Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-03-11

| Tularc is mistaken. 1t Is a question of growing
| magnitude one being recognized by the farmer
| everywhere. Why. take my own county There
4 are three nayigaDl, streams flowing through II.
| To-day the fields arc parching as though nature
| itself was appealing to the representatives OF
| the people to give them this needed legislation
| BY the very side ofthoSe rich ana virgin helds
are living streams flowing from the never-failing
| section of the Sierras running past and on to
waste, while the parched earth calls for it. Some
one in little cove in the valley may say, No,
no; this beautiful stream is mine: it shall not be
made to enrich these broad and productive
| acres OF my neighbors.
| That is the doctrine of riparianism; that those
persons are entitled TO .he null flow OF the water,
and down their natural channels. / have some
| respect for Old and ancient customs myself.
| have been often termed a bourbon i'll politics,
| and am not ashamed of 1t. because my Bour-
| honism dates with the history of the country
and the adoption of its Constitution. But never
was taught TO have any very great or high ad,
| miration for the old customs of mUnarchical
| governments. Many of them l was taught i'll
| my childhood to deSpise and look to Il broader
| civilization than that of England for the
doctrine of appropriation and use to
| enrich the soil and increase the productions
Of the earth. l look back to the civilized
Moors in SPAIN and adopt from them their SyS-
TEN of Irrigation upon which the magnitude OF
| the great agricultural resources OF the whole
land rests to-day. 1t ante dates the civilization
Sir. We are living in different country from
the little island Of Queen Victoria. We are llY-
OF the common law of England should not be
permitted to paralyZe our energies or our enter
prises We must look to the present
and the future, not the past Nor
need we be deprived of this Use by saying
it is too late if the rrgationiSts are the friends
of this irrigation bill. | call the attention of
the Senate to the fact that the opponents of 1t
and the other irrigation measures consumed IN
Committee of the Whole three hours to every
one consumed by the advocates of the PROPOSE
ton. Many of us have remained
quiet, knowing that time was precious
But do not forget that the people understand all
the irrigation bills before this body. They are
now before you, and by your votes you will
decide; you need not expect to eVade the issue.
Another point. There was something said
about petition sent from MERGED l have the
honor of representing that beautiful little
county, and wish to say this: That there had
been n petition circulated there, and, under
Il misapprehension OF existing facts, it had been
signed and sent to the other branch of this
Legislature, asking for the defeat Of this bill.
Letters to me stated that those who signed that
petition signed il under a miSapprehenSion
of the facts On letter Of inquiry from myself
as their Senator mass meeting was called and
the parties, all of these who signed, gave
me to understand that the petition they
had previously signed had been signed
under an utter misapprchensiOn. That was
the reason OF that meeting, OF the petition that
was sent. which has been referred 10. Had it
been thought necessary nearly all the citizens
of that county would have signed it. They
also dispatched Il committee here, and in the
halls OF this Legislature consulted with me and
the other friends of irrigation to strengthen our
hands III the issues pending. That is the only
reason why speak of this matter. l want to
say this: that from Stockton southwark there
are newspapers published that dare, knowing
the sentiments OF the people of that valley, an
tagonize bills in favor of irrigation and expect
the patronage of the public.
Mr.. Cox--In reply to the inquiry of the Sena-
tor from Mono if the Senator from San Francis
co knew OF any other riparian owner on King
river besides Mr.. Heineman-
Mr.. Reddy-Who objected to this legislation
Mr.. CoX-YeS. l will read the names of a
number for the information of the Senate The
list is of those below the Kings river bridge and
The amount of property they approximately
ron