anaheim-gazette 1881-01-29

ANAHEIM VOL. XI. ANAH WEEKLY GAZETTE. Established 1870. For Terms, see Fourth Page. WHY County Division is asked for. An Array of Convincing Facts. The new County will have a Population equal to eight and superior to 19 Counties in the State. Four Millions of outside world we can do so by rail, having direct communication with San Francisco and the East; or we can ship by steamer or sailing vessel from either Anaheim Landing or Newport, both of which are in the new county. As a correspondent truly says, we have not the slightest use for Los Angeles; we lose nothing by being divorced from her, and we gain by having the management of our own affairs, the handling of our own money, and of having a separate set of officials, each personally interested in the prosperity of the county, in keeping down taxes and in spending the public money so that it will do the greatest good. This section has given to Los Angeles this year $34,000. What good will it do us? Will 34,000 cents be spent in improvements in this end of the county? No. We send our money to Los Angeles and it stays there. Suppose this $34,000 was expended in this part of the county. Think of the good it would do. Every citizen would, directly or indirectly, get some benefit from it. They know this, and that is why they so persistently ask for county division, and why they are so terribly, deeply in earnest now. PREVIOUS ATTEMPTS FOR DIVISION. The new County will have a Population equal to eight and superior to 19 Counties in the State. Four Millions of Taxable Property. Shall we Handle our own Money or continue to send it to Los Angeles? Orange the Richest County in the State. The Magnificent Future in Store for it. Reasons for Division succinctly stated. The Sentiment throughout the County. If the present Legislature will create the county of Orange, it will be but a few years until it will rank among the richest and foremost counties in the State. There is little waste land in the new county. The vast body of unoccupied land which it contains is capable of being transformed into a vast vineyard or orchard. The new county will in a few years send to market more oranges, limes and lemons than all the other southern counties combined, and already the wine and raisin productions of this vicinity are greater than that of any other district of similar dimensions in the northern part of the State. Orange county will be, in fact, a little world improvements in this end of the county? No. We send our money to Los Angeles and it stays there. Suppose this $34,000 was expended in this part of the county. Think of the good it would do. Every citizen would, directly or indirectly, get some benefit from it. They know this, and that is why they so persistently ask for county division, and why they are so terribly, deeply in earnest now. PREVIOUS ATTEMPTS FOR DIVISION. This is the fifth time that attempts have been made to divide Los Angeles county. The first organized effort made in that direction was during the session of the Legislature in 1869-70. The bill for division passed the Assembly by a majority of 14, but when it reached the Senate it was defeated by the combined efforts of our then Senator, B. D. Wilson, and the railroad company. That corporation had then a proposition before the people of this county for a 5 per cent subsidy, and they had a direct interest in defeating division, because they knew that if the county was segregated their subsidy scheme would miscarry. They defeated division, secured the subsidy, and every year since, and for many years to come, the people have paid and will continue to pay, interest on that enormous subsidy. In 1871-2, in 1873-4 and in 1875-6 the Legislature was importuned by the friends of division, but the bitter and venomous opposition of the Los Angeles county delegation in both houses proved potent in defeating the measure each time it was presented. The representatives of this county during the years mentioned were all from the northern part of the county, and were influenced and in a measure controlled by the rings and cliques who were interested in defeating division, so that we should continue to pay our annual tithes for their benefit. Our representatives in the present Legislature are also from the northern part of the county, but the Lord be thankit they are honest, conscientious men who desire to do their duty to all of their constituents, regardless of the threats and menaces of the men who a few years ago were supreme dictators in this county, but whose scepter is gradually departing. "I am sure that West, Del Valle and Crank will do the fair thing" is a common ex- STATE S Under the above Angeles Commercials published an act formia Legislature "An Act granting Legislature to theferent Government Counties of this geles papers are viding the State probably studied convinced that tha have territory, w enough to carry ment without m and oppressive focus their reas body of unoccupied land which it contains is capable of being transformed into a vast vineyard or orchard. The new county will in a few years send to market more oranges, limes and lemons than all the other southern counties combined, and already the wine and raisin productions of this vicinity are greater than that of any other district of similar dimensions in the northern part of the State. Orange county will be, in fact, a little world by itself. It produces, or can be made to produce, everything which a civilized