The Placer herald., 1869-12-18
GOVERNOT.,s ) MESSAGE.

1
our readers instead of the message complete
preserving the Governors language as FAR rs
practicable
eThe total funded debt Of the State on first day
of December 1867 was stated by my prcdece5
sor at s5,l26,5OO The present funded debt is
S4 OGS 000 This is exclusive oil outstanding
warrants upon the Capital Fund. more Particu-
Mry referred to hereafter. OF this amount,
$3.50 500 OF bonds are held by the State Tor
School Fund.
The total receipts from all sources, during the
fiscal year ending June thirtieth, 1869, were ST.
96l 1855 81. The total disbursements during the
same year were S2.9l5.93i OIL.
The reduction by the Legislature at it's last
session OF the rate OF taxation Tor State purposes
from 81 l3 to 81 cents on each Sl0O OF taxable
property afforded to the General Fund but 22a
cents upon each 500.
This rate would not have been so inadequate
to furnish sufficient funds for the current expen-
dlures of The State Government, but for the
! loss Of about $4,000 torei gu miners license tax,
! granted at the last session 10 the minlng coun-
! ties, and about $50 600 lost to the revenue by
! judicial decision adverse to the validity Of the
passenger stamp tax. Even had these two sou re-
es Of revenue been retained, the incicasng ex-
penses of maintaining our public institutions
would have rendered the rate OF taxation Tor
General Fund purposes too low. The rate recon-
mcnded by the Controller is twenty five and one
halt cents for General Fund, which is doubtless
The lowest rate needed Tor the next two fiscal
years. 1t must b" recolectcd that the extin-
guishment of our funded debt (Which will occur
| within FIVE years. at the present rate OF redemp-
tion). and the completion OF the State Capitol,
will relieve the property OF the State from 81
cents on each Sl0O, 40 that if the State had been
out of debt and its public buildings completed
| the rate OF taxation last year would have been
but 39i cents on each 500 instead of 81 cents,
and this includes s cents Tor interest on Central
Pacific Railroad Bonds and cents for School
Fund 10 add 'tion to the military tax Of ! cents
The rate Of taxation Tor general purposes VIII
probably not need to be increased beyond Zo3
cents, because. with fair and equal valuation oil
property the increase Of the assessment roll. as
the State progresses in wealth aud population
ought to furnish large enough increase in the
amount OF money necded Tor the general eX-
pcnses Of the State Government"
EQUALIZATION OF ASSESSMENTS.
Under this head the message favor' State
Board OF Equalization. and adds:
IL do not FULLY share the distrust which the
Controller expresses, OF the pIactlcablilty ana
efficiency of a State Board of Equliz,tion 1t
seem TO me that the functions o. such Board
might be so arranged rs not to involve any large
expenditure or complicated machinery. III II
were orly a Board OF inquiry and supervision 1T
would be valuable. but it might doubtless be
clothed with useful power to enforce change III
|
The Governor refers the Members TO the re-
ports of the various State officers, and speaks of
the chiefs of all these Offices in complimentary
terms.
LAND MATTERS.
"Our land system seems to be mainly framed
to facilitate the acquisition o. large bodies OF
land by capitalists aud corporations, either as
donations or at nominal prices. 1t is to be re-
greited that land granted by Congress to rail-
road corporations bad not been sdUrct to COZ
| tinued pre-emption by settlers giving to the
corporation the proceeds at ST me fXcd price;
and it would probably have been much better
for the State and country il the public Lands h id
never been disposed OF, except TO actual settlers
under pre-emption laws, with the qualification
las referred 10 in the case OF rail. Dads"
On this point the Governor says the whole
system is in confusion; parties who have pur-
chased from the State. often finding themselves
involved in expensive litigation with claimants
under Railroad grants and thnNs Congress
should be asked to make the States title conclu-
sve in all such cases. The Message holds to the
correct doctrine that the Swamp l. ,n-s or their
owners only should be taxed for their reel anna
ton, and makes no recommendation a, to the
sale or reservation of mineral Ian Is. The Gov
ernor vans legislation to protect birds which
are valu tblc for the destruction of insects, and
also for the protection Of the vari Gus varieties OF
fish. and the introduction of new ones in our
rivers and mountain lakes.
COMMON SCHOOLS
The message iudorses the system and says:
The Superintendent has devoted himself to
the development OF the system with comme1da
bic actv iy and zall, during the past two years,
and the progress m ,de will be apparent from his
report.
The whole number of children in the State be-
tween the age OF five and fifteen years is ll2743.
of which numhcr l0642 are white S3S negro
1868 Indians under the guardianship OF white
persons.
The number under five years OF age is 81. .9S3.
making the total number under fifteen years OF
age. l70,726. against l49 306 two year ago.
The number in atendancea the public schools
during the present year WAS 81 .S3l; al private
schools. G,273, and 25.464 have not attended
any school. In eighteen hundred and sixty'sevcn
the number reported as in attendance upon the
public schools was 54,726; upon private schools.
l4,026 and upon no school PAIL. The number
OF schools during the present year was ,354. aud
1857 teachers were employed, oil whom 126
were male and 9G female.
Tn number OF schools reported in eighteen
hundred AMI Xty-seven was l0S3, aud o teach
ers. .3S9. showing an increase since that year OF
27l schools and 29S teachers. The number OF
new schooi-housrs built this year aud last is 259,
which, add cd TO GIG, the number reported i'll
1867, mlkcs the total number o. s>hool houses
SIS and the amount expended the present year
is 81 .2904i4 - against 81, ,lG3.3lS 81 in 1867.
These figures show constant progress, an give
promise OF more perfect development. The
teachers OF the State are believed to be, as Il
body not inferior, in qualifications and devotion
TO their important work, to those oil any OF the
older Statcs.'
| STATE PRISON.
The Directors, with the aid of the proceeds OF
special tax levied two years ago, amounting to
some SIS 900, and other means at their disposal
have been able ''to erect and complete an excel
lent, substantial and commodious shop building,
sixty feet wide by two hundred aud flty-iour
feet long. and four stories and Il half IN height,
in every respect well ad pied for the purpo.e.
besides making some necessary repairs upon the
other buildings. Those who have examined the
building pronounce it superior to any one used
for similar purpose in the Eastern prisons"
...l:, a. ln.,