The Placer herald., 1856-03-22

We are challenged to produce any trum
peting by that paper for the Sheritf's Office
On the Sth of December last the Press had
a leader in answer to Y Y X, of the Iowa Hill
Ncacs. An extract is made from three Ks,
in which after abiding to the salary of
the County Judge and the District Attorney
the following occurs:
Now the sum paid to these officials is COM
paratively tritling to the other expenses of the
county aud it is to these alone that this objection
would apply In regard to the Others, there
would be no fees paid but two men would
receive it, where only one does now.'
Then comes the following editorial:
"Now if the above is not an absurdity we can
hardly conceive of one. 1t is not alleged that
any of the officers referred to- receive too large
fees. and yet the inference to be drawn from the
above extract. is, that they Qhe County Judge
and District Attorney eXceptcd.) do receive dou-
bic the amount necessary to compensate them for
! the services which they render
'Our Legislature has provided for officers. what
/ that body conceived to be reasonable compensa-
| ton for the services which they are called upon
/ to render Now if this compensation were divid-
| ed between double the present number of officers,
| the consequence would be that neither would be
more than half paid. and onr Legislature would
be compelled to increase the fee bill. or give to
! them salary-otheraciSe ace C0uid hare no 0Hi
GERS and consequently no county government.
I'VE must have officers and officers must be
| paid. and we conceive that it makes no difference
whether they remuneratcd by way of mile
age or fixed salary, as in either the county
must foot the bill.
1T is true that great portion of the fees of the
Sheiih, are received from citizens in their in
dIvldnal capacity and thus far the county is re-
| leved of his support This too is made up in
great measure by mileage" to that extent the
county is gamer, as it lessons the amount which
it would otherwise be compelled to pay for the
support of that officer"
Following this in the issue of the 18th
December the leader starts off in this wise:
I'VE have shown. we think. with sufficient
clearness. that the public Offices of our noun
tain counties cannot he filled at less expense
than the present and therefore, that if Placer
county We're divided. and sub-divid,d, the off
GERS OF each new county must receive from it
quite as much as is paid them at present. and even
more, for the amount Of civil business being de-
creased in proportion to the lessening of the num-
Der of inhabitants caused hy such divisions. the
county must pay more by salary otherwise.
"lt. then, n division would make double the
number OF officers. it would make double the
amount of fees to be paid by the same number of
taxpayers as we have at present"
The same leader after giving the gross col
lections during the six months Mr.. H. had
been in office, thus reterates the fact:
"With proper management we believe that our
county debt will be soon paid. Notwithstanding
the existence OF the great bug-bear mileage"
and IN this connection we will present few
figures which do credit to the diligence. honesty
aud business capacity of our Sheriff. WM. T. Hen
son. As before stated. he has otficiated in his
present capacity for little more than six months
and during that time (although the Chinese are
fast leaving us in consequence of the increased
tax imposed upon them, and though other coun-
ties complain that their revenue is decreasing
from this cause.) has collected S32 $40 of Foreign
Miners taX--being at the rate of S. 390 per month
and he has collected during his six months of
Office ending December 3d. taxes for State and
County purposes amounting to S55.07S 75.
During the twelve months next preceding his
entering upon the duties of his Office, there was
collected of Foreign Miners tax. $37 PA 50.
which would amount per month"; TO S3,l03 10.
1t is shown. therefore. that the amount collected
by Mr.. HENSON has exceeded that collected bv
the Sheriff preceding him. to the amount Of
S2.3S6 80 per month";"
We were not disposed to make any re-
marks about this matter, knowing that Mr.
Hawkins was not the writer, but when that
gentleman appeared to follow the same strain
Of adulation and defense, we supposed it to
be fixed design of the paper done with ul
terror objects. We were led to this concu-
sion by what follows. On the lst of March
the Press quoted from "Elematah," CORES
pondent Of the Herold, as follows:
Let this Reform Legislature reduce all crimi-
nal fees, they can do and these but little effect
the pay of any county officer. My plan would be,
ors, to reduce the criminal fees so low that the
bare expenses of Office would be paid--t might
he said that county officers could not live at this.
[ answer that they do not nor should not live of
the county-they have civil business to perform.
business paid for hy the parties at interest-let
the fees charged be increased if need be. but do
mt thi old tn m haa for
what she has DONE
Following this, comes these editorial re-
marks:
If 'Elematah' cntertains an opinion that the
fees OF sheriff in criminal cases are highly remu
! neratiye, he easily dsahuae his mind of that
error. We are strongly of opinion that Mr.. HEN
son, would be much pleased to appoint 'Elcmatah'
his deputy for the transaction OF all the criminal
business pertaining to his office. If e. would
try it about three months and take for his pay
ment the amount of scrip at SOC. on the dollar.
which Mr.. HENSON receives for that kind of
vice he would gladly toss up his commission at
the end of that time. The Sheriff's fees in crimi-
nal cases will hardly pay horse hire, under the
present law
The extracts we here make, seems to us
to justify our remarks-if they do not the
public will do the Press ample justice. The
editor does us no more than justice in rank
ing US among his personal friends. We have
lively recollection of acts upon his part for
which we shall ever feel grateful. 1t is our
fixed intention to discharge our duty in the
solemn drama of life without violating honor
or an intraction of the rules of Justice
When convinced that we have erred in
either respect we shall hasten to make the
''amend honorable" but until then we shall
be found with our face to the foe, our shield
before u.s. lance in rest, and visor down.
Auburn Locking Up.
Last year the taxable property of Placer
County amounted to about 81 ,SOO,0 900. This