Weekly Trinity journal., 1863-03-07
LETTER FROM THE CAPITAL.
lcoRREsPoxDEScr OF the JouRxAL.I
sAcRAMEvro. Feb. 2s. 1863.

SACRAMENTO, Feb 2s 1863
BY common consent the members of the Assembly have
suspended debate for several days past and have rushed
through the Bills at railroad speed The file has been
eved daily since Wednesday action being taken from
20 to Bills each day. Most of them of local
ture. The general laws to require discussion
number of these have been made special orders for next
week which now bids fair to be week Of talk First
comes a Bill to prohibit gaming op Tuesday then the
Bills admitting negro testimony for Wednesday, and
Bill to regulate Pilotage &C. for Thursday The Senate
also is full Of workbut will not anticipate. Let me
briefly recount the action taken important
Bills during past week The House not in session
on Monday having adjourned to allow the members to
in laying the cornerstone Of Boderck monument
The Senate did not adjourn but sixteen Senators were in
San Francisco No business was in the Senate On
Tuesday the Senate adopted resolution authorizing the
Finance Committee to examine TO the amount of fees
received by Clerk of the Supreme Court 1t stated
that the amounted to s25 900 $50 600 annually
It proboble the Clerk of the Supreme Court Com
missioner of immigration, Stale Gauger and other fat
paces will be made saaried Offices The Senate refused
to pass the Assembly substitute for the resolution ntruct
ing our delegation in Congress concerning the opening
land claims by Congress- after their settlement by the
Courts The Assembly then adopted the original resou-
ton by vote Of SO to 49, This result partly in
sea uence of the overzea opponents of the reou
ton who did much TO defeat it that members became
convinced IL ought pass The claim, which Bill now
before Congress would revive is beyond question
but hope of the claimants is that it should be again
brought before the courts they could induce the people
of Petaluma compromise the suit The citizens of that
town did some years since purchased the only plausible
Spanish claim existing and lost $40 600 by it, the
afterwards deciding that the claim worthless The
resolution passed by both houses, is as follows
whereas an attempt being made revive by Act
Congress the Miranda claim to the Rancho Arroyo de
Antonio, and whereas the reyiyng of said claim would
of great injustice to the people Of SoDoma
ty and the public interest requires that land IL
ties California should he settled speedily possible
and when settled should not be disturbed There
fore be it
Resolved by the Senate the Assembly concurrpg that
our Senators Congress instructed and epesen
atves requested oppose the reyiyng opening of said
claim and also to oppose the opening Of any Mexican
grant claim in California which has been settled by law
Reolred That bis Exceency the Governor be request
forward copy of the above resolution to each Of
our delegations in Congress.
In the Senate Wednesday Bill making the third convic
ton for petty larceny punishable by Imprisonment in the
State Prison amended to leave the penalty dis
cretonary with the Judge and then defeated by large
majority many of its friends voting against it account
of the amendment The Senate ordered the engrossment
of a Bill amendatory of the attachment law, allowing the
creditor release portion of the attached property at
time by giving bonds The Assembly Bill amendatory Of
the Revenue law back from the Senate amended
to levy of so cents each hundred dollars yaua
on instead of s5 cents also striking out the appropriation
of six each hundred dollars for military pur
poses The Assembly concurred the first and refused c
concur in the amendment committee Of Free Con
ference appointed and it decided thst special
Bill to provide the deenss of the Stete should be intro
duced the money be raised by per capita tax Mr
Collins said would take $500 900 to the State and he
would introduce Bill to issue State bonds that
per capita tax be thought would pay the expenses Of the
volunteer military companies organized in the State
but would dot purchase 20 coo stand Of and batteries
of artillery such as necessity requires for the adequate de
enso of the State. Mr. ], W. Freeman confirmed as
the Representative in the Assembly from Tulare county
motion to pay mileage the contestant referred tc
committee on Mileage.
attempt TO revive the wozencrart grant The Leg
Islaure that year granted to Dr. NJ Wozencrait al
the title California had might acquire to ten thousan
square miles of land east of the San Bernardno mountains
and north of the Colorado This immense grant mad
on the sole condition that Wozencrat should keep supply
of fresh water on the route from the san Goeona Pass t
Fort Yuma The original Act was remain in force only
years. unless the land should be ceded to Caorui
by the T. Government and the work of watering the dcs
ert .c - t-G t-.c-e tbs, time. I..s Ell cxtoCdct
the time to ten years the conditions The terrific
ry yet been ceded California, neither has single
and the attempt to revive has happily failed If the
territory should be ceded California the State would
well sink wells at its cost, and sell the domain
the territory embraces larger than the States
Massachusetts and Delaware combined 1t large enough
if worth anything at all TO pay for its reclamation by the
State
Mr. shurtef s Bill authorizing the Supervisors of Trini
ty county to levy special for county Building Fund
has passed both Houses. Bill to provide special fund
for the construction of the State Capitol building passed the
Senate % to The Bill levies tax Of mill the dol
lar for Capitol Fund.- equal TO about S170 900 per
few such special taxes and the people will have
fine bill to pay when the Tax Collector calls The Revenue
Bill already passed evies Of so each hun
dred dollars valuation the Capitol Fund Of mill
equal TO 10 cents each hundred dollars the
military purposes is TO be 10 more making total OF
100 cents the 500 valuation per all the
taxable property of the State The tax last year n
cents the Sl00 1t believed that the sent roll
this year will show total OF $40 000 $50 taxable property
yielding the proposed rate of taxation million seven
hundred thousand dollars not counting Of collection
which added to other of the State would amount
to about 81 200 600 and deductng expenses would leave
nearly millions revenue. This certainly ought be
sufficient pay all demands the Treasury The total
payments last year only 81 1896 919.
Bill providing for the removal Of ObstrucOns in the
Sacramento river is under consideration by the Fl
nance committee. 1t provides for preliminary survey,
and appropates $40 900 for the purpose of building wing
dams and bukheads, dredging the channel &c FAUsU.