Amador weekly ledger., 1858-03-20
Democratic Central Committee.
II AC * SO Ns
SATURDAY MORN, MAR. 20, 1858.
"Adeauate Representation" !"


We were much amused at reading the Re-
por. of the minority of the committee of
Ways and Means, made to the Assembly
upon the bill giving to the counties a certain
portion Of revenue that now goes into the
State Treasury They wind up with the
y statement that in the agricultural section
their debt is proportionately quite as heavy,
while their resources are much less, in the ell
ements of wealth, population, and adequate
representation" The italics are ours.
From the measures brought forward year
ly lin the Legislature by the members from the
farming counties, we are inclined to agree
with the report that they are inadequate to
the duties incumbent on them as legislators
and statesmen. Their only aim seems to be
to foster very small interest, as far as num-
bers are concerned, at the expense of the
great mass of the people and the growth and
prosperity of the State. If adequate repre-
sentation consisted in Buncombe and contin-
uous endeavorS to throw all the burthens of
government from the shoulders Of one con-
stituency and saddle them on another, then
are they fully adequate; otherwise, they are
not, and the last part of their report should
be unanimously confirmed. If the agrcul-
tural members desire to be of lasting and
substantial benefit to their constituents,
(whom they now so inadequately represent, }
why do they not make some effort TO protect
the settlers in their rights in opposition to
the landed monopolists of their counties
Why not put such tax on wild land as to
cause the ranch owners to sell their land in
small parcels 10 those who desire to cultivate,
at price they can payY This would add
taxable property to your Assessors returns,
put money in your treasures, and build up
permanent wealth in your midst But no;
there can be no legislation with their consent
unless it is to rebound to the pecuniary ad.
vantage OF the few hundreds of owners of
immense tracts of land-to enable them to
hold it without adequate taxation at the ex-
pense of the smaller farms-to give them all
the improvements unwttingly made by the
well meaning settlers-to fence il with the
law SO that poor man cannot come even
where they claim-to make every interest
subserye to them; this is their task. The mi
ners must be taxed in order to relieve the
owner of ninety-nne miles of land from pay
ing his share of the revenue, the mining
counties are to be bled at every pore to fill
the State Treasury; not because the State
needs it, but because it lessons the tax of the
landed proprietors who seem to have ''fee
simple" not only in their broad acres, but in
their narrow representatives. We would re-
spectfully recommend to the minority of the
committee on Ways and Means to take into
consideration what would be for the perma-
nent prosperity of their constituents and re-
port thereon at an early day These ma
rauding expeditions of theirs into the noun
tains for plunder, to exc out present living
fer from being polite; indeed, those sought
to be spoiled may turn upon the spoilers and
give them a taste Of the law of retaliation
Would not such course do them good
teach them to begin their charities of 'pro-
lection" at homer
With majority in both branches of the
Legislature, the representatives. of the mines
have always let the farming interest alone-
have only aided in enacting for them what
their members have asked Cannot the ag-
ricultural delegation be as magnanimous?
We have wondered how It'll that the men,
bers from the farming counties succeed in Sc
curing their elections when they are SO con-
tnually in error as to their duties. Do acres
vote, aud counterbalance heads; or is it that