The Trinity journal., 1856-03-08
90 Nj M u NICATED.
THE VETO.


Legislation for the north and more par
ticularly for that portion comprising the
10Th Judicial District has ever been of q
most remarkable character. But few special
acts which have been passed and were pre-
of much less canvassed by us before they be-
came laws. Former Legislatures have seen
fit without solicitation on our part so to al
ter, amend, change and re-arrange matters
for us as to compel the counties of Trinity
and Humboldt to have upon the District
Judges bench no less than six different in
cumbents. Some whom we have elected
have been removed or rather their Districts
changed so as to deprive us of their services,
and others calico to fill the positon-until
at last the crowning act of all we were made
to compose an entire District This remark
able act, unsolicited, provides that "there
shall be paid in the manner provided by law
to the Judge" of the Fifteenth Judicial Dis
trict 't0ar MOuSand per annum." II this
were intended to be four thousand dollars,
by what inducement or process of reasoning
the Legislature saw fit to pay the Judge of
our District less than others in the State or
how it was concluded that Trinity and Hum
boldt were not entitled to as much talent
upon their Judicial bench as any other coun-
ty, cannot divine.
This act certainly was imperfect and
needed Interpretation, and it was certainly
within the power of the present Legislature
to define the meaning of this act For al
most the first time an act was introduced
for our benefit the business and propriety of
which every citizen of the entire District
who is conversant with the subject at all,
was satisfied and desired it to become a
law 1t being an act to define the term and
fix the pay of the Judge of the 18th Judicial
District was a necessary act, if such term
and pay had not been fixed This act has
been declared by our Governor to be uncon-
stituti0nal; and consequently vetoed | am
in favor of each arm Of the government act
ing within its peculiar sphere. If this act
is unconstitutional why not let the proper
tribunal determine this point? Our Consti-
tuition provides a Supreme Court to deter
mine the constitutonality of our legislative
enactments, and for Governor to assume
the prerOgative of this department is certain
ly an unwarrantcd assumption.
The course of our representative upon
this subject is commendable. Though we
are By refusal to apportion proper rep
fesentation deprived of other representa-
tivcs to whom we are justly entitled in the
Assembly and Senate of the State, yet we
hope there are men in both houses of soul
and feeling who regard the spirit of our
Constitution as well as the word
Under the act of last winter were our
Judge to receive only four thousand "dOk
lars' per annum there would certainly be
great want of uniformity in the operation of
the law relating to the pay of Judges which
the trainers of our Constitution never in
tended.
If the Senate and House will give this
subject the investigation its Importance de-
mands many arguments will be presented to
their minds to successfully combat the one
idea argument of the veto message 1t is
sincerely hoped they will do justice by us,
pay our Judges as others are paid that our
people may have officers who are capable to
fill their positions and give confidence to all
in the administration of the laws. and let
not the will of a majority of d republican
people be defeated when once expressed
through their representatives in so decided
Q manner as in the passage of this bill
INDEX.
March 9th, 1856.