Year: 1866

SACRAMENTO, March 2S, 1866.
Ed. CHRONICLE:


The session of the Legislature is drawing
to q close. Already four months have passed
since it convened, and in that time many
good and wholesome laws have been enacted,
while hundreds of local Acts have been put
upon the Statute books. The State has lent
its aid towards the contraction of several
railroads, which, if they are completed, will
add much to the wealth of the State. If
California is ever to become wealthy and
populous State she must favor internal i'm
provements. We must have railroads and
thus insure speedy and cheap transportation.
But whenever it is proposed to advance our
real interests, the capitalists enter their pro-
tests and raise great hue and cry against
those who vote in favor of the appropriations.
If we had chance to draw upon the capital
lists of the East and Europe, and could bring
the National currency into the State, there
would be 20 necessity for issuing our own
bonds, but having refused to repeal the Speci-
fc Contract Act, and thereby shut out paper
money, we are forced, in order to build up
our domestic interests, to do so. As the
session draws to close business begins to
thicken; hundreds of bills are on the gen.
eral file, or in the hands of Committees and
those interested in their passage are anxious
to have them passed through both Houses and
signed by the Governor. As a matter Of
course many of them will never become laws.
Thus far, things have gone on smoothly, and
! I believe there never was body of one hun
dred and twenty members, where there was
less wrangling and bad feeling than there has
been in the Legislature during this winter.
We have had some spicy debates but after
the matter had been decided everything went
on smoothly again. The Calaveras delega-
ton in both Houses. have been attentive to
their duties and have worked faithfully for
their constituents and for the interests of the
State. In the Senate, Messrs. Hardy and
Leonard rank among the most able and in
dustrious in that body. Good business tai
ent is often as essential in a Legislative body
as the more attractive, bat frequently less
useful gift of eloquence. In the Assembly
Messrs. Aver, Collier and Sawyer, your
members, have all been attentive to their
duties, and rarely absent from their posts.
MIR. Aver has been on two important COM
mittees, the Judiciary and Education, which
have taken up most of his time, while away
from the House. In the Assembly he ranks
among its first members. Mr.. Collier can
always be found in his seat, and few bills are
passed which are not carefully scrutinized
by him, before be records his vote on them.
As member of the Committee on mining,
he has given his time and experience to that
subject and materially assisted the Committe
in their labors. As Mr.. Sawyer is connected
with your paper it may be as well to say
nothing about his course. The records, as
will show what has been the action
of all your representatives during the session.
A few months experience will teach any one
that it is bad policy to keep continually send
ing new members to Legislative body; it
takes nearly half the session to learn the rules
and to become accustomed to the ways of the
House. An old member can accomplish
twice as much at the commencement of a
session as new one. and those counties
which require much local Legislation would
do well to select good representation in the
first place and then re-elect them.


Yours, CRowou1LL.