Columbia weekly news., 1859-02-24

Report OF the Grand Jury OF Tuolumn'
| County.
The Grand Jnry empannelled for the
February term of the Court of Sessions
of Tuolumne County, submit the follow
ing Report.
Having carefully considered all mat
ters brought to their notice. They have
founl eighteen true bills of Indictment,
ignored three, and dismissed six COM
plants which should have been disposed
of by the local magistrates.
They examined the County Jail, and
found it in cleanly condition, and the
prisoners healthy Except one case of
pulmonary disease). There are confined
in the Jail sixteen prisoners, Of whom
five are under conviction, and eleven
awaiting trial.
They present the Water Closet
attached to the Jail yard as nuisance,
to the abatement of which the attention
of the Board of Supervisors is called.
In relation to the conduct Of certain
county officers, the Grand Jury present
the following named facts That the
Sheriff and Collectors of foreign miners
licenses continue to receive 25per cent of
the money collected, the order recinded
by the Board Of Supervisors, NOV. term
1852 not being applicable to them,
owing to the impoverished state of the
county finances, they would recommend
that the Supervisors reduce the compen-
sation of the deputy collectors Of foreign
miners license, to the minimum rates
allowed by law, the great falling off
from this source of revenue has awakened
in the public mind desire to know the
cause, the deficit for the year 1858,
being nearly $4,000 Notwithstand-
ing, it is confidently believed that there
are as many foreign miners in the county
now, as at any former period.
The Collectors have not returned the
names of the individuals to whom the
licenses were issued, as required by law.
Instead of the license being issued to
an individual, they find that it is the
practice of the Collectors TO GIL the
blank with the name Of the conpany.
There is no registry Of numbers,or other
means by which it can be ascertained
that they are issued by the Recorder
Owing to the unchecked manner oi
issue, spurious licenses may have been
flooded upon this and other counties, and
in this manner only can the great deficit
from this source of revenue be salts
fac.crily accounted for. In point oi
fact, the present system, in relation to
those licenses, from the printer to the
Collector, offer every inducement anc
facility to fraud, and we must rely upor
our Legislature for an effectual remedy
In respect to State and County licen
ses, the Jury find, that during the pas
year, they have been generally filed ul
with pencil mark, thus giving an oppor
tunity for a reissue of the same license
without accounting to the Auditor there
for. The great deficit must mainly b.
accounted for in this manner, together
with gross negligence in the enforcement
of collection
The County Treasure, is recon-
mended to remedy this deficiency, and
the District Attorney to commence sui
against all who refuse or neglect to pro.
cure their licenses when called upon by
the Collector. x
The contingent fund created and used
ia contravention of law, during severaI
years past, has been abolished by the
present board Of Supervisors, the balance
OF said fund to be transferred to the gen.
eral fund Of the county where it properly
belongs. u ~ ,~asq-
The Grand Jury would especially
call the attention of the Supervisors to
Sec. 6 Of an Act passed March "a,
1855, to-wit: 'The board of Supervisors
shall not for any purpose, contract debts
or liabilities except those fixed by, or in
pursuance of law and whenever debts
or liabilities shall have been created,
which added to the salaries Of county
officers, and other estimated liabilities
fixed by law for the remainder of the
year, will equal the revenue Of the
county for current expenses mo allowance
whatever shall be made Of any account,
nor shall any expense be incurred other
than the salaries and fees expressly pre-
scribed by, or in pursuance of Law =
Also to Sec. ID, of the same Act to-wit :
"Warrants drawn on the fund for
current expenses during the year, must
distinctly specify the liability for which
they are drawn, sc. = q y.
The Public Administrators has failed
to make monthly reports to the County
Clerk, to settle and djust his accounts
with the same as required BY Law.
He has also failed to make the semi
annual report required by the Statute,
passed April 5th, 1851, requiring Pub
lie Administrators to publish somi-an-
nual report Of such estates as have conie
into their hands, add the colaition Of
each. ar