The Placer herald., 1857-01-10
AUBURN, JANUARY 10. 1857.
Constitutional Reforms.

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fairly introduced into our system of govern
ment short of an entire revision Of the con
sttution, and we now propose to give some
of our reasons for arriving at that conclusion.
And first we premise, that our system should
provide, for as few Offices in the state and
County Governments, as the convenience of
the people will justify, and those should be
we'll paid in order to induce men of the first
order Of talents and standing in society to
seek them.
The saarys of such officers as it is the
interest of the community to place above
any pecuniary want whilst they should not
be exhorbitant should nevertheless be equal
to the times, and the fees of those who are
compensated in that way ought to be sufii-
cient to ensure at all times the services of
proper persons in those places.
An ndiscriminate assault upon salaries
and fees of office, partakes much Of the rant
ings of the delnagogue. All other business
should be the subject of contract, strict
accountability kept up, and no perquistes Of
any kind or nature allowed in any instance.
The Offices of Lieut.. Governor, Surveyor
General, Superintendent of Public Instruction
are all supernumerarles in our administration
the first can be filled by Senator, the sec
ond one has no duties to perform but what
might easily be effected by contract, and as
for the third and last named officer the Sec
re'ary of State, could fill his place as we'll as
not.
These Offices are all provided for in the
constitution and are each of them referred
to in two or more sections, which harmon
ise with each other.
Now it is true you may reduce the saar-
les to these places, until they will no longer
be desirable, and then to the scandal of the
state they will fall into the hands of persons
who will use them for purposes of bribery
and gain.
1t is also provided that, there shall be
elected, an attorney for the people, who by
way of compliment to the usage in other
States, is styled District Attorney, although,
he is but county officer.
The duties of this Office may be discharg
ed by any lawyer who is worthy the conf
dence of the community as an attorney
and is purely of business nature. Often it
happens one attorney is a good criminal
lawyer, whilst another is more expert in civil
business;-the two qualities are seldom COM
bined in the same person. When elected
he holds bis Office for a fixed period, and is
responsible only to the people at large, in
stead of moving under the watchful eyes of
a board OF Supervisors with full power to
employ and discharge as best suited the in
teress they represent
If any one can give good reason why
counties should transact their business differ
ant than prudent citizen does his private
affairs; we have not heard it. In our poor
judgement this office should be abolished,
notwithstanding it has been sanctioned by
long usage There was time in the his
tory Of the English people, when party spirit
ragged intoerably, when the executive power
of that kingdom, prosecuted to ruin and
murder, the best and most blameless citizens;
and the people established for themselves as
barrier between themselves and this tyrany
the Grand Jury and provided that none
should be obliged to answer for an infamous
or felonious charge, unless by indictment
found by this jury.
This was right and proper in the time it
was needed; it was step in advance, and
stript the crown Of a dangerous power. We
have no king in California, no executive ex-
ercising such important perogatives as those
Kings and Queens then did; those who com
pose our Grand Juries, are of ourselves
having no crater interests in the peace and
good order of society than any of their fel-
lows;-know no more about law than any
other promiscous gathering of citizens and
as body are no more nor less, than head
less, irresponsible, legaiized Vigilance Com
mittee. This jury becomes the engine of
persecution in the hands of crafty leader;
useless prosecutions are set on foot by it,
and when you look for the responsible party
nobody did 1t. The District Attorney is
not to blame for the jury found the bill, out
of the twenty three citizens composing the
fury twelve of them voted for it, but who
they were, God only knows. Besides there
is an enormous expense connected with all
this
Now, why cannot the Attorney for the
County hear the facts of the case in his Of