The Placer herald., 1871-12-16

IMPORTANT MEASURES.

the people of the State if he can secure
I their passage. The first is bill to reduce
and equalize the rates of fare and freight on
railroads, and as this bill is short we give it
entire:
Ak ACT to amend IN act entitled an act to provide
foT the Incorporation Of railroad companies
! and the management Of the affairs thereof, and
! other matters relating thereto, approved May
20, 1861
! The people Of the State of California, repre-
! sented in Senate and Assembly, do enact fol-
! lows:
! Section l. Section 81 Of an act entitled an
act to provide for the incorporation Of railroad
companies and the management of the affairs
thereof and other matters relating thereto, ap-
| proved May 20th 1861 is hereby amended so rs
to read as follows: 90 Section 81. 1t shall be un-
lawful for any such railroad company to charge
more than five cents per mile for each passenger
and five cents per mile for each ton of freight
transported its road; and for every trans
gresson of such limit the company shall be liable
to pay to the party suffering thereby treble the
entire amount aforesaid, Of freight charged to
such party provided that in shall
| the company be required to receive less than
twenty-five cents for any one lot of freight for
any distance
This bill retains the section as it has stood
for over ten years, the change in rates being
from ten to five cents for passengers and from
fifteen cents for freight to five cents, and
avoids all defects and quibbles that might
creep in or be raised if a new and more elab-
crate bill was framed The old law has
stood the test for ten years and been obeyed
by all railroad companies for that time, thus
establishing the constitutional and equitable
right of the Legislature to fix the tariff Of
freights and fares on railroads, and to enforce
them by adequate penalties. No friend of
the people and justice can object to this bill,
and the only question to be discussed is are
the rates named too high or too low. We
think the maximum ON freight allowed is too
low, especially for short distances, and that it
ought to be about seven and a half cents
per mile per ton, and that it is too high on
passengers, and should be fixed at three
cents. At this rate ton of freight from
Sacramento to Auburn, 36 miles, 1--WE only
name this point as an eXample,) would bring
the company 50 70; while single passen-
ger, who pays in advance, would bring
81 10. Or if we estimate by the car, one
car will carry comfortably fifty passengers,
which would bring $54 to the company,
while a car Of frcight-ten tons, an overload
would pay but $27, to say nothing of the
expenses of loading and dscharging and
collecting freight bills, which is all saved on
passengers. We only make these sugges-
tons because they seem to be required as
equitable in adjusting rates of fare and
freight.
Another measure introduce ly Senator
Larkiu is proposed amendment to the con
stitution which, if successful, will settle the
subsidy question for all time, and as the
people want it settled. This is a proposed
amendment to Section 10, Article II of the
State Constitution so rs to make it read:
The credit of the State, or of any county, city
or town therein, shall never in any manner be
given or loaned to, or in aid of any individual,
| association or corporation nor shall the State,
or any county, city or town therein, directly or
| indirectly become n stockholder i'll any assoca-
ton or corporation; nor shall the property, mo-
| ney or bonds of the State, or of any county city
| or town. be given or loaned to any association or
| corporation, except to corporations formed FOR
municipal, educational or charitable purposes.
The section now reads:
Section 10. The credit Of the State shall not,
in any manner, be given or loaned to er in aid
of any individual, association or corporation; nor
| shall the State, directly or indirectly, become a
stockholder in any association or corporation.
Under this section our Supreme Court has
held, Gllegally, we hold), that counties,
towns and cities can be stockholders, or loan
or give their credit to any corporation or as
socation without limit or restraint as to time
or amount; thus, in effect, nulliiying one OF
the great objects of the trainers of the Con-
stituton, and robbng the section of the
very essence and marrow of its protective
power over the people and their property.
We had as well accuse the trainers of the
Constitution with mbccility or insanity as te
construc the section as applying only &c
the State, and permitting the counties and
people who make, constitute and support the
State to be robbed, plundered and financially
destroyed by thieving corporations, the door
to which has been opened by the Supreme
Court. This subsidy subject was brought
to the surface by the vetoes of Governor
Haight, and soon assumed an importance
that overwhelmed all other questions and
controlled the conventions Of both political
parties. Nnetenths of the people of the
State were against the Court, against the
Legislature, and for the Interpretation of the
section as given and made plain in Senator
Larkins amendment, and that Senator OIL
Assemblyman who votes against the amend,
ment must be brave, if not bad man.
The other measure we intended to speak
| :, tLo In - abolish all cou,tx, o,I I;,