people require. Wheat, barley, rye and corn are produced in lavish abundance; flax grows successfully in every locality, and it is only a question of time when proper machinery will weave the fiber into cloth here in our midst; sugar has been successfully produced, and it is the opinion of many that sorghum culture will be one of the principal farm avocations here in a few years; fruits, northern and semi-tropical, grow with a lush abundance; two well-developed coal mines are within a few hours' ride from Anaheim, and one of them has been purchased by the S. P. R. R. Company, which is a guarantee, not only that in the opinion of experts it is a valuable mine, but that the money to thoroughly develop it will be forthcoming. Twenty-three miles from Anaheim is Silverado, whose mines will shortly draw a large population hither; wood abounds in the mountains; in fact, we challenge any county in the State to show that they can compete with us in diversity of productions. We repeat, it is a world by itself; but we don't propose to take advantage of that fact and isolate ourselves. When we wish to send some of our productions to the representatives in the present Legislature are also from the northern part of the county, but the Lord be thankit. they are honest, conscientious men who desire to do their duty to all of their constituents, regardless of the threats and menaces of the men who a few years ago were supreme dictators in this county, but whose scepter is gradually departing. "I am sure that West, Del Valle and Crank will "do the fair thing," is a common expression heard on the streets now,and shows that our opinion of those gentlemen is shared by the community at large. Will they disappoint us? We ask the members of the Legislature to bear one important fact in mind when the question of division of Los Angeles county is brought before them:—This division is sought by the people of the southern part of Los Angeles county because they think it will inure to THEIR benefit. They don't claim that the northern part of the county will be better off without them; they recognize the fact, just as clearly as the people of Los Angeles city do, that the setting apart of such a large tax-paying part of the county will for the nonce work to the injury of the old county. It is not to be supposed that the large tax-payers of Los Angeles will look with equanimity upon the loss of a territory which contributes in round figures $40,000 annually towards the payment of the county expenses, and does not receive $1,000 benefit. We know, therefore, that the opposition of the class mentioned may be expected,but will their opposition weigh with the Legislature? We do not believe it will. POPULATION OF THE NEW COUNTY. We have received from J. W. Ha- WEEKLY EIM GA ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA: SATURDAY, JANUARY 29, 1881. verstick, Supervisor of Census for this district, a certified abstract from the reports of the census enumerators who canvassed the proposed county of Orange. The following are the figures: Name of Census District. No. of inhabitants exclusive of Chinese. Anaheim...1,416 Westminster...1,095 Orange...1,015 Santa Ana...1,960 San Juan Capistrano...899 Downey and Norwalk...2,118 Total...8,503 The five first-mentioned places are wholly in the new county, but in the Downey and Norwalk district the number of the inhabitants in the proposed new county is as 172 to 320, which makes the population 7,419. If we include the Chinese, the population of the new county will be over 8,000. The Constitution says: "No new county shall be established which shall reduce any county to a population of less than eight thousand; nor shall a new county be formed containing a less population than five thousand." The report of the Superintendent of Census fixes the population of Los Angeles county, as at present constituted, at 33,379 (including 1,168 Chinese, 2 Japanese and 318 Indians and half-broods). Thus the new county. THE NEW COUNTY. It is not the purpose of our people to secure county division by any unfair means or through any false representations. There are reasons enough to entitle this part of the county to a divorce without distorting facts or resorting to any questionable practices. Since the petition for division was printed, we have ascertained that the statement of the assessed valuation of property in the proposed new county is incorrect. In writing the petition, the amount was estimated at $6,000,-000, but an inspection of the Assessor's books shows that the actual amount of assessed property in Orange county is as here given: Town of Anaheim...$ 288,000 Stearns' Ranchos, Los Alamitos, Mission Viejo and Trabuca Ranchos...757,206 Los Angeles and San Diego R.R..270,000 Various owners...2684,794 Total...