Butte record., 1854-12-23
THE LEGISLATURE.

This body will convene atsthe Capitol
if it can be found, on Monday the first
day o January next. The Governor,
we believe, has called session of his su-
preme Judges, in oroer to counteract
the proceedings of Judge Hester, of the
San Jose District, and to decide that
the Capitol is at Sacramento. Donbt-
less the decision will be rendered in
time to stop the Members'of the Legis-
lature at Sacramento.
The legitimate business of the session
it is believed might be accomplished
within sixty days: but the work laid
out by factions, and other persons for
speculative purposes, will doubtless ex-
tend the approaching session to the Gus
tomary length of about five months.
That legislative session of such du-
ration is required to transact the lcgiti
mate and necessary business of State
Legislation, viii not be assumed by any
one At the same time it is quite prob
able that the Senatorial factions, and
and the number of applicants for special
legislation, will extend the session far
beyond the time required by the wants
of the State. In view of the lengthy
session last year, and the amount Of
special Legislation introduced, together
with the bad odor which the last legi~la-
ture fastened upon itself, it is probable
that the present legislature may be gov
erned more by desire to consult the
interest of the State and their constitu-
ients, and not prolong the session for the
purposes of accomplishing factional and
-peculative legislation. 1t is remark
able fact, and its equal has not been pro-
duced by any State in the Union, that
but three members of the last Assembly
have been reelected to the present As
sembly. There is significance about
this fact which Will, doubtless, have its
bearing upon the present legislature,
and cause them to throw off that faetional
and lobbying influence, which has here
tofore corrupted the healtby surrent of
our State Legislation.
One factional project, and closely al
lied with the reelection of Senator
Gwin, is that of the State Printing.
Unless the Gwin faction have lately
changed their order of battle, they will
endeavor to annul the law of the last
session, making the office of State Prn-
ter elective by the people, and again
place it at the disposal of The legislature
in order that it may be made to aid in
the success of faction, and become the
reward of apostate tools. The reasons
and arguments, which render it policy
to elect other State officers, apply with
equal force to the State Printer, and
we can see no reason why other State
offices should be made elective by the
people, and that of State Printer retain
ed by the Legislature 1t is an off ce in
which the people of the State are more
deeply interested than any other in the
State, because the salary or compensation
is vastly larger than that of any other
office connected with the State govern
ment, and that is the reason why the
Gwin faction desire to again place it at
the disposal of the Legislature, in order
that it may be traded off to secnre votes
for their candidate 1t is 10 be hoped
that the present Legislature will deem it
proper to let the office remain elective
by the people, and not, by again giving
the disposal of it to the Legislature,
make it an instrument to aid the sue
cess of faction. If it is thought advis-
able TO change it at all, let the legisla
ture reduce the price now paid for the
State printing, about one-third, and they
will find they have stopped leak in the
expenses of the state government, and
still find plenty of applicants for the Of
fee.
To such an extent does the influence
of factions extend in this State, that it
is next to impossible to rid the State of
their blightning influence, and it be-
hooves the legislature to curtail their
power as far as possible, by placing all
offices at the direct disposal of the peo-
pie.
CRIME.-The State Journal says that
within considerably less than two months
there have been six judicial executions
in this State. During the same time,