The Empire County argus., 1856-03-29
Wagon Roads.

Wagon Roads.
We are indebted to Maj. Hook for copy of Mr..
Days bill, introduced in the Senate March 18th.
Lack of space forbids more than glance at its
provisions. 1t is entitled
AN ACT to Provide for the Survey and Construc-
ton of Immigrant Wagon Roads across the Sier-
ra Nevada Mountains.
Sec. l. John Kirk of El Dorado county, John
Atchison of Yuba county, Ira Taylor of Calaveras
county, William Magee of Shasta cotnty and Ste
phen C. Foster of Los Angeles county are hereby
constituted and appointed Board of Immigrant
Wagon Road Commissioners. 1t shall be the duty
of said Board of Commissioners to cause to be To-
Gated improved or constructed, such wagon roads
across the Sierra Nevada mountains as are desig-
mated in the subsequent sections of this Act; and
they hereby authorized to contract for the i'm
provement construction of said roads, either as
whole or in sections, under the provisions and
restrictions of this Act
Sec. 2. One of said roads shall be located be-
tween the head of Battle Creek in Shasta county
and the eastern boundary of the State, passing
through Mobiles Pass and Fredonyer's Pass, and
through Honey Lake Valley, as near those points
as may be, in the judgment of the commissioners,
consistent with the best location of the line. An
ether of said roads shall be located between Forest
City in Sierra county and the eastern boundary of
this State; along the route surveyed in the months
of October and November, 1855, by D. B. Scott,
with such slight devatons from the line of his
vey, as may be necessary, in the judgment of the
commissioners, to secure the best location along
that general route. Another of said roads shall be
located between the Mountain Ranch, on the ridge
thirteen miles east of Placerville, and Carys MILL
at the mouth of Carson Canon in Carson Valley
following the route of the southern slope of the
ridge that lies along the north side of the south
fork of the American river crossing said fork near
Rrnah hlicSiR Rr,Hn
Ford, crossing the western summit at Henderson's s
Pass, and the eastern summit at Luthers Pass, and
passing round the northern end of Hope Valley in
to Carson Canon, and following as nearly as the
best location will allow, the line surveyed by Sher
man Day and Thomas J. Arnold, between October
1855 and January 1856, inclusive. Another of
said roads shall be located between Sleepers house
near the Big Tree $50 called in Calaveras county,
and the point where the aforesaid road, by way of
Slippery Ford, enters the head of the Carson Can
on passing by Black Springs, Grizzly Bear Valley,
Divide Lake, the head of Indian Valley, the Twin
Lakes and Hope Valley, and following as nearly as
the best final location will admit, the route ex-
plored in August and September, 1855, by Noyes
and Nieswauder. Another of said roads shall be
located between the southern end of the Cahon
Pass in San Bernardino county, and the eastern
boundary of the State, passing through said Pass,
and following nearly the old immigrant TRAIL lead
ing to the Vegas de Santa Clara; and the commits
sioners may, also, at their discretion to be
bored and fitted up series of Artesian wells along
the route between San Fipe Canon and Fort Yu-
ma on the Colorado.
Sec. 3. Authorizes the expenditure by the COM
missioners of the several sums twenty thousand,
sixty thousand, one hundred thousand, forty thou
sand and twenty thousand dollars, on the respect
i've routes, in the order in which they are named
above.
Sec. 4. Empowers any three members to trans
act business of the Board.
Sec. 9. For the purpose Of paying the contract
ors for the works aforesaid it is hereby made the
duty of the Treasurer of State, to cause to be is
sued, bonds of the State to amount not exceed
ing two hundred and sixty thousand dollars in ALL
OF the denominations of one hundred dollars and
five hundred dollars respectively payable ten years
after date, and bearing annual interest of seven
per cent. payable semi-annualy, which bonds shall
be signed by the Governor and countersigned by
the Controller, and endorsed by the Treasurer of
State; they shall be made payable in the city of
New York, but the interest may be made payable
either in the city of New York, or at the office of
the State Treasurer. And for the purpose of pro-
viding means to pay the interest and principal of
said bonds, annual tax shall be levied by the
proper authorities in each county of the State, of
'hio0 SOhto OH cdSH OuS uuuuTcu uOHdrS vi tdAdDlc
property, which tax shall be levied and collected
at the same time, and in the same manner as other
State taxes, and when so collected and paid into
the State Treasury, shall by the State Treasurer
and Controller, be set apart special sinking
fund.- for the payment of the interest, and ultimate
redemption of the principal of said bonds.
Sec. TO- Provides for submitting the subject to
vote of the people at the fall election, and re-
quires the Governor to give three months previous
notice thereof
Sec. 16 The roads constructed or improved un-
der the provisions of this Act shall remain as pub
lie wagon roads, free of toll, and shall be open be-
tween fences, a width of not less than four rods :;
and where artifcially improved, the roadway shall
be at least sixteen feet wide on top and made with
grade, in the longitudinal section of the road,
not sleeper than five degrees.
POSTAL REFORM At mass meeting of the
merchants of New York, the following proposed
reforms in the postal system were unanimously
adopted:
|. Uniform postage of two cents on letters, with
out regard to distance, and cheap uniform rate
for printed matter
2. Receiving houses and letter carriers for the
collection and delivery of letters in cities and prin-
cipal towns without extra charge.
3. Money orders for sums not exceeding S25, to
be drawn by the principal post offices on each 9TH
er.