Butte record., 1856-04-12
no ,,e citizens of Batte County.

THE LEGISLATURE Of this State having passed
a Bill. providing for holding an election to de-
eide upon the removal OF the present County
Seat, and to decide upon the future location
of the county seat, the question will be sub
mi7ted to you on the 18th of the present
month
In view Of this, the citizens of Bidwell de-
sire to present to their fellow citizens of the
county. q few facts for their consideration.
F1Rsr. On the removal Of the county seat
from Hamilton. in 1853, it was provided that
the citizens of Bidwen should erect suitable
county buildings, without expense to the
county. This was done, at a cost of about
six thousand dollars, incurred by the citizens
of Bidweu and vicinity. No one can saw with
even shadow OF truth, that the Court House.
Jail, and Offices, or any Of them are INSULT
cient. nor that they have cost the county one
cent, beside the necessary repairs since the
county took possession of them in 1853
SECOND. Besides the amount of money ex-
pended upon the county buildings, the eiti-
zens Of Bilwsl and vicinity have expended
for the benefit Of the county in the improve
ment Of public roads, not less than seven or
ei zht thousand dollars, and from which re-
turn has ever been received from the county,
and by this expenditure have made good roads
and easy Of access both to the north and south
Of the county seat.
THIRD Bidweil is nearer the geographical
center Of the county than any other mentioned d
for the county seat, and is the largest and
most permanent place in the county, and
whatever may be said to the contrary by hire
! ling ncwspaDer scribblers, has always polled
the larges, vote Of any place in the county
/ FoURTH Although the present Act for re-
moval proTides that the place selected shall
put mp. free Of expense to the county, as good
! buildings as those now III use, with majority
of the Board of Supervisors in favor of an un
conditional removal, will ii not be impo ssible
to complete the removal without some consid-
cradle expense to the county, One thing is
certain, that by voting for the county seat tc
remain where it now is there is no possible
chance for expense, while by voting for re
moya, you take all tha chances for entailing
q rev debt upon The county.
FIrrH. The citizens Of the Valley Of the
Sacramento haze now been agitating the ques
ton Of Il division Of the county, by line run
Mug up Feather River TO the West Branch
and thence north along the West Branch -
They urge, and with Justice too, that The in
terest Of tine entire people east Of that line, is
ut variance With the interest Of the people OF
the valley aal insist that the miner of the
hills, and the furmer Of the valley, would botl
be benefited hy county government wa cl
could foster the peculiar interest Of each -
Upon such division, the people Of the valley
are determined, and even should the citizens
Of the other pcr,ion make the attempt, they
cannot expect to prevent n division for mOr'
than ole or two years longer. When that III
vision docs take place, the places now striving
to influence You to vote for them for the c)un
ty seat, will be upon the dividing line of tht
county on the west, and within ten miles 0
the aytrprnp aoutlt- wp9t pornar Vherp wDuli
necessarily have to be new removal, agair
to be attended with expense, and again t
plunge the county into debt.
SIXTH. Again, 0royille is now confidently
believed to be upon the grant of land made by
tie Mexican Government to Mr.. Huber. whicl
grant viii doubtless be confirmed by the Su-
preme Court of the United States, judging
from the prior decisions of that Court in re
gard to Mexican Grants. Should the county
seat be removed by your votes to that place
it would be Of no consequence with how gooc
faith the citizens of that place may act in put
ting up suitable buildings. and in deciding thu
land TO the county Whenever Mr.. Huber
shall perfect his title, the county will be re
quired to pay him for the land at what he nlaJ
value it, or will have to leave it. However
patriotic the citizens of 0roville may be, they
cannot make good deed to land which the]
do not own.
In view of the above facts, we ask you if i
would be justice to the citizens of Bidwell, af
ter their expense in providing public building
and improving public roads, to now decide by
your votes that they shall lose a great portion
Of the benefits Of those expenditures Ifi
would not be in effect public violation Of E
public contract, that if the citizens of Bidwel
would erect suitable county buildings, tina
B;dwell should be the county seat?
Again, with the almost absolute certainty
Of a division of the county within one or tw,
years, and the probability that in removing
the county seat to Oroville, you will place i
upon q Mexican Grant in either Of which
cases. a new removal VIII be necessary, or th'
county viii be compelled to purchase the Ian,
at price to be fixed by the grant holder
would it not oe for the interest Of the county
and for the tax payers of the county, to wal
until those questions have been decided, be
fore determining upon removal:
We make these statements to you in fairnes
and candor, and ask for them your candid con
sderatign. as citizens and tax payers Of Butt
county, fuily believing you to be capable o
Judging, as well what is for your own inter
ests, rs for the interest Of the county at large