$4,000,000 At the rate of taxation now exacted ($1.50 on the $100 assessed valuation) the revenue of the new county from taxes would be $60,000. The county government bill which the Legislature is now considering, and which we have information will most THE REASONS WHY The People of the South-Eastern Part of Los Angeles County Want County Division. EDITOR GAZETTE:—There has long been a well-grounded cause of complaint in the southern part of the State of California, that the middle portion of the State got everything and this part nothing. All of the public moneys are expended in the middle part of the State, while the claims of the south are ignored. Our part of the business seems to be confined to voting and paying taxes. This is precisely the position that the south-eastern part of the county of Los Angeles bears to the central portion;—we vote and pay taxes, and get little in return. If county officers or representatives to the Legislature are to be elected, those who reside in the central part of the county are sure to be nominated and elected. If a man in this section is nominated for any position, he is sure to be defeated. Persons living in the southern extremity of the county are obliged to travel from 60 to 70 miles to reach the county seat; and in consequence whenever any of our people are obliged to visit the county seat as witnesses or jurors, their expenses are greater than their pay and mileage. If the county was divided the county seat would be located on the Santa Ana river, in or near the center of population of the new county, and four-fifths of the inhabitants would be able to leave home in the morning, drive to the county seat and drive home again in the afternoon, and thus save time and avoid the heavy expenses to which they are at present subjected. The Constitution says: "No new county shall be established which shall reduce any county to a population of less than eight thousand; nor shall a new county be formed containing a less population than five thousand." The report of the Superintendent of Census fixes the population of Los Angeles county, as at present constituted, at 33,379 (including 1,168 Chinese, 2 Japanese and 318 Indians and half-breeds). Thus, the new county would have a population of 8,000, and the old county a population of 25,000. A large extra edition of this GAZETTE is printed and will be distributed among our law-makers at Sacramento, and sent to various parts of the State. The object of the editor in collecting these facts is to give the various members of the Legislature a true and faithful insight into the position of affairs here. We have made no statement that we cannot prove, and we challenge contradiction to any fact we have advanced., Below we republish some of our own articles, and several communications which have heretofore been published in the GAZETTE, together with some fresh extracts from various newspapers. We believe that in collating all these facts and statistics we have performed our duty, and that no apology is due for giving some of the matter which follows a place in our paper for the second or third time. Persistent reiteration is one of the surest methods of driving home and fixing important facts. STATE SUBDIVISION. Under the above head, the Los Angeles Commercial of the 14th instant published an act passed by the California Legislature in 1859, entitled "An Act granting the consent of the Legislature to the formation of a different Government for the Southern Counties of this State." The Los Angeles papers are a unit in favor of dividing the State; the editors have probably studied the subject and are convinced that the southern counties have territory, wealth and population enough to carry on a State government without making taxes onerous and oppressive. Now, if they would focus their reasoning faculties upon Mission Viejo and Trabuca Rancho... 757,206 Los Angeles and San Diego R.R... 270,000 Various owners... 2684,794 Total... $4,000,000 At the rate of taxation now exacted ($1.50 on the $100 assessed valuation) the revenue of the new county from taxes would be $60,000. The county government bill which the Legislature is now considering, and which we have information will most likely pass, grades the counties down to the fifth class, and fixes the salaries of the officers in each. Orange county would be a fifth-class county, and it is computed that with the low salaries allowed officials in that class of county, the annual expenditures of Orange county would not exceed $40,000. The preliminary work of organizing the new county would of course involve extra expenditures during the first year. But it should be borne in mind by those prone to exaggerate this feature, that the contest for the county seat between the two aspiring towns will be sharp, and we doubt not that in the eagerness to secure the prize, the new county will find thrust upon it donations of land and buildings which will reduce by thousands of dollars the first year's expenses. This county division agitation has its impulse from higher motives than mere office-seeking. It proceeds from a long-felt and deep-rooted conviction that the southern part of the county would be more prosperous if given a distinctive name and accorded its proper place at the head of the semitropical counties of Southern California. The very name proposed, "Orange," has a charm about it that will arrest the attention of Eastern people whenever they hear it mentioned or see it in their newspapers. It is, moreover, susceptible of proof that in the management or mismanagement of county affairs, this part of it has been ignored. This probably would have happened in a measure under the best of management, for the county is too large, too unwieldy, too diverse in interests to be legislated for and managed by one set of officials. Let them Depart in Peace. The people of Anaheim and vicinity held a meeting, drafted a bill and are circulating a petition for its passage, the object being to travel from 60 to 70 miles to reach the county seat; and in consequence whenever any of our people are obliged to visit the county seat as witnesses or jurors, their expenses are greater than