The weekly Placer herald., 1854-02-11
Correspondence of the Placer Herald.
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE.

"a LII OENN n ATUFSAA ~ u w. T..
BENECiA, Feb. 7th, 1854
Several printed bills were laid on the
desks of members this morning. From,
these | find the number of House bills
amounts to sc and those of the >enate to
50, already printed; and this notwith-
standing that no bills are printed but by
special order. Thus it will be seen that
both houses have work enough before
them, though very little has yet been per-
fected. If the Senate postpone the Sen
atorial bill, as the House has, and which
is probable, both houses would 60 to work
in earnest, and would soon dispose of the
work before them. Most of the bills are
yet in the hands of committees, and, to
afford time for more CO uniittee ahor. the
House, to-day, agreed to meet hereafter
at l2; instead of 10 o'c c'ork. 1t frequent
~ happens that several hi Is are present
Ell, having the same object. At present
there are four bills to protect the rig hts of
settlers, pending. If all bills were sent
to their appropriate committees etorr
heiny ordered printed, there would he a
great saving 10 the State, though the
State Printer would'loSp by he operation.
Among the hi Is distributed this morn
ing is an important one introduced by Mr..
LYONS, the tit of which is 10 reclaim
tuIe lands and encourage the cultivation
of sugar, rice and cotton thereon" The
object is laudahe one and well deserves
legislative encouragement, but the bill, IN
the opinion of your correspondent, de :
fpctive. Grants of favor should always
he well guarded. The granter has the
power to state explicitly what it intends
TO grant. If hs fail to do so the grantee
wi take all that the most liberal ronStruc
ton will al ow hlm 1t is in human ma
ture t. tar that it can get, especially
if it be taken from the pub ic.
The hi nuthori>es "tas. d. Gig er
and his associates to Sc ect, locate and
improve, three entire sections, from any
tule, swamp and overlooked lands, lying
within the state of CalItoruia; PrOu ded,
that not less than three hundred and t~ en-
~ acres he selected in one body"
The first objection that presents itself
is in the ''asSocateS " There is no mum.
Der named Two woud fulfill the aw,
and these may be the sons of the grantee,
thus giving to one family 'rhree entire
secti0n>," which, considering the limited
amount of agricultural land we have in
the State. is quite too large an allowance.
1t the cultivation prove profitable three
sections would afford ample emp oynent
for six families, and full remuneration for
their labor
The second objection is, allowing tn,
land tn be located in six different tracts.
A large portion of the overf1owed lands
are neither tule nor swamp lands. The
water recedeS and they become dry in
time for cultivation. These are the best
lands in the State. By locating in tracts
of 800 acres the three sections may be so
selected AS TO include but cry small
portion of tu q or swamp ands
The object Of so liberal II grant appears
to be to compensate the grant for the
expense of experiments. he 4h section
of the bill provides that "N thin one
year from the passage of the act, not less
than one hundred acres of the said lands
shall he reclaimed, improved and cult
waited, and sugar, rice and cotton planted,
and full report OF the mode of rerlanla-
ton, cultivation and yield of sugar, rice
and cotton, shall he made to the Legis a.
ture, aud annually, for two years there
atter.''
He o'Jtft Is to teot tHr pTdctcduI NY
of redeenllng The tn and swamp lands,
and their adaptation to the cultivation of
the rro' mentioned; hut if the selection
be confined chiefly to overfowed lands
there will he little or no expense of recla-
nation, and no test Of the quality Of the
swamp lands. The letter Of the law may
he complied with, the grant secured with
out any benefit resulting to the State.
SEN TlNEL.