect tax upon property, OF one
half of one per cent, the proceeds to be
applied to the purpose under remark.
Should such law be passed, it would not
be oppressive upon property-ho.ders while
it would furnish in the aggregate sum
nearly if not quite sufficient for the pur-
pose, and at the same time prevent the
county from being burthened with debt.
Thus far the warrants of Sierra county
have been promptly paid, upon presenta-
ton to the Treasurer; and we trust this
healthy state in our finances will long con-
tinue. We would therefore respee tiuliy
call the attention Of our immediate repre-
sentatives in the Legislature to the pro-
posed law, and ask them to procure its
passage.
Upon the completion of the Court House
and Jail, the judicial business of the coun-
ty may 70 on smoothly and uninterrupted
ly; the public offices and Court rooms
being convenient to each other. easily
accessible, and found without dilficu ty.
We shall then be relieved. also, of several
evils which have long held sway. Public
vice and petty crimes have heretofore rome
unwhipped of justice" for want of a
place in which the perpetrators might be
lodged; prisoners have escaped, from the
insecure manner in which they were neces-
sarily confined, and one valuable life has
already been sacrificed BY the want of a
Jail. When prisoners have been sentenced
to Imprisonment. we have been obiged at
great expense to send them to neighbor-
ing county for safe-kecping. Here. also
might great saving accrue to the county
by having jail erected. Let US have it
and rowdyism and crime will decrease, the
moral atmosphere will become purified
and the taxpayer himself will be great,
benefited.
GRIZZLY UAuGar.-A sr.1L,y weigline