ture, and in massing a horde of reckless brawlers and shiftless unfortunates. The political attitude and neglect of the government gave them cue and encouragement, and the anarchic condition of Mexico presented an opportunity, while the public tendered approving sympathy and aid, moved by race prejudice, by political tendencies, and by thoughtless admiration for the daring nature of the enterprise and the notoriety attending its achievements, both flattering to national pride." The separation of Texas, so widely held up as an example, had the justifying stamp of a liberation from oppression; but the proclaimed motives of the subsequent imitators were arrant deceptions. The constant disorder and bloodshed in the south, and distance from the scene, made abettors oblivious to the abhorrent crimes involved in these undertakings. They were foul robberies, covered by the flimsiest of political and social pretences, gilded by false aphorisms and profane distortion of sacred formula. Liberty dragged in the mud for purposes of theft and human enslavement; the cause of humanity bandied in filthy mouths to promote atrocious butcheries; peaceful, blooming valleys given over to devastation and ruin; happy families torn asunder, and widows and orphans cast adrift to nurse affliction; and finally, the peace of nations imperilled, and the morality of right insulted.42 The thought of such results should obliterate all romance, and turn pride to shame. They remain an ineffaceable stain upon the government of the most progressive of nations, and veil in dismal irony the dream of manifest destiny.

For mere handfuls to declare war against a republic of 8,000,000 people almost surpasses in wild recklessness the advance of a Cortés against the Aztec empire, for he dealt with semi-barbarians unused to steel, fire-arms, and horses, while they moved against equals. Like him, however, they counted on local dissensions and alliances, and more on the attitude of a powerful neighbor.

In the very paucity of the filibuster forces lay a germ of crime, as it compelled them to resort to pillage and intimidation. International law points to warfare as wasteful and uncivilizing when invaders are unable to feave behind them a track of conquered and secured country. The U. S. stands charged with connivance in piratical acts by reason alone of its indifference and neglect to impede or punish them. The chief officials especially have this additional sin to answer for.

CHAPTER XXII.

FINANCES.

1849-1869.

AN EMPTY TREASURY-TEMPORARY STATE LOAN ACT-STATE DEBT-LICENSES AND TAXATION-EXTRAVAGANCE AND PECULATION-ALARMING INCREASE OF DEBT-BONDS-STATE INDEBTEDNESS ILLEGAL-REPUDIATION REJECTED-THIEVING OFFICIALS-ENORMOUS PAYMENTS TO STEAMSHIP COMPANIES-FEDERAL APPROPRIATIONS-INDIAN AGENTS-MINT— NAVY-YARD - FORTIFICATIONS-COAST SURVEY-LAND COMMISSIONPUBLIC LANDS-HOMESTEAD ACT-EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS-THE PEOPLE ABOVE ALL,

THE legislature which convened January 6, 1851, at San José, found itself confronted with an empty treasury. The Temporary State Loan Act of 1850 had not fulfilled the expectations of its authors, if indeed they had looked beyond the present moment in passing it. The bonds, although drawing three per cent per month, before the close of the first fractional fiscal year ending June 30, 1850, had depreciated to one fourth of their par value. It was urged, to account for this condition of government credit, that the state had no means of liquidation except by taxation, no improvements to afford a revenue, and could not command her resources in public lands. The population and wealth of the country were of such a nature that they could not be reached by taxation, or the tax gatherer. The foreign miners' tax and the capitation tax were fixed too high; in consequence of which they were evaded or resisted, and often no

1 The failure to collect taxes was the fault of the collector, Richardson. The governor had been advised to appoint M. McCorkle, or some other efficient person.

property could be found to attach. The law made state bonds and warrants payable for taxes, which the treasurer was compelled to receive at their depreciated value. Indeed, the tax-payers purchased them for that purpose, thereby reducing their burdens to the amount of the discount on them; and even the tax collectors when paid in money converted it into bonds which they paid into the treasury, pocketing the difference. The issue, being restricted to $300,000, was soon expended, after which time the state government was kept up without a dollar in the treasury, at a ruinous sacrifice of the interests of those who devoted their time to the public service. The state debt at the end of June 1850 was $371,573.11. After the admission of the state, bonds and warrants advanced, the former selling at auction at from 91 to 95, and the latter at 80, but having a fluctuating value

By the 15th of December the state debt amounted to $485,460.28. The excess of expenditures over receipts was $122,179.85.2 The governor in his annual message to the legislature referred to the pressure brought to bear upon him to convene an extra session in order to pass an act to procure another state loan, and took the occasion to deliver a sermon upon the injustice of laying burdens upon posterity merely to defray the present expenses of government, and without creating with it any public improvements which might help in time to relieve the state of debt, and insisted strongly upon the wisdom of checking the extravagance which the condition of the country in the beginning had fostered. "It occurs to me," said he, "that the most rational, just, and certain means of getting out of debt is to make more, expend less, and borrow none." But when he undertook to point out a method, nothing new was evolved. There was indeed nothing to resort to but taxation. As to pub

