Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1875-01-06
GOVERNORS MESSAGE.
conctnd.d from Seoond Paqt.l

U oAo,tVo Inv uuhioet e.sff
for is i3,2Tl1. A very limited number
OF sales has been made Of lands included
within tho sixteenth and thirty-sixth
sections. The sales must await the ex-
tension OF the public surveys. Even
then they are difficult OF selection. and
in many cases unmarketable, located as
they may be. ON the submits OF noun
tains or ON sterile flats. Serious and
embarrassing questions have arisen as
to the character Of the lands included
within the grant. II Is yet unsettled,
whether under the Act OF Congress the
State received aud may convey q title to
mineral lands falling within the sections
named. So slowly are the surveys ad-
vanced, and so many difficulties impede
the acquisition Of title, that the grant
in its present form may almost be pro-
nounc-d undesirable. The total area OF
the grant within the State is 3,9OO,OOO
acres. The Legislature OF 1873 passed
a memorial and concurrent resolution
Statutes 1873, p. 232) requesting Con-
gress TO grant a million acres OF land, to
be selected rs other lands granted to the
State, in lieu OF the sixteenth and thirty
sixth sections, aud eonsenting to the re-
peal Of the prior Act 4 hill to that ell
feet was introdacedin the House OF Rop-
~resentatiyes by our Member OF Congress,
and was referred TO the Committee on
Public Lands. There II has encountered
some opposition, IN what ground know
not. would suggest renewal OF ior-
mer efforts, and a strenuous attempt TO
secure the passage Of the bill.
rEEs or COUNTY AID TOWNSHIP ofFicEks'
OF all sources from which have arisen
the present onerous debts OF tho coun.
ties OF this State. | consider the lees OF
county aud township officers the most
unjust and oppressive. A history, oil
the growth and progress of this method
OF compensation will DO instructive to
the end OF its improvement, IL not OF its
total abolition. In every plan OF oihciai
compensation where a definite sum Is
lxed for the payment Of specific service
there 4. one chief source Of income to
the in~cumbents. Under our system II u
the payment Of mileage for distances
travelled 10y Sheriffs and Constables In
the discharge Of their respective duties.
Other but not as prominent instances
may be found in the fees allowed to
County Clerks and Recorders for copy
ing and transcribing papers upon tho
files Of their offices,
The first Territorial Legislature. at
the session Of 1861, enacted fee bill.
A Just II not moderate sum was allowed
for mileage. In the cases OF Sheritis
and Constables the sum OF forty cents per
mile was fixed: in that Of Jurors, twenty
i've cents. The price OF copying and
transcribing records was fixed at thirty
i've cents per folio. These charges were
payable in gold. There was no other
kind Of money in circulation Mt tho
time. In the months Of February and
July, 1862, the Legal Tender Acts were
passed. Paper money came rapidly into
use. There was no specific provision OF
the Statute requiring the payment OF
fees in coin. Consequently. as matter
Of law they were payable, and rs mat
ter Of fact they were paid, in paper.
Legal tenders fell rapidly in price, i'ue'
tuating with the varying fortunes OF the
combatants in the late war. Tho see
ond session Of the Legislature began in
December. 1862. The depreciation at
that time equaled twenty per cent; at a
later period it sank to sixty.two per
cent. Of the face Of the currency. The
Legislature WAS Immediately besisged
BY county officers praying relief rs n
matter Of simple justice. In pursuance
Of this view the price Of mileage was in
creased to ssy.nty-iye cents an adj
vance Of nearly one hundred per .
BY the SANE statute the fees OF Clerks
and Recorders were cut down nearly one
ffth; upon what principle OF justice or
policy cannot he imagined. Thus the
statute stood until IsG5, when the price
Of transcribing records was advanced
about ten per cent. No Ia
changes Of Importance were made.
i. must be remembered that az public
officers suffered equally by the depreeia-
ton OF the currency. From the Erecu-
tive 10 the lowest clerk in the service OF
the State, the loss was uniform. None,
however, received such a tiattering nc
acknowledgement OF the real yalus OF their
services at the hands Of the Legislature
as these county officials. The Judges Of
the Supreme Court, whose nominal sal
aries were 5000 per annum. were
forced 10 content themselves with an
equivalent Of $1,000 in coin. The pay
mont Of the salaries Of the Judges had
been an object Of special interest to tho
trainers Of the Constitution. A special
fund had been created for their benefit,
in the nature Of q first lien upon the pub
lie revenues. Whatever financial cm-
barrassmen,s might oyertake other cred
itors or servants Of the State, the Judges
we're not 10 be straitened. And yet no
means wero or could have been devised
to avert from them thu general loss.
Specie payments were resumed upon
January 1, 1869. All salaries and fees
were included in the statute in express
terms. Thence and thereafter they have
been paid in gold coin. The Sheriff,
| Constable. or Coroner who in the pio-
ne,r days Of 1861. Ia the midst OF the
Wild ,~xirayagancs Of tho earlier settle
mcnt Of the State. received forty centsin
coin for each mile travelled in the ser.
vice Of process. who received seventy
Ave cents in currency for the same SER
vice from 1862 until 1869. now receives
the same price in coin.
Ii cannot be denied that the present
schedule Of charges is estravagant and
excessive. Il there a public conveyance
in the State of Nevada upon which the
rates Of travel equal ono-fith OF the sum
allowed by law Take for example the
Ease Of n Sheriff bringing a prisoner
from Phoebe to the penitentiary in Car
son City. How by any method OF cal
~eulaiion can his expenses for the trip.
back aud forth, exceed the sum Of 800?
And yet the sum allowed apprcNimates
$500.
Cases innumerabls may be cited to
show the oppressive nature OF these
BURDENS on County Treasurers. A score
of criminal prosecutions might Ice men,
toned, each Of which has swallowed up
a fourth Of tie annual ven OF u
county. The criminal calendars OF E.lko,
washoe and Lincoln have doubled the
taxes Of the inhabitants therein. To
them, justice has been Al expensive
luxury.
A reduction OF rates is Of pressing ne
csssity. The rewards Of official service