BOARD OF SUPERVISORS FROM 1855 TO 1881.

For the vote cast at the election of the first board of supervisors, April 9, 1855, reference is made to the "Official History," where also will be found the division of the county into supervisor districts, as it has been made from time to time. The following list shows the composition of the board each year since 1855:

1855-R. R. Randall, M. Pence, Robert B. Moore.

1856-R. R. Randall, Robert B. Moore, George W. Wilmot.

1857-R. R. Randall, F. E. Cannon, J. W. Buffum.

1858-F. A. Matthews, I. P. Ripley, Owen Murphy. 1859-Owen Murphy, I. P. Ripley, Peter Freer. 1860-I. P. Ripley, Peter Freer, R. R. Randall.

1861-Peter Freer, R. R. Randall, George W. Fox.

1862-R. R. Randall, George E. Smith, H. J. Morrison, H. F. Yokum. Board was increased to four members.

1863-George E. Smith, H. J. Morrison, David Lewis, W. H. Hastings. 1864 George E. Smith, W. S. Green, David Lewis, W. H. Hastings. 1865-David Lewis, W. H. Hastings,* T. Fogg, W. S. Green.

1866-W. S. Green, T. Fogg, James A. Watson.

Board reduced to three members.

1867-T. Fogg, James A. Watson, W. W. Davis.
1868 James A. Watson, W. W. Davis, Thomas Byrne.
1869-W. W. Davis, Thomas Byrne, J. N. Turner.
1870-Thomas Byrne, J. N. Turner, William Coon.
1871-J. N. Turner, Thomas Byrne, William Coon.
1872-William Coon, George B. Rogers, Thomas Byrne.
1873-Thomas Byrne, John J. Waste, George B. Rogers.
1874 George B. Rogers, John J. Waste, Peter Freer, Lewis Posey, M. Pence.
Board increased to five members.

1875-John J. Waste, Peter Freer, Gardner Osgood, Lewis Posey, M. Pence.
1876-Peter Freer, Gardner Osgood, Lewis Posey, J. M. Hoyl, W. H. Williams.
1877-J. M. Hoyl, W. H. Williams, Gardner Osgood, J. M. Ward, J. S. Crair..
1878-Frank Brooks, W. H. Williams, J. M. Hoyl, J. S. Crain, J. M. Ward.

1879 James Crain, John M. Ward, Frank Brooks, George H. Crosette, W. H. Williams. 1880-John M. Ward, Benjamin D. Gray, Frank Brooks, George H. Crosette, W. H. Williams. 1881-W. H. Williams, J. M. Ward, J. M. Wilson, Benjamin D. Gray, George H. Crosette.

VOTE AT PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS.

The candidate first named was successful.

1852-Franklin Pierce, Democrat, 1,741; Winfield Scott, Whig, 1,478-total, 3,219.

1856-James Buchanan, Democrat, 2,501; Millard Fillmore, American, 1,702; John C. Fremont, Republican, 745-total, 4,948.

1860-Abraham Lincoln, Republican, 1,437; Stephen A. Douglas, Independent Democrat, 1,502; John C. Breckenridge, Democrat, 1,173; John Bell, Constitutional Union, 327-total, 4,439.

* Died in October.

1864-Abraham Lincoln, Republican, 1,739; George B. McClellan, Democrat, 1,117-total, 2,856. 1868-Ulysses S. Grant, Republican, 1,739; Horatio Seymour, Democrat, 1,245-total, 2,984. 1872-Ulysses S. Grant, Republican, 1,204; Horace Greeley, Liberal and Democrat, 817; Charles O'Conor, Democrat, 94-total, 2,115.

1876—Rutherford B. Hayes, Republican, 1,665; Samuel J. Tilden, Democrat, 1,635; Peter Cooper, Greenback, none-total, 3,300.

1880-James A. Garfield, Republican, 1,814; Winfield S. Hancock, Democrat, 1,832; James B. Weaver, Greenback, none-total, 3,646.

FINANCIAL.

At the time the counties were organized, the state was almost entirely devoid of such valuable properties as usually form the basis of taxation, and provide revenue for the maintenance of county governments. Farms, factories, mills, residences, everything, in fact, that is usually depended upon to provide revenue, had yet to be created, and California existed in a golden poverty. Mining-claims there were by the thousand, but who could tell the taxable value of a mining-claim? In startling contrast to

the paucity of revenue were the extravagant ideas of the time concerning the value of personal services and goods. Everything supplied to or done for the county was charged at a high rate, and, as but little money was collected, warrants were issued bearing interest, and helped to swell the debt rapidly accumulating. In 1852, the assessor and census-agent were each allowed sixteen dollars per day for their services, and John Tatham, alone, was allowed $1,920 for taking the census. Land was considered of little value, and thus the tax-list was mainly composed of personal property. In February, 1851, the court of sessions fixed valuations of certain taxable property as follows:---Lands under title, $1.25 per acre ; horses and mules, $50.00; fat American cattle, $100.00; poor American cattle, $50.00; wild (Spanish) cattle, $20.00; hogs, $10.00. In the extremity, licenses were resorted to. A license was required to prosecute the business of gambling, selling liquor, keeping store, having a meat-market, auctioneering, running a ferry, digging gold without enjoying the honor of being an American citizen, or giving public entertainments. The revenue obtained from this source was the mainstay and support of the county for several years. Notwithstanding this, the expenditures far exceeded the receipts, and caused such alarm that the court of sessions, on the thirteenth of February, 1853, ordered the county auditor, Warren T. Sexton, to make a report of the financial condition of the county. His report gives the following information:

SCRIP ISSUED FROM JUNE 10 TO DECEMBER 10, 1850.

Of the amount collected $2,544.84 were expended in redeeming warrants and paying interest thereon, and $117 given to the assessor for his services, leaving the outstanding debt of the county, December 10, 1850, $8,171.12.

REVENUE OF COUNTY FOR YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 10, 1851.

The total
The debt

With a

In the year ending December 10, 1852, the amount of scrip issued was $15,651.14. revenue of the county that year was $11,109.30, of which $8,294.33 came from licenses. had persistently increased, having reached the sum of $25,594.21, on the general fund alone. total jail debt added of $13,507.57, the entire indebtedness reached the comfortable figure of $39,101.78. Mr. Sexton closed his report with a few general remarks on the condition of the county, from which we borrow the following :

"There is no need for this county, with her population, wealth and general resources, to be at all in debt. It is true that there has been a very general feeling in the mining districts to resist the payment of taxes; to shirk' the appearance of the collector, and to throw all possible impediments in the way of the revenue officers. And some men, who have a very respectable reputation for honesty among their neighbors, boast that they have not paid any taxes in this state. This feeling is no doubt gradually wearing away. People are becoming more settled in their habits; a greater number each year are determined to make California their home, and are preparing homes for their families; and all know that the present refusal to pay the moderate taxes now assessed against them is not in fact getting rid of them, but only adding to the amount of the delinquent list each year to the county debt, and which will draw legal interest until it is ultimately paid, by higher assessments, at a time when money is less plenty. It might be thought invidious, and for all practical good to result therefrom would certainly be useless, to enumerate the causes which led to this lavish expenditure of the public money during the first years