Volcano weekly ledger., 1856-02-16
gEr. Henry $. Byam,
The County Seat Bill.

10 the seat OF justice vi (ainauoi 0ouhey'-
This bill we have not seen, but have been in
formed as to its general provisions 1t pro
vides that special election be held on th'
18th day of March next, to settle BY voTI
the question Of removal with proviso tc
the effect that Volcano, in the event of sus
cess at the polls, shall, in order to reap the
advantage of that success, erect WITHOUT Ex
PEvsE TO THE COUNTY, all necessary public
buildings, at least as permanent, substantial
and commodious as those now in existence at
Jackson, aud also defray the expense of re-
moving the archives
Now we conceive that it is the privilege OF
the people of Amador county to ask each
end every member of the Senate and Assem-
bly to take this bill into full, careful, and lib
eTal consideration and more, that it is the
DuTy Of Legislators so to do--a duty they
should not carelessly omit Honorable mem
bers, selected because of their supposed hon
ssty, integrity and capability, have been cho-
sen to perform certain services for the peo-
pie; chosen to do the will of the people, as
nearly as it may be in their power to ascer-
tain that WILL The Legislature is not the
sovereign power, nor are members elected to
dictate to the sovereign power; the spirit of
our republican system of government teaches
that the people only are sovereign, and that
legislators are chosen to carry out the soyer
Sign design, and nothing more Hence we
ask it as right-demand it, if you please
hat members examine candidly the bill in
question, based as it is upon the petition of
nearly three thousand roiers, the same being
'ery large majority Of the whole vote of Am
ador county as indicated by the returns of the
last September election.
The friends Of Jackson, land certainly no
citizen of Volcano will utter shadow Of
complaint at their action) have demonstrated
gainst the submission of this important local
question to the people, or in other words
gainst the passage of the bill in question:
Eot being advised as to the numberof voters
Tho have signed the remonstrance, and not
moving whether some names were obtained
by fraud, and Others forged, or whether on the
osher hand jackson sought only to obtain
such 6oaa fde signatures as were freely given,
re do not feel called upon TO make any ex-
panation of or remarks concerning the said
famonstrance. As we have before written.
Wa may only repeat that large majo,sty of
The legal voters of the county have petitioned
for an act submitting the question Of removal
to the decision Of he people; and if Legisla-
tors see proper TO deny this prayer of the So
Fercigns-to wit, that they be allowed to set
Tic this purely local question for themselves
then will legislators assume to ROB the people
OF sovereign power, and bestow il upon them
selves. 1t is true that Amador county is not
the State of California, and that the people
Of Anador county are not by any means the
whole people of California; but this is local
question that in no wise affects the people Of
other counties, while it is of great Importance
to this particular people. The Legislature
has 10 more right to dvest the people of one
county of sovereign power than they have to
cay to the phote people of the State, you
are servants, we are sovereign" The people
Of Amador county have the same republican
nsht to say where their county seat shall be,
sLat the people of California have to select
their Governor. There is not the shadow of
difference in the propositions.
That the location of the county seat of
Amador has been definitely settled already in
accordance with fair expression of popular
WILL will doubtless be urged by the friends Of
jackson; but we have frequently refuted this
argument. The question has not been settled
at the time Of the organization Of the coun-
ty, what may most properly be termed an IN
formal vote on the county seat question was
bad. The organization of the countv--not
he location OF the county seat--was tie ques-
ton OF the day. Several towns were candi- |
oates Tor the seat Of justice, and at least four
received large votes. jackson received only
o miserable minority of the whole, and but
cry feao more votes than were cast for Vol
mo. then only small village A plurality
Of little more than half, a hundred votes
made Jackson, temporarily, the county seat
since that period, the population Of Amadcr
K wm