The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1862-01-04
Report Of the Lats Grand Jury.

Report Of the Late Grand Jary.
MEssRs. EDTToRs: In former article
noticed the Grand Jury report as it re-
Iates to the Hospital contract. now pro-
pose to notice it as regards certain other
matters. And first permit me to say that
il the general character Of the Grand jury
reports for Ell Dorado county has had a
tendency to destroy the confidence the
public once reposed in the utility of the
Grand Jury system, the present one will
hardly contribute anything towards resto.
ring that confidence for it may be as.
serted, I think without the fear Of contra.
diction, that there is seal cely a word in
it, from one end to the other, that is not
obnoxious to cenSure. 1t is calculated, if
not designed, to make false impression
in respect to the condition of the county
finances it is unjust, il not mendacious,
in respect to the manner in which claims
against the county are allowed by the
Board of Supervisors; and as to the meas
ures of reform it suggests, they are such,
| fancy, as would be seriously considered
only by people stubbornly resolved up
on the'aeeemplishment of their own ruin.
But let the report speak for itself. 1t
reads: " The Indebtedness Of the county
on the End Of November, 1861, was
1923, 175 AZ. The receipts from all sources
for the year ending September Both, 1861,
were $l24,644 80 against expenditures
for the same period OF SI27, 80 % show.
ing deficit of S2,025 %, or an excess Of
expenses over income for the year of that
amount. The above exhibit shows" the
report continues, 1.-THE absolute necessity
for radical change in the management
Of our county affairs and if some change
for the better be not made, only hopeless
bankruptcy for the county can follow"
Now, the report docs not say in so many
words that the current expenditures for
the year ending the 30th of September
last, exceed the receipts by &2.925 90,
but it says so substantially, else the radi-
cal change in the management Of county
affairs would not be necessary to prevent
bankruptcy. Does the report speak truly
1t is a matter Of public notoriety that du.
ring the year in question the court house
was bought, and prison built at PA
cervillc, at cost, the former Of 81 900,
the latter OF So, 100. besides $500 forfeited
recognizances paid in Obedience to an Act
Of the Legislature, making a total Of
$4,000 TO be placed to The account of
extraordinary expenses Deduct this
sum from 1927, $40 and it leaves SllG,970
the current expenses for the ycar-.a sum
less by s., GA than the receipts for the
same period; SO that SO far as the man
agemcnt Of county affairs during tie year
ending the Both Of September last is con-
ccrned, no change seems to be necessary
to prevent county bankruptcy, the opin,
ion Of the Grand Jury to the contrary
Notwithstanding. But what Of that? DO
You not know there is certain class of
politicians in this county who are indebt
cd to the county Indebtedness for all they
arc, all they ever have been and all they
ever will be, and that whenever one or
two of these happen to get on the Grand
.Jnrv the mudoiirSt sort of statement Of
the county finances is sure to make its
appearance These gentlemen have made
the county Indebtedness their favoritc
hobby for years past; they have rode it
in season and out Of season; they have
harpcd upon it in the barroom, on the
stump, aud on the Grand Jury, and what
must appear most extraordinary to them
selves, il TO no one else, is that gentlemen
claiming SO much talent, should not have
been able, with 80 much labor, TO Offer
anything like plausible remedy for the
evil they have SO long complained Of
Ask one Of them, some Of these times,
when you hear him expatiating on the
subject, to point out specifically the evil
and its cure, and my word for it his an
Swcr will be-Bad management of county
1syns-r; ,. BisA1~shasge, radical " y5Ss. 81.
necessary. That is all you will be able
to get out of him. 1t is all he ever had
in him. And yet, in all this poverty Of
substance. with only these crude, iDdi-
ceSted notions Of his subject, any one of
these gentlemen will mount the stump
and speak for hours as gibly and volubly
as il he really understood what he was
talking about. II is rare and peculiar
talent, and whenever witness an exhibit
ton of it nowadays, am reminded of
the remark made in the Legislature few
years since by member from San Fran
cisco, Mr.. Pate, while the bill to quiet land
titles was under consideration. am
happy to find" said he, L" that the learned
gentleman from Ell Dorado can speak quite
as eloqucntly upon subject that he don't
understand as upon one that he does.
So that this inclination to dabble in mat
tiers we don't understand, this itching to
shoot our mouths off before we are load
ed, betrays itself not alone on the stump
and in the Grand Jury room, but also in
the Legislative halls, if Mr.. Pate is to be
believed.
But again The Grand Jury find much
cause Of complaint with regard to the
manner in which bills against the county
are allowed by the Board Of Supervisors.
The report says: When bills are made,
their allowance seems to follow as a mat
ter of course. and this is done to such an