The Placer herald., 1860-01-14
&C, sneech Of Governor Latham.

M onened as follows: ru
ofce ,'agemen of the Legislature ana fe n;e
upon ;ae ros,es Of Of wniu n
Magistrate " Win precedent, to briefly indicate
accordanosv nolicv by which will be governed
the line y, ~, r. ysmples of the most revered au-
Nothing :n'uce me to comply with this expecta-
thorly, '.nonld he a better custom on the termi-
ton IF an official career, for an ofhcer to point
na'o "nnsttuency to his several completed acts
hls ,o o than. in the assumption OF "ce' 10 pro-
ra .an what may not be cons!lmmatcd.
mise Wn". ~ due sense of inability to meet the
HaV'ns ,.oct,tion. in the discharge of manifold
pubic ,,pposed upon me, should shrink from
du'ies nopsibility were it not for the confidence
this l,or execution have other aim but to
thaI IN ,ho Generous faith of II free people who
me-" en- honored me, and at the expiration OF
nav ,oars leave the blessing OF our government
two YEA ;red if not enhanced and, at the same
unmPa,,iinc with certainty upon my motives in
lllle, ,I;c acts being received by the people with
all P ;tv and Indulgence, and my efforts to pro-
cnal'' ;;ho GOOD of society being sustained by a
no'r NOT and enlightened cooperation of the other
P romfb of our State Government.
m.r Snoce compels us to cOndense the remain
TOO MUCH LAwMAKING.
r,o Governor conceived one of the most re-
In. LIN influences against the growth and pros
S ~j Of our State, to be the frequent innova-
lI;ons made by Legislatures upon the established
,aus He said it were better to suffer inconve-
la"o under poorly made laws than to be in
atato Of continual uncertainty as to what were the
s ,s"s Of The land Until amendments are mpera-
INV. .ire be thought they should not be made, Ex-
'av;montal legislation has cost us debt of near
r. fonr millions of dollars now owing. We have
IT, one charitable institution to how for all this
Soht and outlay, viz: the Insane Asylum
STATE ECONOMY.
Ator saving with much reason, that the eXpen-
,os of the State should be regulated by its in
oome he proceeds to lay before us the following
facts and figures: Taking the tenth fiscal year,
Commencing July lst. 1858, and ending June 3Oth.
1889. as an example, the State Controllers books
chow orr receipts to be Sl;l4S.22l 10, and the
Svnendtures to BIS Sl,lO9, 143 80, leaving sur
nlns of s75.O79 SO. The receipts for the year
commencing December 10th, 1858. and ending
n .cember 10th, 1859, amount to 1875, 440 ~,
and the expenditures to Sll60929 IA. leaving
a snrplus of 1851 95. Even these figures Of
a1pendtures would be much reduced by u cur
tament of the expenses of the Legislature, and
the abolition Of oil unnecessary officers.
FUTURE WORKS.
Al,usion is made to the need, at no distant day.
If an ASYLUM for the blind one for the deaf and
dumb. and q State reform school. These will
have to be DulIu WUtn ueClpU, auu Vie totulp Call
afford them.
Following an allusion to the need Of a State
House belonging to the Commonw ealth Gov.
Latham says
For your State capitol once permanently fixed.
As it should be, legislation on other public insti-
tutions can then be moulded in accordance with
the increasing necessities, the example and expe-
rence OF our sister States proving a teaching
that the public institutions of a State should,
upon the score of economy, if for no other rea-
SON. be concentrated far possible. at the seat
of government, the record of our brief existence
showing the separation of even our few public
institutions to be attended with unnecessary eX-
pcndturc to the State, as well as themselves suf-
fering from the want of constant and proper
supervision.
TIE STATE PRISON.
The Governor made alluslOn to this subject
most pcrtinently, saying that it was an all i'm
p0rt.nt one 70. the action of the Legislature,
and that he agreed in the main with the views en-
crtaned in regard to it with his predecessor
lie deprecated the lessee system. and thought it
the worst 4he State could pursue Our State
Prison and its manner OF b ing conducted bears
most unfavorable comparison with that of other
States, where the ,onvict is made rather source
Of gain than expense to the taxpayers He
spoke of the trouble the State had incurred in
consequence of the contract made by the Legs-
laturc of 1856. and alluded 10 the law subse-
quently passed. authorizing the Governor to take
possession Of the prison. This he said had prov
ed to be an unlawful assumption OIL the part of
the Legislature, rs it was subsequently, shown by
decree of the Supreme Court. lie presents the
following figures
From March LIST, 1858, to May 18th, 1859, the
State continued in charge Of the prison, at which
time it was restored by decree of the SUI rene
Court to the subj essees. The sum expended by
the State for its subsistence during that time, in
Gliding the amount adjudged to be paid for the
unlawful entry, was $lll,lSl co. The sub-les-
sees alleging their ability to comply with the
contract of March, 1856, now claim by suit, the
price therein stipulated, from December 10th,
lSo', TO the present time, amounting TO nearly
sZo0,0OO. To add to the complex nature of this
'exed subject there is also a claim for $4,000
charged as the personal property Of the sub-les-
Sees seized by the State Government as State
property upon the LIST of March, 1858.
uhe Governor is assured that the sub lessecs
VIII act upon proposition to compromise in
proper spirit He urges that in case the matter
cannot be settled upon u right basis, that law
WIN De passed authorizing the State to be sued
III order that this veXed question may be def
GG'ely settled. Should the prison evert to the
S s'a'e the Governor recommends that laws regu-
%sng the prison be passed, providing for the
e,ection OF Wardens, ETC.. making them answer
a9le ior the correct discharge of their duties
me also suggests reforms in the management
"nd disposition of the prisoners.
THE PARDoNING POWER.
ho A''er briefly abiding to the pardons that have
t ypen granted during the past years of our State,
s "g NUMBER OF which pardons he states to be lGG,
t f"" G ~ relation to the trying position in which
sue Governor is often placed in relation to Der
SUNS nM convicted of crime he says:
st;,n my outy is, in my mind plain under the Con-
o or1u' 1 which this day have sworn to obey;
auu a;i!nongh my sympathes and feelings as an
n mu'slaual may often prompt me to exercise this
ad;udaa a"d free the criminal from the punishment
n my auty as an officer of the law pardon any one
th ,'es ~ l am satisfied from ndubiabe evidence,
won,a sne court originally rendering the Judgment
u,u nave done differently if the same facts,
6na ao. 70 me, had been before it prior to its