The Shasta courier., 1859-04-02
Mr.. Streets Jail Keeping Bill.

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the service of keeping the County Jail, and for
legalzing certain illegal scrip already issued in
payment of such service.
1t was sent US by Mr.. Street as an afiswer to
our article of the 10th ultimo, accompanied by
a note in which the opinion is expressed thatwe
will see, on reading the bill, that we have done
him injustice. We certainly did not intend to
do any one any injustice by our article, and, af-
ter careful reading of the bill, we cannot per-
ceiye that we have committed such wrong.
The bill certainly does open new leak in the
| County Treasury. At present it is the duty of
the Sheriff to keep the Jail without any compen-
sation. This bill not only makes provision for
such payment, but provides for the payment for
such service already performed-and performed,
| too, at a time when the Sherfrs did know, or
ought to have known that they had no right to
charge for such service. Ex-Sherif Dreibelbis re-
ceived scrip for keeping the County Jail. He
had no right to charge for, or receive said scrip
for such service. Said scrip has, in effect, been
pronounced illegal by the Supreme Court. This
bill provides way for making the payment of
this illegal scrip binding upon the county. Sher-
i'll Stockton has received no scrip in payment
for the service of keeping the Jail-but he
wants It, This bill provides way for him to
get It, Hence we are justified in the assertion
that the bill creates q new leak in the Treasury
for the benefit of Messrs. Dreibelbis, Stockton.
and succeeding Sheriffs, at the expense of the
tax payers of the county.
We assert the belief that the Sherirs office of
this county has yielded the present incumbent
as much clear money in single twelve months
as the entire yearly salary of the Governor of
the State or of Supreme Judge Why then
should the emoluments of the Office be increas
ed? Is not the idea preposterous
As to legalizing the illegal scrip of Ex-Sheriff
Dreibelbis, we have another word to say. Iti
said that he performed the services, and there
fore it is just that the scrip issued to him in
payment therefor, should be legalized. We can
not perceive the force of this reasoning The
law made it his duty to keep the Jail rithom
compensation, other than that which was derived
from the profits of the Office Therefore he had
no right to ask pay therefor, and had no right
to receive scrip in payment therefor.
Suppose Mr.. Street in making a settlement,
with US for instance, had given us his note for
thousand dollars. When that note became due,
he could prove that the giving of that note was
the result of a mistake-that, in fact, he did not
owe US dollar at the time he gave US the note.
What would he think of us if we were to insist
upon its payment? Would he not say that we
might just as we'll steal his money out of his
pocket when he was asleep in bed OF course
he would. For the same reason, we think he
should be opposed to this bill, which proposes
to legalize certain scrip issued to Ex-Sheriff
Dreibelbis for srrices trhchA lar said he should
perform pissm pay.
SECTION l. The Boards of Supervisors in and
for the counties of Colusi and Shasta are hereby
authorized and empowered to provide, by the
issue of warrants, for the payment of the SER
vices of the keepers of the County Jals in said
counties, since January first A. D. one thousand
eight hundred and fifty-eight, and for the SER
vices of any keepers of said jals hereafter en-
| ployed according to law, at compensation not
to exceed the sum of five dollars per day; pro-
rded that nothing in this act shall authorize the
Supervisors to provide for the compensation of
Sulu JAN keepers except Tor Sucn time as there is
prisoner or prisoners actually confined in the
said jails.
SEC. 2. Whenever any person owning any
warrant or other evidence ofindebtedness against
the said counties, heretofore issued in payment
for the services of Jail keeper in said counties,
shall appear before the Board of Supervisors of
the county in which the services were rendered,
at any of their regular meetings, and shall de-
liver up the said warrant or warrants, or other
evidence of Indebtedness for the purpose of a re-
issue of warrants under the provisions ofthis act
1t shall be the duty ofthe said Board to cancel the
said warrant, warrants, or other evidence of in
debtednesS so delivered up--the effect of which
shall be to render them null and void; and the
said Boards of Supervisors, in their respective
counties, are hereby authorized and empowered
| to issue, in lieu of such cancelled warrants, a
new warrant or warrants for such sum or sums
| mot to exceed in amount the original warrant
or evidence of Indebtedness as in their opinion
shall be just and equitable, and all such war
rants shall be legal and valid demands against
the respective counties in which the said service
was rendered; prouided, that no issue of war;
rants under the provisions of this section shall
be made after the first day of January A. D. one
! thousand eight hundred and sixty.
STABBING AFFRAY.-On the 25th ut., diff
Guilty occurred in Sacramento between Charles
S. Fairfax, Supreme Court Clerk, and Harvey
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