2 Crosby's Early Events, MS., 49; Comptroller's Rept, in Cal. Jour. Sen., 1851, 519, 532; Sac. Transcript, Feb. 28, 1851; Thomas, in Sac. Directory, 1871, 87-8; Cal. Jour. Sen., 1851, 753-4; Governor's Mess., in Cal. Jour. Sen., 1851, 32-3.

lic property there was absolutely nothing to produce a revenue. The surveyor-general declared that he could hear of no land belonging to the state, except that which a recent act of congress granted to all the states, namely, the swamp and overflowed lands, which would not become available property until surveyed by the general government Thus while the mines. were yielding millions every month, the state was in a condition of deplorable poverty.

To correct this, the mode of assessing and collecting public revenue was changed somewhat. A poll-tax of three dollars was levied on every male inhabitant, Indians excepted, between the ages of twenty-one and fifty years, all property was liable to a tax of fifty cents on each $100 for state purposes, and an equal amount for county purposes. Lands sold by the state, though not granted or conveyed, were made assessable. All funds collected under the provisions of the act were to be in the legal currency of the United States, in foreign coin at its value fixed by law, in gold-dust at sixteen dollars per ounce, troyweight, or in bonds of the state authorized by the legislature of 1850, with the interest due thereon. License taxes were required of billiard-tables and tenpin

As a curiosity of legislation, Gwin relates that this act resulted from his consenting to allow a bill giving to the state of Arkansas its swamp and overflowed lands, which had been passed in the lower house, to be brought up in the senate on one of the three days allowed for Cal. business before the end of the session. In a conversation with the Arkansas senator, Gwin agreed to give way if the act should be made general instead of special, and applicable to all the states and territories. The amendment was made, and the act passed and was approved, thus unexpectedly endowing Cal. with a considerable addition to state lands. Memoirs, MS., 45.

Charles T. Whiting, sur.-gen., seems to have been a humorous character, though his humor appears rather grim. No reports having been received from assessors, he was unable to give any information concerning agricultural affairs. The grasshoppers had been destructive in some localities, and as a preventive he recommended the extensive introduction of turkeys.' He had no means of ascertaining the quantity of mineral lands in the state. The reports of the county surveyors were useless to him, being chiefly on old Spanish grants, and detached. The great drawback to agriculture was the uncertainty of land titles; otherwise Cal. would be the equal of any of the states, etc. No suggestions; no information; all negative. I know of but one method of planting and preserving forests of trees; viz., put the seeds in the ground and protect the shoots by a fence or ditch.' Cal. Jour. Sen., 1851,

alleys, for the state; and upon itinerant venders of merchandise, liquor-sellers, caravans, and shows of all kinds, for county purposes. A special act was passed to license gambling, which placed the impost on tables, every house in the limits of San Francisco, Sacramento, and Marysville containing over three gaming-tables to pay $1,500 quarterly, and every house having three or less tables $1,000 quarterly; but in smaller towns the license should be thirty-five dollars a month, three fourths of all the money so collected to be paid into the state treasury, and the remainder into the treasury of the county granting the license.

Notwithstanding the admonitions of the governor, an act was passed authorizing a loan of $500,000 at twelve per cent per annum, for the purpose of defraying the expenses of Indian hostilities; and this debt it was expected the general government would pay. Lastly a funding act was passed, requiring the state treasurer to prepare bonds to the amount of $700,000, in sums of $500, bearing interest at the rate of seven per cent per annum; $350,000 to be made payable in New York on March 1, 1855, and the remaining half payable at the same place in March 1861, the interest to be paid half-yearly, either in New York or at the office of the treasurer. The creditors of the state, on presenting either the bonds of the temporary loan or state warrants, could have them exchanged, when not less than $500 in amount, for the new bonds; and from and after the 1st of May, 1851, all revenue of the state should be collected in the legal currency of the United States, or in gold-dust at $16 an ounce; except that in payment of the ordinary state tax the old bonds might be presented as before. A tax of fifteen cents on each $100 of taxable property in the state, to be paid in currency or gold-dust, was levied to pay the interest on this debt. It was made the duty of the

5 The accounts of Adjt-gen. McKinstry make the expenses of the El Dorado and Gila expeditions amount to $149, 199.82. Cal. Jour. Sen., 1851, 735. By June 1851, $225,000 had been drawn in warrants from the war-loan fund.