their pay and mileage. If the county was divided the county seat would be located on the Santa Ana river, in or near the center of population of the new county, and four-fifths of the inhabitants would be able to leave home in the morning, drive to the county seat and drive home again in the afternoon, and thus save time and avoid the heavy expenses to which they are at present subjected. The proposed new county will be 60 miles long by 30 miles wide, and contain 1,800 square miles or 1,152,000 acres of land, of which one-third is hill or mountain land, suitable for pasture, and two-thirds arable, one-half of which is irrigable. This territory is capable of supporting a large population. At present it contains over 8,000 people, of whom 1,600 are voters. The assessed valuation of property is in round numbers $4,000,.000,$ and the amount of tax paid this year for State and county is $60,000,.26,000 of which is State and $34,000 county tax. Without any increase of taxation we could take our share of the present county debt, and with an economical administration of our county affairs we could easily pay our expenses, provide a sinking fund, and soon extinguish our debt. With our population and assessed valuation of property, we would be stronger than one-half of the counties in the Fourth Congressional District. We have the requisite territory, population and wealth; we are of full age and wish to set up for ourselves and manage our own affairs. We have our own railroads and sea-ports and are commercially independent of the rest of the county. The people of this section are unanimously in favor of division, and the only opposition to the separation will come from the remainder of the county, who from selfish motives wish to continue to keep us tributary to them. Small, compact counties such as this will be, can be managed much more economically than large ones. The criminal element of this section is very small, and the trials of criminals will add but little to our expenses. We wish to dissolve partnership with the balance of Los Angeles county, not from a feeling of animosity or from a wish to injure those whom we desire to cat loose from—who are abundantly able to take care of themselves—but simply from a desire to better our own condition and avoid the loss of time and heavy expense to which we are now subjected. This alone is a sufficient reason for the division if there were none other. Citizen's Meeting. Our citizens assembled at Sycamore Hall last Wednesday evening to discuss the proposition to attempt the division of the county of Los Angeles, and the organization of the county of Orange. This meeting was brought about through similar steps having been taken by our neighboring town of Anaheim. Legislature to the formation of a different Government for the Southern Counties of this State.” The Los Angeles papers are a unit in favor of dividing the State; the editors have probably studied the subject and are convinced that the southern counties have territory, wealth and population enough to carry on a State government without making taxes onerous and oppressive. Now, if they would focus their reasoning faculties upon the subject of county division, and view the matter as calmly and dispassionately as they view the greater question of State division, they would, if candid and fair men, admit that our reasons for desiring to establish the county of Orange are founded on as good a basis as the arguments used in favor of creating the State of Southern California. The Commercial prefaces the Act referred to with the remarks contained in the left-hand column of the following. Read the parallel column, and see if the reasons for county division are not as pertinently and succinctly stated: The following Act, passed by the Legislature in 1850, clearly establishes the right of the people of Southern California to form a new State. Nothing further is necessary than to obtain the consent of Congress, and there should be no objection in that body to the formation of a new State. The people of Southern California have been ruled by Sacramento, San Francisco and San Jose till they are weary. They have endured for thirty years this bare-faced injustice, and now demand their right to set up business on their own account. The following Bill, introduced in the Legislature of 1881, clearly expresses the wish of the people of Southern Los Angeles to form a new county. Nothing further is necessary than to obtain the consent of the Legislature, and there should be no objection in that body to the formation of a new county. The people of Southern Los Angeles have been ruled by Sacramento, San Francisco and San Jose till they are weary. They have endured for thirty years this bare-faced injustice, and now demand their right to set up business on their own account. Let them Depart in Peace. The people of Anaheim and vicinity held a meeting, drafted a bill and are circulating a petition for its passage, the object being to divide Los Angeles county and organize the southern portion into a new county, to be called Orange. The subject of county division has agitated the people of that section before, but this time they appear to be more than ever in earnest. It is a thing likely to be done at some future time, if not at present, and if our southern brethren are fully convinced that they will reap benefits from the proposed division sufficient to compensate for the additional expense that will undoubtedly be entailed by a separate county organization, they should be allowed to depart in peace, and set up business for themselves.