The Placer herald., 1857-03-28
For the Placer Herald.
Township Lines-Where are They?


Messrs Editors:-It is now near six years
since the organization Of Placer county, and
among the important matters of interest to
our citizens which have been neglected, both
by the Court Of Sessions, which formerly
managed (extra, ,judicially) our county gov
ernment, and the Boards of Supervisors-is
proper location of the lines dividing the
different Townships. If | mistake not, the
Commissioners who first established our
county government, merely drew air lines
i.e. commencing a township line at given
point, and running in geographical direc
ton to another point-showing no metes
nor bounds beyond an air line, by which any
person can tell the real locality Of any of
the township lines. The lines should have
been drawn long ago so that people knew
where they really lived, and so that the Off
GERS of the law, and the people themselves,
could know their respective jurisdiction in
the different townships. As it is now, it is
somewhat difficult to prove residence and
jurisdiction of a Justices Court in any town
ship in this county. doubt whether there
are twenty men in the whole county who
could swear of their own knowledge as to
the locality Of the different township lines.
Shame upon the whole tribe of our county
officers, who have saddled us with debt of
$4,000 and not given even dollar towards
having the different township lines definitely
settled, so that she that runs may read. y
Let the Board of Supervisors at their next
term see to this matter Let them appoint
a proper person to distinctly mark the town
ship lines, either as they are now supposed
to exist, or to make new ones
| have found that the gentleman who pre-
sides over our County Court is as much in
the dark as to township lines as, perhaps, any
one Judging from several decisions which he
has rendered on the point of Justices juris-
dict on in townships within the last year and
half. For instance, if q miner chance to
contract q debt in Township No. 4, where
he was mining, and his creditor sued him,
and attached his property, in the township
where he lived and contracted the debt, all
the honest miner" had to do, if he wished
to cheat his creditor, was to move temporari-
ly into another township, hire some Attorney
with an easy conscience, and on the trial to
raise the question Of jurisdction--and if the
Justice overruled the motion for non-suit, to
appeal to our County Court, and His Honor,
although ignorant himself of township lines,
would mulct the poor creditor for all costs.
The calender of the County Clerk, shows
Just such a case, which can be referred to if
necessary.
Recently case came before His Honor
in which a defendant in Justices court
realty was a nonresident of the township in
which action was brought, (Which was not
on contract,) who filed his affidavit and
offered other testimony to prove his non
residence, and asked for a non suit, but was
overruled. lie appealed to the County Court
but a "change came over the spirit Of his
dream" and His Honor this time ruled that
the affidavit and the testimony Of the De-
fendant, who is not an ''honest MINER" but a
permanent citizen and householder, was in
sufficient, and the Court below did right in
overruling the motion for nonsuit. Here,
then, are two cases so antipodean in the spirit
of their dcsion, that know not how His
Honor, Judge Hale can well compromise
them for either good sense or legal honesty.
1t may be owing, perhaps, to the fact that
the Judge wears glasses, can see an air line
one day, and his eyesight be befogged the
next.
1t is for the maintenance Of the right of
litigants, and the enlightenment of His
Honor, that hope the Supervisors will see
to this matter of establishing township lines.
TAX PAYER