Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-03-25
THE GOVERNORS MESSAGE.
message was presented and read as follows
STATE or CALIFORNIA,
EVgCuTIVE DEPARTMENT


SACBAMENTO March "a 1854
To the Senate and Assembly OF the State Of Cali
fOrpia-Gentemen The Constitution confers upon
the Chief Ex cutive OF the State the power TO con
veue the Legislature when in his opinion an extra
ordinary occasion shall have arisen demanding the
atiento and action Of that ooiy.
Certain railroad corporations, organized and do
ing business in this State having for the past four
years resisted the demands OF the State for the col
lection Of delinquent taxes, and certain suits nsti
tuted by the state ana portion of the counties
therein against said corporations for the collection
OF delinquent taxes having been compromised, by
consent judgments entered in the Unitsd States
Circuit Court whereby, ii such judgments bind
iug and allowed to stand, the State and counties
have lost all penalties and interest due ssi deiin-
queut taxes; and the State being for the time,
seemingly, pOWeTesS to assert her rights, J have
deemed it prudent ask your aid and assistance in
passing such laws &ad prop )sing such amendments
TO the Constitution viii, It is hoped etfectuflly
prevent the recurrence Of a similar condition of
affairs 10 the future. l have also asked your 20
operation in devisiDg such means, in your judg-
ment may seem proper, to assert the rights of the
State in reference to the further prosecution Of
these delinquent tax cases. and to provide means
for opening and setting aside all comprc misses, CON
sent judgments and agreements, wherever and by
whomsoever made, in which the State has lost or is
about to lose, auy portion of the tax penalty or in
torest due by law.
As no little diss ltisfacon exists in reference to
the comparative inacsi0n of the Board cf railroad
Commissioners in performing the duties OF that of-
uce L nave IhOugnJ proper 10 request your hOuOr9-
bic body TO provide for new Board, and Co propose
and slbmit TO the people amendment to the Cor
stitution Of the State to the eud that said haroad
Commissioners may hereafter be elected from the
State at laTge and that YOU also propose and submit
an amendment to the Constitution fixing the maxi
mum rates to he charged for the TRANSPORTATION of
passengers and freight all railroads in the State
The subjects submitted for your consideration are
so licity stated and the his ory Of the struggle
Of the State fer the collection of revenue ON the
corporations referred to is 50 well known to each
member Of your honorable body thst it seems
hardly necessary to give in detail the reasons why
legislation should be had upon the subjects en-
brsced in he proclamation.
1t seams entirely proper and necessary that the
mode of eiecting the members Of the Railroad
Commi sion should be changed. Ii the members
OF that Commission were elected from the State
AZ large the electors would not be confiaed, as
now, 10 n certain district from which to choose
one Commissioner, to another district from which
to choose the second member and to another
from which to choose the third but could under
the system proposed select from any portion OF the
State those citizens who best qualified bv rea-
son OF ability and integrity, to discharge the i'm
portant duties OF that office. Il this plan all the
electors OF the State would have voice in choosing
each Commissioner. Neither could interested par.
ties so easily concentrate and succeed in electing or
defeating any particular candidate / have there
fore, requested you to propose and submit TO the
people amendment to the Constitution proyidino
for the election OF this Board from the State al
large; and, in the mean time, if such amendment
should be submitted aud ratified before the next
general election, that you provide a method for
appointing three Commissioners until said election
While IL is the opinion Of this office that the pres
ent method Of assessing ra oad property is fair and
lawful, and Is rot repugnant the Constitution Of
the United States aud that will be 50 held by the
Supreme Court of the United States before which
that question is now pending, yet / nave thought
proper 70 direct your attention TO the advisabity
OF providing that the property of railroad com
panies aud corporations and all debts due 10 and by
them shall be assessed by the State Board Of EQUAL.
ization The property Of individuals is now assessed
by local Assessors. 1t would be well for you to ia-
vestigate and consider this question thoroughly be-
fore Daking change in the Constitution and laws
upon this subject If, after mature consideration,
You consider it advisable that the method of assess
ing railroad property should be changed, you have
ample power under the proclamation to do so. 1t il
the opinion OF this office that revenue would
be paid to the State, under the system pointed out