—Los Angeles Mirror. The Feeling at Orange. Our citizens generally are favorable to the effort now being made in the southern part of this county for a partition forming a new county to be called Orange, and already an under-current of strife is forming between our embryo cities for the location of the county seat. The reasons that favor a partition of the county are potent, and it is to be hoped that the Legislature will no consider them.—Orange Correspondence River-side Press. That's all Right. By the proposed division our excellent Democratic friends in Anaheim and Santa Ana, who expect to become Orange county officers, would not stand a ghost of a chance of getting into office, and would move to Los Angeles to compete with our Democratic offices such as Jackson, and then there would be trouble deep and dreadful.—Los Angeles Commercial. Citizen's Meeting. Our citizens assembled at Sycamore Hall last Wednesday evening to discuss the proposition to attempt the division of the county of Los Angeles, and the organization of the county of Orange. This meeting was brought about through similar steps having been taken by our neighboring town of Anaheim. Col. W. F. Heathman called the meeting to order and Mr. R. R. Darby was elected chairman and W. N. Barber elected Secretary. Victor Montgomery Esq., of Anaheim, was called upon to read the bill creating the new county. Various speeches were made on the subject. M. A. Peters moved that the sense of the meeting be in favor of "division." The meeting was unanimously in favor of "division." Dr. M. S. Jones nominated Mr. James McFadden as delegate to go to Sacramento to represent "division." T. J. Ellis moved that a committee of Five be appointed to circulate petitions. Dr. Jones, Dr. Lyle, J. H., Moosser, F. Isabell and T. J. Ellis were appointed by the Chair as such committee. Meeting then adjourned.—Santa Ana Herald, Jan. 15th. The Only Way to Stop It. The people of the south end of Los Angeles county are moving for the establishment of a new county to be called "Orange." The Gazette says that the new county will have about $4,000,000 worth of property according to the assessed values, and will be entitled to two Assemblymen. San Bernardino county has about the same amount of property and is entitled to but one Assemblyman. There must be some mistake in the figures. This county division business has been up before every Legislature for the past eight or ten years. The only way to stop it is to create the new county, and we hope the Legislature will do it.—Riverside Press. [The figures are all right.] There is much taxable property in the proposed county as there is in San Bernardino county. But we won't quarrel about the Assemblymen. One is enough.—Ernst Gauert.] GAZETTE. JULY 29, 1881. OBJECTIONS REVIEWED. The Why and Wherefore of the County Division Movement. EDITOR ANAHEIM GAZETTE. Dear Sir:—I have an issue of this day's Express before me containing an article on "County Division, and take the liberty of offering you the views of many of the people of the proposed new county for publication, as they differ materially from that expressed in the article. We say, first, that the Constitution provides that no new county shall be created which has not a population of 5,000, provided that its creation shall not leave the county proposed to be divided with less than 8,000, and provided that the line of the proposed new county shall not pass within 5 miles of the old county seat. That which the Constitution—the expression of the sovereign will of the people—permits, it approves; therefore if the people of the proposed county of Orange can comply with the provisions of the constitution, they are simply exercising the right granted them by the Constitution—an absolute right which no good citizen should attempt to deny them; for if the Constitution is to be set at naught in one matter it may in another, and all the rights of the people fall to the ground. The proposed new county will contain 1,600 voters, or 8,000 people; it will leave Los Angeles county with 24,000 people; its lines will not pass within 15 miles of the county seat. It is therefore clear that the proposed division is more than sanctioned by the Constitution; why should it be denied? The first question considered in the article alluded to is the size of the county, and it—or $1000 more than the Express' estimate of cost of buildings for the new county. Lastly, the editor says wait a few years. Why? Until we are saddled with the debt of a new Court House and jail! No, he says until we have sufficient population. There are fifty-two counties in the State. With our population of 8000 south of New River, we would be the equals of Calaveras, Prunza, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Shasta, Stanislawa, Tahama—eight in all, and the superiors of Inyo, Kern, Lake, Lasen, Alpine, Mariposa, Merced, Modoc, San Benito, San Bernardino, Del Norte, Mono, Sierra, Siakiyon, Sutter, Tuolumne, Ventura, Plumas and Trinity—nineteen in all. So we are equal or superior to 27 out of 32 counties in the State. We have not heard why we cannot manage as well as they. The people of Los Angeles have themselves to blame for this movement. They have habitually worked against us, especially in trying to turn emigrants away from our section. We want no more of Los Angeles county. Can you tell me why we