The daily Butte record., 1858-05-05
MIR. H.rrs Raiiro.a and Wagon Road

Will impose upon the county, should IL
be approved by majority of our citi-
zens at the next election. We shall
not refer to the many peculiar features
of the act at the present time, but shall
take occasion to do so hereafter, when
we have time and space to publish the
entire act, that the citizens Of the
county may understand its provisions,
and be enabled to vote upon the double
barreled and hair-triggered measure as
in their judgment may seem right and
proper that they should. We propose
to-day to simply figure up the cost Of
the act to the county should it be
adopted. We are led to do this at the
present time, from the communication
of Mr.. Hart's published in our yester.
days issue. And we will take the oc-
casion here to say that, the adoption Of
the measure as it is now presented, in
our estimation, would plunge the county
of Butte in utter and irretrievable ruin,
and we will support this belief with
facts and figures before closing this ar
ticlc The bill for this act seems to
have originated in contract, or COM
promise, between the "Mcndanhall
Ranch on the one part, and the rail-
road interest OH the other, by which
the "Mcndenhall Ranch" agrees that
the people of Butte county may vote
to assist the building OF a railroad if
they will expend certain amount in
building wagon road by this import
ant point as the act says, "to the south
: east side of Middle Feather river" and
"the commissioners" again says the
same section of the act, "shall take
into consideration the improvements
and investments that have now been
made to accommodate the travelling
; public" We had supposed that the
words above quoted were intended to
i, compel the commissioners to locate the
I wagon road by the 'Mendcnhall Ranch
to the Bidwell bridge; but Mr.. Hart's
communication says, "there is no pro-
I. vision in the law to favor anybody IS
:, bridge, or ferry, or public house. y
Mr.. Hart has told us what the law don't
y require will he not inform ths voters
of the county the meaning Of that por-
ton of section twelve which speaks Of
, "Mendenhall Ranch, ""south east side
}. of Middle Feather river" and "invest-
ments that have now been made to ac'
;. commodate tho travelling public"i The
Q proposition to appropriate money, to be
IS raised by levying a property and "scalI
. tax" upon our citizens, for the purpose
= of constructing a wagon road by the
: "Mendenhall Ranch, "via. Bidwoll, ,
:. Sc, received but trihe over four hun
!. dred votes out of five thousand cast a
OF the last election. We regret that ou
" Legislature has again so soon seen fit I,
a. insult the intelligence of the citizens o
ID Butte county, with a proposition to lev,
g, a similar tax tor similar purpose. o
a course the voters of the county will
u, bar the door of their treasury agains
:. % such assaults. 1t is a new way to in
ke duce miners to work in our county b
ed levying an annual "scalp tax" upo
OF each one found within our boundarie.
~ The somewhat captious and dictatorii
" avowal in Mr.. Hart's communicate
about treating "as enemies to the pub
y n lie good" all those who oppose th
nd act from "improper reasons" shoul
Of not deter any citizen from excrcisin
in. his own judgment concerning the mel
70 its Of the proposition upon which the
aa are called to vote. 1t shall not eau,
an an us to say one word less in opposition
m. q measure that We consider ruinous
ate the county and insulting and degradir
to its citizens. But We are wanderir
from the intent of the present articl
ere Let us count the cost of the propos'
~ luxury.
The act proposes to loan the cred
So ofthe county to some railroad compan
LOT to the amount Of two hundred thousal