The Placer herald., 1857-01-24
AUBURN, JANUARY "a, 1857.
County Governments.

fore made upon the reforms, we deemed ne
Cessary in our governmental organization,
we did not speak of that which we thought
was necessary in county matters.
Upon referring to the Constitution, we
find there is nothing in that instrument,
which will act as an obstacle to the necessary
legislation being made at this time. As
counties are now organized the power is too
much centralized much of the most import
ant part of the business of the county is
performed by officers, who have only local
interest and are not sufficiently concerned in
much of the work done in townships of which
they are not residents. The affairs of a
county, should as far as possible, be brought
directly home to every mans door, and the
taxpayers themselves should oversee their
own affairs, because they are most interested.
Each township should be made responsible
for the construction and repairs of the pub
lie roads passing through them. TO enable
them to do this, they should be permitted to
levy, within certain restrictions, road tax;
should be charged with the collecting of the
same, as we'll as the proper disbursement of
it, and the township authorities made re-
sponsible for the state of these roads, in a
penal fine. The school fund for the county
should be distributed to the townships &C
cording to their ratio of children, and any
additianal moneys that was necessary for the
purpose of those cannon schools, these local
authorities should be permitted to levy, col
lect, and disburse. A responsibility on the
part of the authorities, should be so arranged,
that every interested party in the township
could right himself and correct abuses, if
necessary.
Moneys for the use of the county purposes
proper should be collected from the township
authorities direct; at least so much of the
revenue used for that purpose, as is derived
from direct taxation upon property.
If possible each township should be made
responsible for the care of its own INDECENT
people, sick and healthful, and then we
should hear of but precious few drones in
the hive.
There is now established proper courts
with ministerial officers to attend upon them,
in each township make the government yet
more complete, by a code of laws somewhat
after the idea that we have shadowed forth,
and you will give each citizen more direct
interest in, and supervision over, the essential
police affairs, which forms the great object
for the organization Of county governments.
Thus the duties of the county financial agents
will be much simplifed, and their response
bility attach to only such matters as they
can have directly under their eyes. The
principal court for each county, we have
spoken of in former articles, will become the
tribunal of appeal from the township courts,
and the primary resort for rectifying matters
between parties in all matters not entrusted
to those inferior courts
If the county should be geographically
extensive, or very populous additional supe-
rior courts could easily be established, to
suit the convenience of citizens.
Thus would be established such system
as would supply the wants of the public
with but few salaried officers, stop the con-
slant clamor for new subdivisions of counties
and preserve proper weight politically to
these subdivisions Of the powers Of the State
We do not claim for this change of township
governments, originality, we are under the
impression that parallel may be found in
the statutes Of the older States of the Union,
perhaps of Englanl. We know therefore
that it is practicable.
RoBBING SLUIcE BoXEs.-Mr. Tichner in
forms us that there are party Of thieves
who go about at night robbing sluce boxes