should not have our rights under our Constitution and go our way? Respectfully, THEODORE LYNILL. MORE REASONS. EDITOR GAZETTE:—I believe it is safe to say that a large majority of the voters of Los Angeles county south of New San Gabriel River are in favor of dividing this county and of forming a new one out of said southern portion of Los Angeles county to be called "Orange." There are many cogent reasons advanced in favor of county division, among others the following: new county will be 60 miles wide, and contain 1,800 acres of land, of which hill or mountain land, and two-thirds arable, is irrigable. This territory pertains a large population, consisting over 8,000 people, of voters. The assessed valuation in round numbers $4,000,000 of tax paid this year is $60,000, $26,000 of land and $34,000 county tax. Case of taxation we could have the present county debt, commercial administration of we could easily pay our a sinking fund, and soon out. With our population section of property, we would one-half of the counties in professional District. We have history, population and wealth; and wish to set up for our own affairs. We have land sea-ports and are confident of the rest of the people of this section are aware of division, and the separation will come after the county, who from now to continue to keep us Small, compact counties can be managed much less than large ones. The section of this section is very small of criminals will add expenses. volve partnership with the Angeles county, not from a way or from a wish to injure desire to cut loose from—only able to take care of simply from a desire to condition and avoid the loss expense to which we are this alone is a sufficient reason if there were none X. Men's Meeting. Bumbled at Sycamore Hall evening to discuss the prophecy of the division of the county and the organization of the large. This meeting was tough similar steps having neighboring town of Ana- The proposed new county will contain 1,600 voters, or 8,000 people; it will leave Los Angeles county with 24,000 people; its lines will not pass within 15 miles of the county seat. It is therefore clear that the proposed division is more than sanctioned by the Constitution; why should it be denied? The first question considered in the article alluded to is the size of the county, and it says the majority of the proposed new county has access by rail to Los Angeles. Admitting that it has, 1,300 out of the 1,600 voters or 6,000 out of the 8,000 people would be 30 miles nearer to either Anaheim or Santa Ana than they are from Los Angeles—could drive in their own conveyance to and from the county seat daily if necessary, instead of paying from $3 to $4 per trip to the railroad whenever they have business at the county seat. An enormous saving is visible right here to jurors, tax-payers, witnesses, road masters, supervisors and litigants. The second point is our representation on the County Board of Supervisors, and is disposed of by saying that the Supervisors are five in number and the proposed new county has two. This is incorrect. The Fourth District includes all the proposed new county save Norwalk and a small portion of Old Los Nietos, so that we are represented by Supervisor Egan and a small fraction of Supervisor Cooper—a very small fraction in fact. But even had we both of them entire, we should be still in the most hopeless position—that of a minority. Just ask yourself what possible chance Egan would have of locating a public building south of New River against Prager, Hannon, Rogers, and half of Cooper—even if assisted by the other half of Cooper? It admits of no discussion. As to the unfair distribution of offices, we say that while we have one-fourth of the population and pay a corresponding amount of taxes, with two paltry exceptions (Ellis for County Surveyor and McFadden for School Superintendent) the memory of man knoweth not an officer from south of New River. The article says the people of the northern end of the county are not responsible, and we may be sure of their co-operation to secure us a fair allotment of offices. The editor of the Express, I fear, has not been in many conventions. The long, dark record of the past is more convincing than his assurance. We know the people of the city and northern end of the county are responsible. They elect their own delegates, not we; they instruct them how to vote, not we; they persistently have refused, do refuse and will refuse us recognition. History repeats itself, and the future must be judged by the past. As to community of interest, while we have no antagonistic (or rather, should have none), we have no common interest with the people north of New River other than we have good citizen should attempt to deny them; for if the Constitution is to be set at naught in one matter it may in another, and all the rights of the people fall to the ground. The proposed new county will contain 1,600 voters, or 8,000 people; it will leave Los Angeles county with 24,000 people; its lines will not pass within 15 miles of the county seat. It is therefore clear that the proposed division is more than sanctioned by the Constitution; why should it be denied? The first question considered in the article alluded to is the size of the county, and it says the majority of the proposed new county has access by rail to Los Angeles. Admitting that it has, 1,300 out of the 1,600 voters or 6,000 out of the 8,000 people would be 30 miles nearer to either