Weekly Trinity journal., 1872-03-30
OUR SACRAMENTO LETTER.
SACRAMENTO, March 25, 1872.

hardly be called one replete with import
ant events and measures. Party spirit
/ has entered too much into the deliber-
ations of the members, and party major
/ ity, Democratic in the Senate and Repub-
! lican in the Assembly, has killed many
wcll-drawn and important bills, and the
consideration of which made action upon
them party issue. Again, both Houses
/ have been troubled with members who are
never so much at home as when on the
floor, with buncombe speech, and this
necessarily has been great clog TO leg
! islation. But it is hardly the time now TO
criticisc the labors of our honorable rep
resentatives, and ] will defer more until
the closing day. This week we may ex-
pcct heavy weeks work both Houses
have larger files and evening sessions are
almost certainty. The Assembly, the
past two weeks, have kept ahead of bust
ness, and much praise is bestowed upon
! Speaker Shannon and Chief Clerk Boz
ruck for their very able management OF
affairs at the desk. But, to get back to
what has been done, ! hardly know where
to start. Perhaps it would be better to
give you summary of all, and what
may not be news your scissors can easily
Gull from the manuscript.
SHERIFF JAGKsoN's CLAIM.
Sheriff Jackson's claim is still before
the Legislature, awaiting tnal disposi-
stion, and its fate now is more uncertain
than ever. After much time rather i'll
spent, as the justice Of the claim was eyi-
dent to the majority, the bill passed both
Houses but was returned without approval
by the Governor and for reasons advanced
in the Assembly in opposition to its pas
sage. His message Oh the matter was as
/ follows:
To the Assembly Of the State of Cali
ifOrnia : ! herewith return to your hon
orable body Assembly Bill No. 165-A An
| Act for the relief of John Jackson, Sher-
if and eE o0iciO Tax collector for Trini-
ty county-without my approval. The
claimant was the defendant under an in
dictment for misdemeanor in the United
States Circuit Court for selling foreign
miners licenses as Sheriff of Trinity
county; the decision of the case involved
an adjudication upon n conflict between
/ the laws of the Government Of the Uni
| ted States and those of the State of Cali
! tOrna. The case was regarded AS IA test
of the right Of the State to impose Il tax
on foreign miners under the law Of Con-
Ia, ,i, pi,
! bill penalty Of fine of $50 was i'm
posed and no costs adjudged against the
defendant. The bill under consideration
appropriates $1,000 to pay the defendant
tor his expenses and damages in the suit,
and exempts the appropriation from con
sderation by the Board of Examiners.
II the State had any interest in maintain
ing the supremacy of her own statutes
over the laws of the United States, or in
the settlement of the question of II con-
rlict of laws, she had law officer in the
person of her own Attorney General,
commissioned, sworn, and paid for that
| purpose. Ills entire competence To dis
! charge that duty is not doubted, and he
had contingent fund under his control
and could employ additional counsel
whenever, in his opinion, the dignity of
the State or the Importance of the case
demanded it. That he recognized and
discharged his duty in this matter is evi-
denced by his report TO the Governor,
wherein he states that he considered it
his duty to defend the SUIT, and did de-
fend it. The proceedings Of the Court
and the judgment rendered show that the
trial involved a question of law rather
than Of penalty, and, after the decision,
the present bill seems To me to convert II
penalty for violation Of law of Con
gress into II premium.
NEWTON BeOTH,
Governor.
Mr.. Tinnin was temporarily absent at
the time of the receipt of the message,
and its consideration was made the spe-
cial order for the following day. 1t was
then laid on the table and there we find it
at present, but can be taken up at any
time by n majority vote. Mr.. Tinnin SO
moved a day or two since, but it being ev-
ident that at that time the necessary vote
could not be gained, the motion was pur-
poscly lost. 1t requires q two thirds
vote in both Houses to pass the bill over
the Governors veto, and with the close
vote on this bill it will no doubt be rather
n difficult matter. Without a doubt, a
fight will be made to gain it, and one
good argument to be used will be that he
has already signed two almost similar
bills.
THE s0NoMA RAILROAD VETO,
Was one hardly expected, as it was one
merely granting an extension of time to
the Railroad Company to complete their
road in Sonoma county. The people of
that county urgently demanded the ex-
tension of time provided for, hnd after
comparatively little debate, the Assem-
bly, passed the bill over the Governors
veto by a vote of 80 ayes to 25 noes, just
winning by single vote. This action
was anticipated, the Governors objec-
tions to the bill proving i'll founded, and
it being also understood that the support
of the veto was not regarded as necessary.
The bill now awaits the consideration of
the Senate, where test vote has already
been taken, and it was shown that it
would stand 26 and ii. Another vote
must be gained here or the absence of
one or two of the opposing members, be-
fore its passage.
SUBSIDIES
And the plank in the platforms of both
parties have again been discussed at
length in the Assembly. On Friday last
it was subsidies and platforms nearly all
day long, to the utter exclusion of all
other business. The question arose from
bills relating to San Francisco for bring
ing water there from Lake Tahoe, also
bill vacating certain streets there to
fha railroad fnr oom,,oroioI ,.,,.-