The Shasta courier., 1856-01-19
SHASTA COURIER.
THE INAUCURAI..

he makes. IF he should carry ont the reforms
therein promised, his administration will re-
ceve the cordial support of the people
Ills address is brief and pointed and will re-
pay attentive pernsal
After his Introduction. which is chastc and
neat be proceeds 10 CALI attention to provisions
of the Constitution which lie thinks have been
violated, and promises reform.
"AErIcLE VIII, STATE DEBrs-The Lesisla-
tnre shall not in any manner create any debt or
debts. liability or liabilities which shall sinslv
nr in the aggregate. with any previous debts or
liabilities. exceed the sum of three hundred
thousand dollars. except III case of war. to repel
INVASION or suppress insurreciion, uuless the
same shall be authorized by some law for some
single object or work TO be distinctly specified
therein; which law shall provide ways and
means, exclusive of loans. for the payment of
the interest of such debt or liability ms il falls
due and also to discharge the principal of such
debt or liability within twenty years from the
time CT the contracting thereof and shall be ire
pealable until the principa and interest thereon
shall he paid and discharged But such law
shall take effect until at a general election il
>lfill have been submitted to The people and
have received Il majority OF all The votes cast Tor
and against it at such election. and all money
only 10 The specific object therein stated. or 10
the payment of the debt thereby created and
such law shall be published in al least one news
paper IN each judicial District (if any be pub
llshed iheren) throug liout the State, for three
months next preceding the election at which it
is submitted 10 the people,
Has This article been faithfully observed
these requirements pursued in the millions of
money appropriated, now aggresaiins our public
deb. and hereafter TO be discharged hy means
OF nnerous cxnciions from The people! Truly
MOI. M lnconslderable amount of appropria-
tons since The State Indebtedness reached the
sum mentioned, has been for '.specifa purpos
es. not embraced within The exceptions named
TO be adNeried 10 hereafter. In these, each snc-
ce>sire Legislature has borne lis part, and gen
orally. it is believed without duly cousiderino
The elect oi such restrictions
With the established fact that our existing in
debietlness tar transcCnds the sum of three hun
dred ihonsand dollars. literal construction of
tins article might seem 10 embrace among the
interdicted appropriations such even as nre abb
soluiely necessary To the support of the State
government. ln this view however | cannot
concur. All governments must inherently pos
sess, TO u practical extent, the power of provid
ing means tor their maintenance so far
even as To pledge their credit and revenue: else
every movement ight be at once arrested, and
each department fail utterly TO perform the func-
tons Tor which II was ordained. The xtluson
OF such authority III our own State government
without the observance of tie formula prescrib
ell III the article just quoted, would wholly des-
troy lis uiihiy, and render It's action entirely
aboriive; thus making it what it was never de-
signed to be by the trainers of the Constitution
"a government in name, indeed, but destitute
OF the power to impart vitality To any of its
movements Hence, in my view no Constitu-
tionai objection can arise, in making all needful
appropriations Tor supporting the varons de-
partmen's OF the Stale government. But here
The authority ceases; and each and cre,y appro-
priaton for purposes not absolutely and neces-
sariy embraced within the class of expenditures
required TO support Me State gore,nmcnt, or such
as iall within tue exception-.'in case of war; to
repel INVASION or suppress insuIrccfion';-
Constitution utterly forbids and prohibits. un-
less previously submitted to the people for their
sanction and ratification in the prescribed man
ner.
In this same connection, l would call aten-
ton to section %. article 4lh o. the Constitu-
ton" No money shall be drawn from The treas
riy but IN consequence of appropriations made
by law" How far this requirement has been
complied with it is only necessary TO refer to
past action. and 1t will be seen that a consdera-
bic amount OF state Indebtedness has been crec-
ted by at least most la;tudinous construction
OF What constitutes an appropriation made by
law, anu Olen Dy an uller disregard OF this
positive mandate of The Constitution
Another restrictive feature of This instrument
is found in the article relating to corporations,
aud which fear has not been so closely observed
as It's importance demands. Section 3 of arl-
Gle 4l. provides that .Corporalions may be
formed under general laws, but shall not be Gre
ated by special act, except for municipal pur-
poses, and the sense in which the word ..cor-
porations' is there employed is defined in Sec
,f IL n
term corporations, used in this article, shall
be construed 10 include all associations and
joint-stock companies, having any of the powers
or privileges of corporations not possessed by in
dividuals or partnerships" The experience of
all legislation has demonstrated the pernicious
consequences attendant on comforting authority
upon Tie legislative department TO grant special
privileges to corporate companies i'll which the
public have little or no interest, To mention
no greater objection, the frequency alone Of
such applications oftentimes absorbs much val
liable time, and greatly retards the course OF
general business The trainers of our Constitu-
ton have, therefore, except tor municipal pur-
poses, wisely forbidden the Legislature to pass
other than general laws this subject Euter-
tanning the opinion that those provisions mean,
what, i'll words readily understood, they declare,
If, upon examination, it shall be found that the
general laws hitherto enacted require amend
nent SO as to promote their greater usefulnes,
my sanction will be most cheerfully given, but,
except Tor municipal purposes, ii will be with
held from any special act OF incorporation.
In speaking Of the veto power of the Cover
nor, he holds the following language:
The only remaining subject, especially con-
nected with this branch of my remarks, to which
will allude. is the veto power conferred on the
Executive. In this respect The Constitution of
California is not singular but finds a precedent
in that of the Federal Union, and with various
notifications, in those OF all the states compos-
ing that Union. At this remote period it is I'M
necessary II investigate the motives which, in a
system of government like our own, promoted
the adoption OF feature positively in deroga-
ton OF the popular viii, manifested through
their chosen representatives but we may ra-
tienally infer that The prerogative thus bestowed
was never designed to be rashy inconsider-
| ately exercised, nor its uses prosttuted to the
| accomplishment of selfish ends, but rather TO
intact the Constitution IN ri from,