Anaheim or Santa Ana than they are from Los Angeles—could drive in their own conveyance to and from the county seat daily if necessary, instead of paying from $3 to $4 per trip to the railroad whenever they have business at the county seat. An enormous saving is visible right here to jurors, tax-payers, witnesses, road masters, supervisors and litigants. The second point is our representation on the County Board of Supervisors, and is disposed of by saying that the Supervisors are five in number and the proposed new county has two. This is incorrect. The Fourth District includes all the proposed new county save Norwalk and a small portion of Old Los Nietos, so that we are represented by Supervisor Egan and a small fraction of Supervisor Cooper—a very small fraction in fact. But even had we both of them entire, we should be still in the most hopeless position—that of a minority. Just ask yourself what possible chance Egan would have of locating a public building south of New River against Prager, Hannon, Rogers, and half of Cooper—even if assisted by the other half of Cooper? It admits of no discussion. As to the unfair distribution of offices, we say that while we have one-fourth of the population and pay a corresponding amount of taxes, with two paltry exceptions (Ellis for County Surveyor and McFadden for School Superintendent) the memory of man knoweth not an officer from south of New River. The article says the people of the northern end of the county are not responsible, and we may be sure of their co-operation to secure us a fair allotment of offices. The editor of the Express, I fear, has not been in many conventions. The long, dark record of the past is more convincing than his assurance. We know the people of the city and northern end of the county are responsible. They elect their own delegates, not we; they instruct them how to vote, not we; they persistently have refused, do refuse and will refuse us recognition. History repeats itself, and the future must be judged by the past. As to community of interest, while we have no antagonistic (or rather, should have none), we have no common interest with the people north of New River other than we have good citizen should attempt to deny them; for if the Constitution is to be set at naught in one matter it may in another, and all the rights of the people fall to the ground. The proposed new county will contain 1,600 voters, or 8,000 people; it will leave Los Angeles county with 24,000 people; its lines will not pass within 15 miles of the county seat. It is therefore clear that the proposed division is more than sanctioned by the Constitution; why should it be denied? The first question considered in the article alluded to is the size of the county, and it says the majority of the proposed new county has access by rail to Los Angeles. Admitting that it has, 1,300 out of the 1,600 voters or 6,000 out of the 8,000 people would be 30 miles nearer to either Anaheim or Santa Ana than they are from Los Angeles—could drive in their own conveyance to and from the county seat daily if necessary, instead of paying from $3 to $4 per trip to the railroad whenever they have business at the county seat. An enormous saving is visible right here to jurors, tax-payers, witnesses, road masters, supervisors and litigants. The second point is our representation on the County Board of Supervisors, and is disposed of by saying that the Supervisors are five in number and the proposed new county has two. This is incorrect. The Fourth District includes all the proposed new county save Norwalk and a small portion of Old Los Nietos, so that we are represented by Supervisor Egan and a small fraction of Supervisor Cooper—a very small fraction in fact. But even had we both of them entire, we should be still in the most hopeless position—that of a minority. Just ask yourself what possible chance Egan would have of locating a public building south of New River against Prager, Hannon, Rogers, and half of Cooper—even if assisted by the other half of Cooper? It admits of no discussion. As to the unfair distribution of offices, we say that while we have one-fourth of the population and pay a corresponding amount of taxes, with two paltry exceptions (Ellis for County Surveyor and McFadden for School Superintendent) the memory of man knoweth not an officer from south of New River. The article says the people of the northern end of the county are not responsible, and we may be sure of their co-operation to secure us a fair allotment of offices. The editor of the Express, I fear, has not been in many conventions. The long，dark recordofthepastismoreconvincinghanthisassistanceWeknowthepeopleofthecityandnorthernendofthecountyareresponsibleTheyelecttheirowndelegatesnotwe;theyinstructthemhowtovote,notwe;theypersistentlyhaverefused,dofreuseandwilerefuseusrecognitionHistoryrepeatsitself,andthefuturemustbejudgedbythepast. But there seems to be one stumbling block in the way,and that isthelocationofacountyseatforthenewcounty.AnAnaheimandSantaAnabothwantthecountyeastandthereseemstocobeapositiononthepartofeachtopreventadivisionofthecountyunlessitsecuresthecovetedprimerow,fifethepeopleofthenewcountyfromcountydivisionandtheadvantageswhichwould thusindirectlyacquiretothetown condition and avoid the loss of expense to which we are this alone is a sufficient provision if there were none. Men's Meeting. Resembled at Sycamore Hall evening to discuss the prophecy of the division of the county and the