Year: 1860

some of which were adopted, while others failed
to receive any consideration. You are respect
fully referred to that portion of my annual mes
sage for my present views. A law should be
passed protecting religious meetings when con-
vened for worship, as they have been sometimes
disturbed by disorderly persons.


We ought to have law requiring the Board
of Supervisors of the respective counties to
cause guide boards to be put up at points where
roads cross or diyerge. Those who have tray-
ersed the State, and been subjected to incon-
venience and delay, can properly appreciate the
necessity of this.


/ took occasion, in my last annual message,
to recommend a division of the State into dis
tricts for the purpose of electing representatives
in Congress; not because the laws of the United
States require it. but for the that it is not
only the best plan, but all of our sister States
elect in this manner.


As the census is about to be taken by the Fed
eral Government, and ii is hoped that our rep
resentation in Congress will be increased to at
least five, the duty of districting the State will
properly devolve upon the next Legislature.
When California is fully represented in that
body we trust that those measures which are so
essential to her welfare will be adopted.


HOSPITAL FUND.


We have had great deal Of legislation upon
this subject, under which great abuses have
been practiced and the Legislature finally
passed the law of 1856, which is now in force.
Section second reads: The Hospital Fund,
together with all moneys collected for the bene-
fit of said fund.- shall be set apart by the State
Treasurer for the purpose expressed and
directed in the first section of this Act and after
the first day of April, 1865, shall be divided and
apportioned among the counties of this State,
in proportion to the population as ascertalned by
the census of 1855 PrOgided, that until the ON
cial returns of the next census shall be made,
the pro ratl distribution shall be made upon the
ht.r1a xatA nf tha
as returned to the Secretary of States office at
the last general election and said fund shall be
paid over by the Treasurer of the State, on the
warrants of the State Controller, who shall
issue such warrants upon receiving the order OF
the Board of Supervisors to the County Treas
urer of each county. The Board of Super
vsors of each county shall use the same for the
support and care of the INDECENT sick in their
counties, and for no other purpose, and shall
render a semi-annual account of the use made
thereof the Controller of State, to be pre-
sented by him in condensed form in his an
nual report. The amount appropriated after the
first apportiOnment shall be due to the counties
on the first Mondays of March, June, September
and December of each year"


This is very unfair and unequal distribution
of the fund. Some three or four cities contri-
butte nearly all that goes into the fund, while,
because of their location with reference to the
Northern and Southern mines, an undue pro-



them. The basis of distribution is in itself un-
just Again, the law ought to define what resi-
dence should be necessary to enable party to
avail himself of the benefit of the fund.- and the
county of his last legal residence should be
charged with his support.


The time think has arrived when poor houses
should be established in some of the counties,
and as an institution OF this character might not
be desirable at present i'll all, it is recommended
that authority be given to take vote of the
people at the next election upon the question of
authorizing the Board of Supervisors TO levy a
special tax for the purpose.


AS we have II very large number OF cases of
mere dementia regularly sent, for want of any
other place, to the Insane Asylum, the estab-
lishment of such houses would relieve this insti-
tuition from the care of a class which does not
properly belong to it,


As there is more money now paid into the
Library Fund than can be usefuliy expended, il
is recommended that One-half of theefe re
ceived upon commissions and other sources be
paid hereafter into the Hospital Fund.


WINES AND BRANDIEs.


The manufacture of these articles has become
Il very important interest IN our State, and the
whole power of the Legislature should be used
TO prevent their adulteration. 1t is well known
that considerable number of persons are en-
gagged in adulterating liquors, TO the great injury
of those engaged in the culture of the grape.
The pe-grower in attempting To gain rep



jured by spurious articles manufactured al San
Francisco and elsewhere. Indeed, a goOdly
portion of the so-called wine consumed within
our own limits never came from vineyard or a
wine-press.


1t is well established that drugs highly preu-
dical to health and oftentimes dangerous to life,
are used in aduterating liquors in common use,
and il is not doubted hundreds have fallen vic
Tins to this practice This evil exists to an
alarming extent, particularly i'll our large cities,
and therefore your attention is respectfully
directed to il.


If an Inspector of Liquors was appointed in
San Francisco and some of the larger cities, with
authority to analyze at pleasure liquors offered
or kept for sale, the evil to some extent could
be corrected. The Inspector of course, should
be good chemist, and fully competent to detect
any deeterious drugs in the liquids. Upon his
report. under oath, to the Treasurer, let the
vender forfeit his license.


WASHINGTON MONUMENT.


On the 10th March last the Legislature made
an appropriation of one thousand dollars to the
Washington Monument Association, to be applied
to the erection of that shaft which Is to com
memorate the memory of Washington. Through
the liberality of that entorprising Express Com
pany, Wells, Fargo 4 Co., the amount was re
mitted to the Association in Washington without
expense TO the State. The Secretary, in ac-
knowedging the receipt thereof, says: The
Society has instructed me TO communicate
through your KIND intervention, to the Leglsla-
ture the assurance of the qualification which
this proof of interest and cooperation on the
part of your noble and patriotic State has
given 10 every member of the Board, and to
request you to accept its thanks for your zeal
and good will in suggesting and securing this
State tribute to the memory OF Washington.


The Society is now occupied in making an
appeal to the liberaity and patriotism of the
Legislatures of the several States, with the hope
that the example of your State may be a stimu-
lant and precedent for prompt imitation
REGISTRATION LAW


1t will be seen upon reference to the report of
this officer that very little attention has been
paid to the Act providing for the registration of
births deaths, etc After the modification made
in the law by the last Legislature, it was sup
posed that very reliable statistics would be
Union where law of this character would be
more advantageous than in California. There
are thousands coming into our State annually
who have neither friends nor acquaintance here,
a number of whom die from natural causes, and
others are killed in the mines, and whose rela-
tives never hear of them again. Men die in
remote parts of the State leaving valuable
property which, for the want of information,
never reaches the hands of those to whom it
belongs.


Accidents are constantly happening in the
mines men are killed and their relatives never
learn their sad fate. In addition to this, bureau
of general statistics has been found in other and
older communities of mestimable value. II has
been well said by an eminent writer that " sta
tistics TO politics and TO the art of governing
what anatomy is to physiology in the study of
the human body the observation of the stars