The Placer herald., 1870-05-21
THE SUPERVISORS AND THE FORTY
FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS.

the law unuer WHICH luo WaIIdptS Wefe
drawn or the services for which these large
sums were appropriated believing it was
due to the reputation Of these officers that
they should be heard in seIf-defense before
being condemned by the public. Our col
umns were open and are still open for any
defense or explanation which they may
wish to make, and we believe our neighbor,
the Stars and Stripes, would be equally as
liberal as ourself 10 these officers. We have
not seen or heard of single taxpayer in
the county, of any shade OF politics, who does
not empbaically aud without reserve con-
denim this bold and unprecedented raid 90
the peoples money. We have examined
The three several Acts Of the Legislature
bearing upon this question of Placer taking
and selling stock in the Central Pacific
Railroad, and can find no authority either
in law or equity for this cold grab Of 81 500.
There would have been as much law TO
sustain these Supervisors in taking $50, 1000
each as the 81 500, and why they should
place themselves in position to be hung
for taking lamb wbeu only the same pen'
ally would have attached to the shoulderng
Of an old sheep, w don't understand. There
are some qaeer items connected with these
claims as entered on the IN nutes Of the Su-
pervisors. Each Supervisor claims 81 500
for services, erpenses and Attorney's fees for
selling The Railroad stock. What were the
services Three days. What were the ex
pensesl They paid no railroad fare, as
they were furnished a special train. And
what did each of them pay bis Attorney,
aud what use had they for Attorneys? Judge
Hale. Gen. Hamilton, VIM Crutcber and
oursef had furnished them with the infor-
nation that party stood ready to pay par
for the stock, and the Bank of California
had te|egraphed them that his check was
good for half million dollars in gold, and
yet they sold the stock TO another party
who only offered par, without even letting
the first bidder make another offer. What
was there for an Attorney TO do Nothing,
literally nothing; and if there had been, the
Distric! Attorney is paid a salary by the
county, and is always at the call Of The
Board when it wants legal advice. We
published the entire proceedings Of the
Board in reference to the sale, and We defy
any one to find anything contained therein
that displays legal ability or furnishes evi-
dence that any lawyer had anything to do
with the sale. These Supervisors know that in
fact it was the Central Pacific Railroad Com.
pauy that bought the stock, and that the
only Attorney they bad with them was the
Attorney Of the Railroad company.
Unpleasant rumors are aloat that money
was paid to induce the Supervisors to sel
at par to d. o. Mills 4 Co. without allow
ing Lambard to make a second bid. What
truth there is in these rumors We do not
know, but we do know that Lambard was
treated uukndIy and unjustly and that the
county fos, big money by the haste display
ed in selling to Mills Il Co, and we believe
that the Supervisors could have proftted
money for selling to Mills q Co. when they
did and on the terms the sale was made.
A suit bas now been brought in the name
Of a taxpayer, and an injunction issued by
Judge Reardan and served on the County
Treasurer restraining him from paying these
Warrants. This will settle the legal
question Of the right Of the Supervisors to
this extra 81 500 out Of the County Treas
urv. We have heard that one OF The Su-
peryisors said, when he was served with the
injunction, that if they did not get this fifteen
hundred dollars, they would pay themselves
handsomely out of the gold in the Railroad
fund. We will say to this Supervisor that
that fund is special sacred fund, and that
the man who touches it or attempts TO di-
vert it from the special purpose provided
by law, commits State prison fence and
will have q chance to look through CRATES
for many year.
Since The above was in type, we bavs had
a conversation with The Chairman Of the
Board, and be feels sanguine that full ex-
plauation Of all the circumstances, expenses,
vexatous, and responsibilities attending the
sale, will satisfy the public and The law that
be bas not claimed too much. We are
open TO conviction on these points, and be-
ieve the public feel as we do on the subject
but with only the facts before US which we
had, we could not modify the above article
or the one which appeared last week. We
will cheerful!y give the other side Of the
question, and will probably be enabled to do
so in our next, or subsequent issue Of the
HERALD.
CRoPs IN PARApIsE-From a private let.
ter from friend living at Paradise city.
in Stanslaus county, we make the follow