The Nevada journal. [volume] (Nevada City, Calif.) 1851-18??, 1857-08-21
Constitutional Convention No. 6.

confidence of the people in the integri-
ty of the Supreme Court is as important
and necessary as that the court itself
should be endowed with the greatest
wisdom. A Supreme Judge should be
above suspicion, commanding universal
respect by his moral character, learning
and talents. When once his good
name is tainted with the people, suspi-
cion will attach to his decisions. His
moral leprosy in their imagination will
infect all his works. The purity Of the
emanations from the fount of Justice
will be questioned while the name of the
suspected is associated with them.
The present Supreme Court has not
the confidence of the people. The i'm
preston widely prevails TINT it is not to
be trusted at all times. 1t is suspected
of being unreliable. Whether there
are reasons for the want of respect and
confidence which exists is not our pur-
pose to enquire. The fact sufices for
our use 1t is enough that the court,
like the victims of the Reign of Terror,
is convicted of being suspected" This
ought not to be so, and inasmuch as no
remedy can be devised but resignation
or removal, if the former cannot be had
the latter should follow. A constitu-
tional convention will have the effect to
wipe out an odious court and establish
in its stead one in which more implicit
reliance can be placed.
The present constitution is again de-
fective in another particular. A large
proportion of the population of the State
pay no taxes. Laws have been power
less thus far to collect tax from ma
jority of the people. Yet the elections
are controlled by the class which do
nothing to support the government
This evil is seriously felt. The anti
ds4e lies in a new constitution. No
person who does not contribute his mite
towards the sustenance of a government
should have finger in its control
Representation without taxation is an
oppression as we'll as taxation without
representation, and the latter was one
of the causes of the American revolu-
ton. The person who presents himself
at the ballot box claiming the right of
suffrage, should prove his right by a
poll tax receipt or some other evidence
that he is a good and true citizen. I'm
der the existing government enterprise,
industry, intelligence, brains, are taxed,
while the worthless and demagogues
run riot, control politics and squander
the money. A clause in the constitu-
ton making a poll tax receipt evidence
of qualification to vote would work on
ders.
There is another great desideratum
the want of which is felt by every bu-
siness man. There is no money mark Ell
in the State, nor can there be under the
constitution. There is no place to
which we can go to obtain a small sum
by the pledge Of thousands. Millions
pass yearly out of the hands of owners
because a thousand or two cannot be
raised on any security to redeem it
The country demands places of depos-
it made secure by law-loan and trust
oficeswhere money can be obtained fol
enterprise or emergency. The com
mercial world recognizes the efficiency
and necessity of such institutions. A
civilized State without them is rare
Iowa has struggled along. with nc
banks, but necessity has at last forced
her to make some provisions in new
constitution for them. California ha:
more need of trust and loan offices thar
any State in the Union. They should
be established under stringent laws pro-
tective alike of the borrower or lender
the depositor or depositee.
To the defect of the constitution in
this respect may be charged the mil
lions that have been lost by such IRE
sponsible concerns as Adams & Co.,
Page, Bacon & Co., and host of less
notorious firms that have stolen the
hard earnings of the people. Had the
banking law of the State Of New York
been adopted in this State at its organ
ization, many family now stepped in
the dregs of poverty by rascally, swind-
ling concerns, would be surrounded by
afiuence and happy. The whole coun-
try too might give signs of thrift and
prosperity instead of decay. The ques-
ton of banks is, however, one on which
there is diversity of opinion. The