Daily national Democrat., 1859-10-29
Consolidation.

Hall, on the 9th of November next, for the
purpose of taking into consideration the
question of consolidating the City of Marys-
vile and County OF Yuba into one Govern
ment It is to be hoped that there will be q
general attendance
The object of this proposed consolidation
is to reduce the present enormous taxation
by lessening the expenses of government
The State Debt and the heavy expenses ofthe
State Government are sufficiently onerous of
themselves without the additional burden
now imposed upon the people by our local
municipalities The citizens of this city and
county are taxed beyond all reason and JUS
tice, and the times cry loudly for reform. The
question is, how is the evil to be remedied
viii consolidation effect it2
Wei, this is the matter TO be determined
at the meeting above alluded to. We have
not paid that degree of attention to the sub
iect which is its due, but we are inclined to
think that consolidation would produce the
change desired. 1t looks perfectly reasona-
bic that one Government can be sustained at
less expense than hco True it would be of
greater advantage to the city lin the matter
of relief from debit than to the county, be-
cause the county is free from the burden Of
the City Government at all events, but, then,
the county would receive n benefit from the
simplifcation of the government, the making
of certain offices salaried, reduction perhaps
of the number of offices, and a general system
of economy under the new arrangement
Besides, it is not fair that the City should be
compelled to sustain separate government
Of its own, when it pays so heavy a tax into
the County Treasury for the support of the
county organization.
So far as consolidation in this State has
been tried, it has worked admirably 1t
saved the great city of San Francisco from
utter ruin, and caused its manifold interests
to spring forth with renewed energy and
power 1t rescued Sacramento from the
grave of bankruptcy and saved the county at
large, an expense of certainly not less than
one hundred thousand dollars year, in the
way of current governmental expenditures.
The great objection in the way of consoli-
dating Sacramento City and County was that
raised by the people outside the city. The
City owed debt of two or three millions OF
) dollars, and the county objected to assuming
a common responsibility with the city in pay
ing that debt. The objection was obviated
by provision in the Consolidation Bill, es-
tablishing a special tax to be levied exclusive
ly upon property lying within the limits of
the city, for the payment of the debt
As to the process of consolidating the city
and county of Yuba, we suppose the same
general plan would be pursued as that which
governed in the case of Sacramento. We
have not the Sacramento Consolidation Bill
before us, but our recollection of its tenor and
effect is, we think, toerably accurate.
In the first place, it repealed all the ex-
isting charters ct cetera, and Incorporated the
entire territory of Sacramento county 1t
then established a provisional government
consisting of the existing Board of Super
visors, the Mayor of the city and one mem
Der of the City Council This provisional
government proceeded, at a specified time,
to divide the county into six Supervisor Dis
tricts Each District was to elect two Super.
visors, one to hold Office for one year and the
other for two, and, at the general election,
every year thereafter, one Supervisor was to
be elected for two years. At the said gener-
al election, also, President of the Board of
Supervisors was to be elected, whose term
was to be two years. The Bill further pro-
yided for the election of a Sheriff, County
Clerk, County Recorder (who should be ex
offieio Auditory, County Treasurer, County
Assessor, County Surveyor, Coroner, Super
intendent of Public Instruction, and County
Judge. The offices of the County Clerk
Treasurer ard Recorder were to be salaried
In each township of the county there were to
be two Justices of the Peace and two Con-
stables, and in the City one Police Judge.
The practical operation of the above sys-
tenn may easily be followed out by any per-
son familiar with the management of county
affairs. We believe it has given universal
satisfaction in Sacramento county, and it is
understood that the people would not ex-
change it for the old system of separate city
and county governments, upon any consider
alton whatever.