Daily Los Angeles herald., 1878-12-01
Public Men and Their Acts.

Public Men and Their Acts.
EDITOR HERALD: IF it be true
that the acts and records OF public
men in their official capacity be-
long to the public and are subject
to fair criticism, as I have been
taught to believe they are, then no
apology is required of me- for the
liberty I take in calling attention
to the official record of Col. J. F.
Godfrey, late of the city of Bangor.
Maine, aud now City Attorney for
the city of Los Angeles and can.
didate for reelection on the 80
called Workingmen's ticket, In the
interest of what, In his view Of the
Case, he calls refo M. A just and
reasonable confidence In the pro-
fessions and acts of public man,
as well as OF hil ability In the off.
cial positions he has Fl lied, can
only be assured by an examination
of the acts themselves, and for that
purpose and for the further purpose
of showing that If reform in the
city government Is necessary, lis
now legal advisor, Col. J. f CO..
frey, late II the town Of Bango',
Maine, Is not the man whose legal
mind aud learning can be relied
upon to direct reform in the adj
ininistra,ion of the city govern
m-nt, even though It he conc. ded
that he honestly desired to do so.
A little less than two years ago
Col J. F. Godfrey, late of the town
Of Bpgor, Maine. ns the result of
II Peoples n0n-partizan movement.
and perhaps out of the respect en-
t~rtaiued by the citizens OF this
city for the town of Bangor, Maine,
was elected CITY Attorney of the
city of Los Angeles. His record as
such City Attorney is the object Of
this article.
A few years ago a corporation
was f,rined under the laws of the
| State under the title OF the Canal
aud Reservoir Comp,ny, 10 which.
under restrictions therein stated
by ordinance, certain franchises
and lands were granted by the
city, among them being the right
tn build what IL now known as IT Q
Canal aud Reservoir ditch, to bnild
dam for reservoir purposes, saw.
ing water for irrigation, Ito. The
company, in pursuance OF the OBJ
jpcts for which IL was OrganiZed,
purchased Of Charles v Howard,
the then owner of the Rancho de
lns Feliz. lying to the north and
west of the city, an outside of the
city limits, and dupon which a large
portion of the water forming III.
Los Angeles river rises. a perpetual
easpri and right of way across
and upon the lands OF the Los
FeIiz Rancho. See deed from G.
v. Howard to Canal and Reservoir
Company, book II of deeds. page
323, County Rec rd-l's Office, to
which the attention Of my readers
il directed ] The Company con-
structed u ditoh from the Los Feliz
| Rancho to what is known as the
| Wooden Mil, using the Feliz R,n-
cho ditch, secured by deed from
Howard, and outside of tine city
limits, as the source Of supply built
a dam at n Ioint known as the Ca
nal aud Reservoir dam, some twen-
ty feet high, when, from causes
perhaps best known to the corpor-
alton Itself, the further completion
OF the work was suspended and
proposals and counter proposals
were made by which, upon the
payment of stipulated sum of
money, the city was to become
pnssessed of the bitches, reservoirs.
rights and franchises Of the
C.nal and Reservoir Company.
In this shape the matter WAS found
bv the military statesman OF legal
mind, Col. J F. Gnifr-y. gener-
ously shipped to US from the well
watered district of Bangor. MAine,
to pass upon the irrigation problem
of the city Of Los Angeles.
I have already shown that an
essential right to the use Of the
Canal and Reservoir C0mpany's
easements and franchises lay out
side Of the city, and without which
the city acqnlr.d u no title that
would benefit the city or Its prop.
erty hold-rs. In The face Of these
fact., Which Mr. Gndfrey must have
known, because he has the former
City Attorney IN his Offire az part
npr and deputy, he permitted tue
c,ty to purchase the rights of the
taual and Reservoir Company for
5000. within the city limits only.
See deed from Canal and Rrser'
voir Company to the city of Los
Angeles, recorded at r-qu st IT :.
| q. G ,sw-ll, City Glerk, August l6
1878 I Mr.. Godfrey said to the
Cou oil. "lhis ~ all we can get by
aw," in his report thereon.
Az examination of the deed from
Howard 10 the Canal aud Reservoir
Company, aud tile deed from tina!
Company to the City. will show
that all that porli m of the rights
aud 1easem. nts of the Canal an,
Reservoir Company lying outside
,f the city are still the property o
liz Canal and Reservoir C",ps"y
aud the purchase M ,,ie under thu
a iv,ce IT Mr.. Gndfr-y is .rren =
r suits IN as muci, ~ the easenen
across the Fellz Rancho was no