Butte record. (Bidwell, Butte County, Cal.) 1853-1858, 1857-04-04

The Tricks of Brief Authority.
There is not another State in the Union,
where public interest is held SO lightly IN
the estimation of officials, as in the State OF
California. Public wants, interests ana de-
mands are all made subservient to indlvid-
nal enterprises and interests. Special leg
islation, which crippes the energies of the
State, and retards her development and
prosperity, but calculated to advance indi-
vidual enterprises and private interests, is
conceived and executed without any appa
rent computations of official conscience
Not only is this apparent in State affairs,
bur lis also prevalent to an alarming ex-
tent in county matters-and particularly so
In Butte County. 1t is apparent to every
appropriated mind, that the interests of the
county would be advanced by whatever
would contribate to the permanent and
prosperity of Oroville. Favorabiy situated
in rich mining district. and accessible by
steamers, every interest of the county, every
consideration of public Importance, demand
that roads should be constructed to the diff
ferent mining localities, that we may invite
traders from different sections to ship their
goods to this point, and send them hence by
land carriage. All admit that this should
be the policy of the county authorities, as it
dredths of the inhabitants of Butte county.
1t is we'll known that our Supervisors,
could, without mourning any expense to the
county, but by the simple act of granting a
license to establish a ferry at convenient
point, and remote from any established
right bring to our doors the extensive trade
of Plumas county, and yet they have refused
to permit the inha bitants of that section to
approach Oroyille by a route easy and nat
ural, and much nearer than the one which
the Board, in direct opposition to their duty
to the public, say they shall travel, if they
come here to receive their goods at all Not
only have they declined heretofore, to per-
nit a crossing TO be established, but it is I'M
derstood to be their intention tie decline fur
Their action in the premises 1t is to be
hoped that the Board have not so determined
for a course more detrimental to the high
hopes entertained of Butte county could not
be conceived. A more gross sacrifice Of
public interests and prosperity to that OF
individuals, never disgraced the history OF
California. OF what benefit is steam COM
munication to US, if we continue to turn the
trade of the upper country to Marysville, as
we certainly do, if we continue to compel
er's Ranch, for the purpose of dropping their
quarters, at the end of Bridge, into the
money bag of Judge Lewis. Without this
road, the advantages of steamboat commu-
nication will be of but little benefit to US,
for goods cannot be delivered at our landing
as cheap as they can in Marysville, and no
personal interest should thus trif1e with an d
disregard the natural advantages of our To-
cation.
We esteem the members of our Board of
Supervisors as private gentlemen, and would
uOl NilliuSiy COnutlHH lutul, uul tuelT dCllOn
upon this question has been in opposition to
the interests of the county, and favorable
only to those who would plunge the county
irretrieyably in debt, that they might COM
pei the tax payers to contribute to their
individual prosperity. Is this denied ? The
records of the Legislature of 1856, show that
an attempt was made to pass law permit
ting the Supervisors of Butte County, to
purchase Judge Lewis Bridge for sum not
exceeding fifty thousand dollars! He has
made another trip to Sacramento, and 10 a
bill appears in the Senate authorizing the
Supervisors of Butte and Plumas to issue
bonds for fifty thousand dollars, to con-
struct a road leading to his bridge. And it
is understood that Messrs. Buffum and Ran
del, should such law be passed are unfa-
vorable to expanding any portion of this
sum upon the route of so much Importance
to the interests of Oroville and the valley
portion of the county, and from whence the
money expended would have to be collected.
A strange infatuation seems to have seized
upon our worthy Supervisors, and we will
not pursue the subject further, lest we be
forced to the belief that the Bdwell bridge
governs the county "a conclusion at which
we would not willingly arrive.
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