The Empire County argus., 1856-05-10


and damage of movable property and enormous
rents for Offices and other buildings, where the
county has none, besides the cost of this special
election but entail upon the county direct taxation
to the tune of $50 600 NET exclusive of the cost of
collection. Here is the law, to which the careful
attention of the reader is invited:
"Sec. A. In the event of removal of the county
seat from the town of Coloma, in pursuance of this
Act the Board of Supervisors shall have power
and 1t shall be their dty to leUy direct tao upon
the property of said county. ratably as it shall APP
pear on the assessment roll. in per centage upon
the one hundred dollars sufficiently large to ensure
net receipts into the treasury of said county of
sum in cash equal to fifty thousand dollars, to be
appropriated and expended bv and under the direc-
tion of the Board of Supervisors of said county
exclusively fo' the erection Of public buildings meces
sa'y for the holding of courts, county Offices, and
the confinement OF prisoners
This section is imperative, no lodging or escap
ing It, only to keep the county seat where it is. at
Cooma. 1t is one Of the conditions Of the law
submitting this matter to the people. and must be
complied with, and will be complied with by the
present Board of Supervisors, in the event of remo
val ''immediately." No subtcrfuge. misrepresenta-
tion, oily CANNON trick will exricate taxpayers
from this burdensome demand on their properly if
IA majority of the people vote in favor of Placer
vile at the approaching election Retain the
county seat ut Coloma, direct taxation will be
avoided. No tax will be required for county pur-
poses current revenue will pay current expenses.
and ultimately liqudate all outstanding demands
against the county. The Grand Jury in their late
report, before alluded to. say:
''Wth diligence in the collection of foreign min
crs' licenses and other branches of revenue, it is
believed the current receipts for the future will
fully equal the average Of the past six months.
If so, current expenses may be paid and the pres.
ent outstanding Indebtedness of the county dis
charged without resort to any county tax This
| is desirable nasmuch as if no county tax is levied
the whole expense Of assessing will be chargene to
the State, thereby saving the county several thou
sand dollars -
"Seceral thousand dollars" for assessing will be
saved to the county if the county seat is retained
at Coloma. consideration worthy of attention
among economical and industrious citizens who
have at heart the present and future welfare of the
county.
Should the county seat be removed to Placerville
! grounds on which to erect public buildings will
have to be purchased. and not dollar of the $50
000 can be used for this purpose. The sum total.
every cent IN the language of the law, must be ex-
pended "EXcLUsIvELy for the erection of public
buildings"
Capital. this Placerville arrangement. Squeeze
$4,000 net from the taxable property of the county
amounting to So on every Sl00 ON the assessment
roll. to be devoted 'cxclusvely to the erection of
fine buildings in that city. Meantime the current
revenue derived from poll taxes and licenses must
be devoted to the payment of rents paying guards,
! paying expenses of removal and derayng the ex-
penses of this uncalled for election, which no man
out of Pacervlle ever desired, and no man in the
county petitioned the legislature to authorize
and all the time the county running in debt The
county must continue without bridges of her own
remain destitute of good roads, the poor sick 90
unprovided for, and everybody pay toll to private
companies in whatever direction they travel, with
county credit deprecated and funds in the trea-
sury-- all this. it the county seat is removed, and
no compensation in return, except the erection of
fine palace in Flacervle from the hard earnings of
the people,
Cofoma IS nearer the center Of population than
Placcrville and more convenient for the transac-
ton of public business The official returns of the
annual election for 1855, show u total vote Of SS77
: of which 2oO9 votes, one-third of the whole.
were poled North of Coloma, between the South
and Middle Forks of the American River, and
3,l9G South of the South Fork and West of Pla-
cerville- making total of COOS votes nearer
Coloma than Placcryille. All the county East of
Placerville including Indian Diggings, Brownsville,
&c, poed only l.G50, and Placerye, including
the Upper Town, 1000, making 2872--and show
ing clean majority nearer Coloma than Placer
vile, of 9, 1873.
No sane man will deny, that Coloma is more ac-
ceptabe for all the Northern portion of the county
than Placcrville, To descend and ascend a noun
tam travelling each way, in crossing at Chilean Bar
to reach Pacerville, would be great hardship
For all the Western portion of the county Cooma
is more easily reached than any other town except
Diamond Springs ard FL Dorado embracing too,
as it does, more than one-third Of the entire vote
cast at the last election.
CoLoMA has excellent roads in every direction is
more central, when population is regarded, than
Placerville, therefore nothing is gained by the mass
of the people hy removal Great loss to the county
will accrue, and vast Inconvenience be inflicted
upon great majorltyo of the citizens of FL Dorado
| ii lacPrville should he successful in her darling
measure Of changing the county seat at the cost Of
the whole people, for the aggrandizement of Il few
of her property holders and to promote the per-
sonal schemes of her small politicians.
On the 1914 of AprH last, the county indebted
ness Sll 534 9S; since which, the Board of
Supervisors has audited several thousand dollars of
accounts This Indebtedness will soon be dis
charged, if county affairs remain undsturbed If
removal of county seat is encouraged and proves
successful, then the credit of the county will be
clouded. her paper deprecated, and no better than
! Pacervllle bonds bearing two per cent. per month
interest begging in the market for purchaser at
II runous discount, and none so foolish as to look
at them Jurymen and witnesses will then be
paid in scrip, public buildings will be idle and
shantes rented instead, while tho Sheriff taps
| every man on the shoulder, demanding So on every
500 of personal and real property, to be devoted
to beautying the cny of Placerville
Will sensible, discreet men, encourage ruinous
policy of this kind! Most assuredlv not Every