organization of the large. This meeting was brought similar steps having in neighboring town of Ana-M.F. Heathman called the land Mr. R. R. Darby was and W. N. Barber elected Mr Montgomery Esq., of died upon to read the bill county. Various speeches on subject. M. A. Peters cause of the meeting be in." The meeting was unaware of "division." Dr. M. S. Mr. James McFadden as Sacramento to represent Ellis moved that a com-appointed to circulate petition, Dr. Lyle, J. H., Moa-T. J. Ellis were appointed such committee. Meeting Santa Ana Herald, Jan. Way to Stop It. The south end of Los Angeles serving for the establishment to be called "Orange." The new county will have worth of property assessed values, and will be ensembllymen. San Bernar about the same amount of entitled to but one Assumption must be some mistake in the county division business has every Legislature for the past. The only way to stop it now county, and we hope will do it.—Riverside Press, all right. There is no property in the proposed in San Bernardino county, careful about the Assembly through—Rs. Gailtte. been in many conventions. The long, dark record of the past is more convincing than his assurance. We know the people of the city and northern end of the county are responsible. They elect their own delegates, not we; they instruct them how to vote, not we; they persistently have refused, do refuse and will refuse us recognition. History repeats itself, and the future must be judged by the past. As to community of interest, while we have no antagonistic (or rather, should have none), we have no common interest with the people north of New River other than we have with the people of any agricultural district in the State. We raise wool, grain, fruit and wine. We have communication by rail as ample as Los Angeles City. We have two ports of our own; our markets are San Francisco, Boston, New York, Arizona—anywhere but Los Angeles. We buy in San Francisco, not in Los Angeles; we have, in short, no connection especial with Los Angeles other than that of contributor of taxes and fees to officeholders. While there may be no clashing, there is no special unity. As to the question of economy, allow us judge for ourselves. It is our own money we seek to handle, we think to our advantage, for several reasons: First—a very large proportion of the expenditures of Los Angeles county goes to Grand Jurias, Trial Juries, witnesses in criminal cases, support of prisoners and their transmission to San Quentin. We furnish hardly any of the criminal classes. The penitentiary contains 67 Los Angeles to-day. Our proportion of these would be 16.75. I venture to assert that there are not more than three who come from south of New River. We have comparatively no criminals, paupers or lunatics, yet we have to pay to support, try and convict an enormous number. Session after session of our Court goes round without a criminal case from south of New River. As to the new county buildings, we believe we can procure such as we need free of cost entirely; and at the worst, had we to build, we can do better, by the showing ends in the Express, by going out of Los Angeles county than remaining in, for a new Council House in Los Angeles is a necessity. We understand the first cost is estimated at $150,000; any one show is one dollar-$20,000 a few only of the many arguments advanced in favor of county division. But there seems to be one stumbling block in the way, and that is the location of a county seat for the new county. Anabaim and Santa Ana both want the county seat, and there seems to be a disposition on the part of each to prevent a division of the county unless it secures the coveted prize. Now, if the people of these two towns would but consider the benefits to be derived by the people of this end of the county from county division and the advantages which would thus indirectly accrue to the town which would fail to secure the county seat, they would certainly come to some understanding to act in harmony to secure a new county, and let the county seat take care of itself. If there is a solid and substantial reason for county division, it must be founded on some better argument than that of benefits to accrue to the town which secures the county seat. The early completion of the great transcontinental route below the snow belt between this and the Atlantic coast, will open it is held, a new era of immigration to this State. If county division could be secured by action of the present Legislature, the name of the new county,"Orange," emblazoned upon the map of our State, would, in my opinion, have more effect in drawing the tide of emigrants to this section than all the pamphlets, agents and other endeavors which have hitherto proved so futile. But this opportunity must not be delayed, as the great rush of population will have subdued in two, or at most three years. I am therefore in favor of forming a new county to be called "Orange," out of that portion of Los Angeles county lying south of New River,and let the county seat take care of itself. VICTOR Montgomery. Sixty-seven of the prisoners confined in the State Penitentiary were sent there from Los Angeles county; but none of them belong in the te-but county of Orange. It is an undeniable fact that this portion of the county furnishes only about one in fifty of the criminals whose arrest examination and conviction helps all the Courts in Los Angeles busy from one year's end to another. Stick a pin there.