Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-01-14

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Navigation must likewise become more diff ,ult;
and In time that of Suisun Bay and the Bay OF
San Francisco will be imperiled No improve
ment is worth considering which will not result in
permanent relief, and no Improvement can afford
such relief unless it be consistent with certain
well known natural laws controlling the action OF
all sediment bearing rivers He concludes his re-
port in these significant words "If the entire
system be properly executed and fully completed
as proposed have no hesitation in ASSERTING that
the results will be most gratifying and remuner
ative.n In common with his colleague CAPTAIN
Eads holds the adoption of this or some other COM
prehensive system to be necessary On the point of
sustained and systematic action in fact there is no
difference of opinion among the scientific men who
have examined the subject.
In estimating the probable results OF any success
full plan OF drainage, it became necessary to take
into consideration not only the losses and dangers
to be avoided, but the benefits to be gained Il was
evident that the works which secured out the river
channels, and enabled them to carry their food vol
ume without inundating the country through which
| they flowed, would reclaim all the swamp and over
flowed lands along the Lower Sacramento. rough
estimate OF the values thus to be created by the
carrying out OF such sy7tem iu5tifes the belief
that at least SO 600 900 would in this way be added
to the as essment rolls.
Against all these considerations was to be placed
the cost OF the proposed works. 1t was not posi-.
BILE to arrive at clear innate of this expenditure.
but it believed by the Engineers that it could
not exceed $40 OOO and that it might not exceed
$4,000 900. Taking the larger figure for comparison
it at once appears that when measured by the mag
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an expenditure must be regarded insignificant,
nor there, after making this calculation, remain
doubt to the expediencY of preferring remedial
measures, framed with view to the preservation of
the mining interest, to that let alone policy
which it is evident would entail the most widespread
disasters and injuries upon the commonwealth.
insignificant the aggregate cost OF the pro
posed works may appear however, when contrasted
with the values lmperiled it IS unquestionably far
too onerous undertaking to be borne by any Sec
ton or locality. This brings me to the Drainage
| Act, which was drawn l believe as a compromise
measure, but which in its principles appears to meet
the logical and equitable requirements of the situa
ton quite closely. 1t attempted in this bill to
assess benefit assessment as justly as possible
upon the districts to be directly aided the hydrau-
lie miners called upon for extra contributions
as seemed proper under the circumstances and a
single light tax of five cents the hundred dollars
vas made general. signed that Act in the belief
that its principles were just and sound, and have
seen no reason to change that belief since the law
went into operation
The justice of general tax for such purpose
appears to to be thoroughly demonstrated by the
existing relations between the State and the Federal
!
| apportionng taxation in the State economy which
are based on the doctrine. The principle of
mutually of interest between the citizens of one
commonwealth has been adopted in its very broadest
Interpretation in the relations between the States
and the Federal Government. Whenever State
needs some internal improvement which it cannot
compass from It's resources, it appeals to Con
gresS and the latter rarely fails to concede what
demanded. San Louis 0bspo Los Angeles, San
Diego and Alameda counties in this State are n rs
petitioners for appropriations which can only be
justified granted by applying the principle of
community interest underlying the measure under
consideration. To repudiate that principle is to
deny the justice of claims now beijg urged
berore Congress behalf OF these improve
ments. The theory upon which Congress PRO-
ceeds in those differs il lie gree from that
which is apple lble here. For mutual defense for
mutual protection, for mutual advantage for mutual
convenience the Nation helps the State Taxation
is general The revenues collected from the entire
Union, hw0ever, are liable TO be employed at any
time upon local improvements. The taxpayer who
resides in the heart Of Illinois or Minnesota is made
to contribute to the erection of lighthouses upon the
coast of Maine, the construction OF break
nd
on the coast of California. 1t Is necessary that
this exchange of aid should be made, but there can
be no reason why what is recognized as indspensa.
bic between the different States and tbs Federal
Government should be rejected as inappcable
when the people of single State are concerned
This principle is acted upon in our school law, as
has been too frequently demonstI atcd TO need
further illustration. 1t is in fact a principle alto
gether necessary to the and prosperity of
States, and without which all advances toward a
higher condition of civilization would be slow a
painful. OF course the fact that the State under
takes work Of this kind in no way interferes with
whatever appeals may be addressed to Congress. l
Of opinion that California has a very equitable
claim upon the General Government for aid in this
connection and do not believe that Congress will
hesitate to recognize it Such Governmental aid
should at be sought and earnestly insisted
upon. The General Government sold the mineral
lands to the miners and the agricultural lands to
the farmers, and received due compensation there
for. 1t sol the mineral lands with full knowledge
OF the fact that the beds OF the streams were inds
pensable channels for the tailings by mining
operations. Since the mineral lands were sold for
the express purpose OF mining, and since the prop
erty so purchased cannot be prohtably worked with
out great injury to the valleys and rivers of The
State our people believe that in equity the Gov
eminent owes a large contribution to the
cost OF remedies for the injury inflicted
The precedents for liberal appropriations to
aid US in the solution OF this problem not want
ing. The Government expended S. 600 600 in the
improvement of the navigation OF the mouth OF the
Mississippi RIVER aud the concession was made for
considerations which find complete analogy and par
raile here. The gold product OF mines flow into
the channels OF the worlds commerce and the ar-
rerous deposits of our mountains are the treasures
OF the entire people. The preservation of the nayi-
gabilty of our river system should be the charge of
the nation, and no instance can be cited where the
General Government has repudiated its obligation
in this connection The navigation of the inland
waters of this State and the community Of interest
inherent in the production of precious meta s. sus-
tain relations to the general welfare establishing a
claim upon the governmental protection equal in
equity and of greater magnitude in importance than
the improvement of barbors upon our coast. In
this view LOOK hopefully for assistance from Con-
gress
The relations and obligations of the State in this
connection must be considered very seriously. The
principle OF community of interest which underlies
and peIvades the whole economic system of Ameri-
can government cannot be ignored in a case OF this
| magnitude nor should there, on the other hand, be
any doubt in the public MUD to the justice of its
application. To prove the interest of the State in
the matter, it will probably suffice to demonstrate
that it has much to gain by the successful cure of
the debris evil and much to lose by the failure of
all attempts in that direction The considerations
already advanced may be supposed to look toward
them with some further arguments. As regards the
question of gain to the State, it is clear that such
rehabilitation of the principal waterways will not
only remove all danger of further disastrous mum
dations from the upper Sacramento Valley, but will
reclaim the swamp lands the lower Sacramento
must add very largely to the taxable property
OF the community, induce settlement and cul
ovation, and promote the growth and prosperity,
irst of the northern portion OF the State, and
nj ~lO1, At