The Placer herald., 1864-11-19
MINORITY REPORT OF THE BOARD OF
SUPERVISORS OF PLACER COUNTY
ON THE CENTRAL PACIFIC
RAILROAD.
RAILROAD
To the Board of Supervisor, and to the Citizens

RAILROAD.
To the Board of Supervisors and to the Citizens
-Qf Placer County,
AS PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF, SU-
"A PERVISORS of your county. and by law
entrusted with the responsible duty Of guarding
the Interests of the county, have felt it my duty
10 lay before you statement OF my official action
as member of the Board while acting Com
mittee to examine the books OF the Central Pacific
Railroad Company OF California. The duty is
to me one OF extreme delicacy and unpleasant
ness. inasmuch rs my relations towards that Com
ptny. majority Of its officers and managers,
have been, and still are, of the most friendly
character; but my Judgment debating that my
dublic relations should ever outweigh all feelings
OF u mere personal nature. have been induced
to action in this matter, rs my duty has suggest
ed. short preliminary history of the reasons
tor the appointment Of the Committee and the
manner OF its appointment, deem necessary for
more perfect understanding OF the subject:
The county OF Placer is stockholder in the
Central Pacific Railroad Company to the extent
OF S250.00 upon which II is paying an animal
interest OF $4,000. The subscription having been
m.tte by the issue of county bonds redeemable in
twenty years from date. After the year 1868. a
special ANIMAL railroad tax WAS to be levied as a
sinking fund to redeem said bonds and accruing
interest. The county holds its st'ck as all other
stockholders, and the Board OF Supervisors have
ers OF the capital stock Thus it becomes their
special duty to see that the company in whose in-
! tprest and welfare the county is 50 deeply inter
ested manages its affairs with honesty and tilel-
| ity, and applies lis revenues and resources in such
| Il manner rs not only in as speedy mlunrr rs
| possible carry out the great work in which it
| is embirkei the completion OF which the State
| AT large. aud the county in particular. are so
vitally interested. but also that the stock should
| an soon rs possible become remuuerItlve by the
| declaration of dividends. so as to tighten our
| county from the burden OF IL continuous and ruin
! Gus taxation. Actuated by these principles, and
| also impelled Ivy the fact that numerous reports
were in circulation throughout the county detr-
mental to the Interests oil the Railroad Company
| founded upon the assertions tn t hn Directors Of
| the Company have, in mlny instances, acted in
bad faith towards the Company. through contracts
entered into by them. the improper and prodi gal
| issue and use Of stock for Illegal purposes. want
! of good faith in their intention OF pushing for
ward thn work 10 the State line at rs early day
rs possible lavorti>n shown by the Directors TO-
wards the Directory in the allotment oil contracts.
! lavish expenditure OF the funds OF the Company,
| and other improper acts. The Board OF Super
| visorS deemed that an invest CATION mlde by them
into these matters. ana report th"reupon 10 you.
| in the event Of the same proving satisfactory,
which at that time The Board nd no reason to
doubt. would have placed the matter beyond fur
thor cavil, and resulted equllly 10 the advantage
of the Company and the county. The Board,
therefore. in the first place. appointed special
committee of two. and selected Tor thlt purpose
the Hon. j. E Hale aud the Hon. F. B. Higgins
both gentlemen OF the highest moral standing in
| the comfy and eminently qu,liiied from their
business qualifications Elithfnlly and efficiently TO
disch rgc the duty assigned TO them.
After this action had been officially taken by
the Board. the Railroad Company. through lis
! Superintendent and AIT rney. appeared before
the Board and most urgently sought the reScind'
| ing OF the resolution, averlng that the eXamnl
| tion would for various reasons be highly detri-
mental to their interests, and wonll affect their
various fiscal negotiations then in progress; and
particularly did they object to the invest CATION
being tde 10y aly other parties than the Botrd
! themselves. This application. pressed upon the
Board in the most tOrcible manner possible, and
upon assurances that il the Board would under
| take the duty, the utmost facilities should be at-
| lorled to them. the Board WAS induced to with
draw +, ON its former action. and constituted
! themselves as Committee for the purpose of
| said examination. Thus it will be seen that this
position was not courted by the Board, or sought
after. but forced upon them, Is it were. by the
express request of the Rilro.d Company. On
the 9th dty Of September Iha Commiitre met at
Sacramento City. aud repaired 10 the Office OF the
| r tlroad Company, prepared to make the ueces-
| sary inve>tig ,ti0n. On stating to the Secretary,
| Mr. Miller, the object OF our visit. Mr.. Hopkins,
one of the members Of the Company. enqnired If
the Board hl made out any definite course 10y
which they intended to conduct the eXarnin tton;
| when he was informed by me- that as m,jorii =
Of the Board had declined to obtain either the
services of their own Clerk, or some other com
petent expert to conduct the examination for
them. | had prepared u series Of questions which
desired to receive answers to, and information
upon. so that might report the same to the citi-
z"ns OF the county. in the form oi a report. The
questions were then produce read and copy
taken hy the Secretary. While discussing the
matter with thar officer several of the members
nf Of QtOrs Of thA ToiT AL
in the discussion. and from the character and tone
Of their remarks, soon gave me To uniersland
not only that the Information shond not be fur
nshed or the questions answered in full. hut that
| should. ii persisted in cndGav0rng to make
the nvestig tion. be subjected to IA series of petty
personal insults, with a view OF endeavoring 10
force me to abandon the examination. In this
view WAS more fully confirmed. when one OF my
colleagues suggested that il he were situated rs
were. that lie would return to- his home. Not
feeling satisfied. however. to permit such unbe
coming conduct to withdraw M from the dis
, charge of my duty, informed the parties that
, had come to the oFice for he purpose OF obtain
ing answers TO my questions, and that until had
received them or their refusal. | should not, from
any Cause all tndon the inquiry; aud that IRON
their actions WAS more than ever satisfied OF the
necessity o! the proposed * animation. I. at the
same time stated th IT, my friendly relations to-
= wards the railroad enterprise well known
and that it rested with them whether The enemies
oI the y mPany snouid nave tne opportunity OF
njuring he road in public opinion, through their
refusal OF attoriIing heir stockholders proper and
legitimate inform ttion. On again lem tnding the
; privilege OF inspecting the companyS books
was shown the stock book, aud on proceeding to
make some extracts from ii (Which alone would
r have enabled me to have Obtained data where
with to make any kind of ineligible report TO
! you) was perrmptorily forbidden to make any
) such. then asked TO see the record of corpora
tion debts. This was with reluctance shown to
me, and again was refused the right TO abstract
anything from it in the way of Information.
. suppose that might have hal permission to have
! retd the various entries. had been so dieposed
( but moments reflection will show that such a
privilege WAS nothing but mockery, AS mem
ory would be competent to charge itself with The
various entries therein contained, or hy its aid
S alone furnish statement in any manner reliable