The Placer herald. [volume] (Auburn, Placer County, Calif.) 1855-1991, 1863-04-11
S25O,OOO from Placer County to the Gem
trail Pacific Railroad Company.

Our readers may HoJ ne 0enel"il app 'HSu
that the Central Pacific r. r. Co.. an organ.
ization comprising few gentleman in Sacra
mento, who are DESTROYS of making a big
thing" have caused bill to be passed
through the Legislature requiring Placer
County to take $3.50, 900 in the stock OF said
Company--but such is the case and on the
fourth page of o-lay's paper we give the
bill in full, and to it invite the attention of
every tax payer and voter in the county,
Our Board of Supervisors have been directed
to call the election, and AS will be seen, have
fulfilled that duty by issuing an election
proclamation.
1t is now for the voters to act, and upon
their action depends whether the county
shall be saved from or crushed under an
enormous debt. We are not opposed to
giving aid to Legitimate public enterprises,
that would insure the general good, with
proper Safeguards an guarantees given TO
the county. But we assert, and will show,
before the vote is taken that the county has
no protection 10 this bill, that property will
be enormously taxed and that the financial
basis of the Company is very far from being
southland that it is the duty and interest
Of taxpayers to oppose the measure.
We expect to be met by the declaration
that it is a great national enterprIze-the
iron rib that is to bind together the Allan
tic and Pacific Slates-but it can be easily
shown that ii is a close corporation concern
to enrich a few individuals
1t is well to state that the citizens of the
county have not asked the passage of the
bill-but on The contrary, when it was
known that the bill would pass, it was desir
ell that amendments should be made to give
some protection to the county. Mr.. Dudley
was not permitted to have that opportunity,
but the bill was rushed through the House,
against his wish and protest while he was
confined to his room by illness. We repeat,
that Mr. Dudley requested his colleagues,
Messrs Blanchard and Yule, not to report
the bill to the House until he could be in his
sea-and it was his understanding and ex-
pectaion that it would not be-bnt that
they reported and passed it without giving
him any opportunity to make amendments.
In extenuation of this dscouriesy, it was
claimed there was necessity for haste in pas
sing the bill; and furthermore one Of the
Directors of the Company cooly infomed Mr..
Dudley that his amendments coud not have
been admitted had he been in his seat So it
seems that the voice Of one of our Represent
atives could not be heard upon question
affecting the immediate interests of his con-
stituents, but was gagged by this Railroad
Company. Fortunately the gauntlet of the
ballot box is vet to be run, and we can give
assurance Ihat the pro osition will be most
ANONYMOUSLY defeated.
Ii is claimed for this Company that it ha a
valuable franchise from Govern nent Of bonds
land and the timber on the mineral lands
but il requires them to complete fifty miles
of their roal before they can fully avail
themselves of these benefits. In order to do
this they must have means; and what way
50 easy to obtain the funds as to induce
Placer and perhaps other counties to give It
to them. If the work is national in its char
acter-if the franchise is so valuable, why
do not the railroad capitalists of the coun.
try, who represent millions, embark in the
enterprise. Either the capitalists do not see
it or else the few gentlemen who constitute
the Pacific Il. r. Co, want to make LARGE
operation for themselves, and ask this and
other counties for the money to do it with.
The subscription to the stock of the Com
parry is limited almost entirely to Sacrament
to, and in that city is held comparatively by
few. San Francisco, the place Of all others
in the State that should forward a national
work of the kind, takes no interest because
she has no faith.
Let it be known and remembered that
wherever this road may be located through
the mineral region, the Company takes the
timber for ,fpe miles on each side. Those who
hold possessory claims under the State laws
do not, and cannot escape. They may hold
their land and their improvements, but the
timber will belong to the Central Pacific
Railroad Company. And we judge from
reading the report of Mr., Judah, the Com
pany's Engineer, initiatory steps have been
taken to pr vent the cutting of wood upon
the line of the road, when The line is def ite
" located, and before the fifty miles of road
is constructed.
But we have not the space for further
comment at present. This proposition will
be fully ventilated before the day of voting,