The Placer herald., 1871-12-16

the Legislature. The document is too
lengthy for our columns or we should gladly
give it entire;
STATE OF CALIFORNIA,
Erecutire Department,
Sacramento, Dec. 5, 1871. )
TO the Senate and assembly Of the STATE
Of Caltornia:- obedience to consttu-
tonal requirement proceed to give you sucl
information concerning the condition of the
State and the operations of its government
during the past two years as may tend to
facilitate your labors.
FINANCIAL CONDITION.
The reports Of the Controller and Treas
urer, which arc transmitted herewith, exhibit
the financial condition of the State on the lst
day of November last, and the trapsaction
Of their offices during the 2lst and a2d fiscal
years,
The total funded debt on the 1st day of
December A. ID. 1867, was stated by my
predecessor at IS 126, 500. This statement,
however, overlooked an item of $40, 600,
which would have made the total funded
debt $5, 146, 500, independtly of Indian war
bonds, of which SG0S Is have been paid
since that date. Bonds to the amount OF
$3.50, 600 were issued for the completion Of
the State Capitol, under the Act of the last
session. The present funded debt is 49,
462, ,O00 and of this amount 81 1873 800
are held by the State in the School Fund,
and S57 800 in the University Fund. The
amount of bonds redeemed since the lst day
of July, A. ID. 1869, is $500
The amount of funded debt of this State
held by private individuals is 50, ,27l 200,
which added to the amount of bonds held by
the State in the School and University Funds
makes the sum of 50 ,462 600 as stated.
OF the Capitol bonds issued last session,
nearly the whole amount, $23G, goo, are
held in the School Fund.
There is in the Treasury at present, appli-
cable to the redemption OF bonds, the sum
of $140, 500, so thai the funded debt of the
State, after deducting the amount of cash on
hand devoted to the redemption of bonds, is
$3,312, 800, a reduction of 81 ,S31 900 with
in the past four years. At the present rate
of redemption the funded debt, aside from
bonds in the School Fund, would be extin-
guished within the next four years.
The rate Of taxation for State purposes
for some years past has been as follows: In
1865 and 1866 81 49, in 1867 and 1868,
81 cents; and in 1869 and 1870 the rate was
still further reduced to S65 cents.
This tax is made up of the following items
For building the State Capitol 10 cents
Normal School building, 2 cents; State Pri-
son Building Fund, cents; School tax, 10
cents; Funded Debt tax, including Capitol
bonds, 23f cents: Central Pacific Railroad
interest, s cents; Military tax, II cents; and
General Fund, 23l cents.
PURITY OF ELECTIONS.
The Acknowledgment refers TO the para
mount importance of preserving the purity
of the ballot box, and adverts in terms of
merted censure to the course pursued by
Government officers at Vallejo i'll the recent
ee tions.
The essence OF free government consists in
the free and voluntary choice of officers by
the electors. If this freedom is destroyed, ,
and men are coerced into voting particular
ticket by threat of discharge and fear of
starvation, the act of depositing ballots is a
mockery and fraud
When officers marshal / 400 or 500 la
borers TO the polls, destroy the secrecy of the
ballot by compelling the use of strips of
pasteboard tive-eghths of an inch wide,
printed closely in diamond type, SO that al
teration is impossible, they aim blow at the
existence of free government, and virtually
direct the machinery Of republican institu
tions to defeat the popular will, upon which
they are avowedly based. No partisan OF
personal considerations should prevent a
prompt and efiectual remedy for this abuse.
There is another evil which meuaces the
perpetuity of pir institutions, and it is the
open practice of bribery at elections. Laws
of the most stringent character ought to be
enacted to arrest this growing evil. When
the time comes that the rank and file of the
voters are for sale in the market, the ex-
change of repubicansm for dcspotism will
only be a question Of time, and that short
time. Patriotism, under such circumstances,
would become theme for jest. 1t is here,
doubtless, that a serious peril lies, and it is
aggravated by the power of the great cor
porations, WHICH at the present day seem to
be satisfied with nothing short of absolute
control OF the whole machinery Of govern
ment. No intelligent man is blind to this
peril, and there are not wanting already those
who despair of a remedy.
Wise legislation, however, will aid much
to correct the evil. 1t should be made fel-
ony to offer Or accept a brbe at any election,
and a cause of disfranchisement, and dis
qualification for holding any public office.
Any officer guilty of this offence should be
made liable in a quo ,parY:antQ at suit of any
citizen, and ousted from Office if found guilty.
This last provision would probably be ell
cacious.
Corruption at elections is stimulated by
the practise of betting money upon the re-
suit. The practice is exceedingly pernicious
and ought to be declared hy statute misde-
meanor and ground of dsfranchisement
Il 7 Al