The Trinity journal., 1857-01-31
Legislative Economy.


If the Legislature of the State of California
would only practice to some extent the economy
it so enthusiastically pirates about every year, it
would not only be blessing to our heavily taxed
people and means of recuperating the sickly
and PROSTATE condition of our financial SYSTEM
but afford to the world shining example of po-
litical honesty, moral courage, and good sense.
For seven years the cry of retrenchment and re-
form has resounded through the Legislative halls
and boldly proclaimed from every stand from the
gorgeous forums of San Francisco to the stumps
in the mountain wilds of Trinity and Siskiyou
What grand but ridiculous farce does all such
party bombast eloquent thunder and patriotic
declaration resolve itself into when the god of
battle yields the palm of victory to one or the
other of the political organizations. 1t is then
that the people who have to bear the burden and
pay dear for the trashy legislation procured by
the sacrifice of all good sense, feel that the time
squandered in passing few bills, and the man
ner in which it is done, can have no motive but
humbuggery, no consequence but the result to
bury still deeper from the hand of redemption the
chances of our regeneration and the establish
ment of just code of laws and wise, economi-
cal administration of the State gomernment.
If our Legislators have at heart the sentiments
which fall so profusely frem their tongue, before
the people in the canvass, why don't they exhibit
a little of it in their legislative capacity at the
capital?
The election of the L. S. Senators was a good
commencement and so far the people of the State
will applaud their energy in the discharge of
that important duty to the State but the people
will not be very likely to applaud the conduct of
our Legislature in frittering away their time since
the settlement of the Senatorial qeestion on the
appointment of pages and porters
Those who are continually babbing about re-
form and economy should recolect that the time
consumed prating about frivolous matters costs
the State more than the salary of page or por-
ter would be- Legislators make great mistakes
when they suppose that a mere pop-gun practice
of jumping up upon all occasions and delaying
the legislative business with talk talk, talk, will
place them in an enviable light before the people
Nor will the mere voting " nay upon questions
of adjournment and then almost before the vote
is announced leave the house without quorum
give much prestige to the members before the
masses We invoke our Legislators to drop this
expensive but shallow and transparent buncombe
and go 10 work.
The financial condition of the State should be
Immediately attended to. and the many loose
defective and erroneous laws amended and re-
vised
The Revenue system should receive the clos
est investigation, and be so modified and perfect
ed as to prevent in future the accumulation of
the annual expense of the State beyond the annu-
al income.
The great difficulty in progressing with legis-
lation arises through the dc lay of committees to
report back bills referred to them How disgrace
full is it when bill now and then is reported, to
read in the debates which inevitably spring up
that Hon. Mr. so and so had never seen the bill in
committee, and Mr.. go and so had not been inform
ed when the committee was to meet, and third
sent to the bill. Now all this is true, and all
this seems like base trillng and squandering, as
it is, with time and the peoples money.
1t won't do and the tax paying citizens thro'-
out the State will pronounce that fact more en-
phatically when they come to select another Leg
isature.
We say again to our law makers drop this
foolish practice, and give your attention to those
more important measures which should first re-
ceive your consideration and when you have
done this adjourn and go home.