102 



CALIFOKNIA. 



receiving 45,257 votes, to 39,630 for his oppo- 

 nent. 



In accordance with a proposition submitted 

 by the Legislature of 1873-' 74, a vote was taken 

 at the regular State election on the question of 

 holding a convention for the purpose of revis- 

 ing the constitution of the State. There were 

 34,374 votes cast for the convention and 24,552 

 against it. The provision of the constitution 

 providing for its revision declares that if a 

 Legislature deems it expedient, and shall rec- 

 ommend to the electors to vote for or against 

 a constitutional convention, and it shall appear 

 upon such voting that a majority of the elec- 

 tors voting have voted in favor of calling a 

 convention, then the next Legislature shall pro- 

 vide for the convention to be held within six 

 months after the passage of the law so provid- 

 ing. As the vote for the convention was con- 

 siderably less than a majority of the votes cast 

 for State officers, it is maintained that the next 

 Legislature is not authorized to call such con- 

 vention. The law of 1873-'74 submitting the 

 question provides that " a majority of the ag- 

 gregate votes of the State cast for members of 

 the Legislature " should form the basis for as- 

 certaining the wishes of the people on the 

 subject of revising the constitution. At the 

 opening of the Legislature in December, the 

 retiring Secretary of State submitted the fol- 

 lowing communication on the subject : 



To the Honorable the Senate and Assembly of the 

 State of ^California: In accordance with tne pro- 

 vision of section 2 of an act of the Legislature of 

 the State of California, entitled " An act recom- 

 mending to the electors of the State to vote for or 

 against a convention to revise and change the con- 

 stitution of the State," approved March 27, 1874, I 

 herewith, transmit a certified abstract of the vote 

 cast for and against a constitutional convention at 

 the general State election held on the first day of 

 September, A. D. 1875 ; also a certified statement of 

 the votes cast for members of the Legislature. 



The same section provided that a majority of the 

 aggregate vote of the State cast for members of the 

 Legislature being in favor of a convention, said con- 

 vention shall be deemed to be called. If it were the 

 intention of the framers of this act to have the ag- 

 gregate vote cast for members of the Legislature 

 certified to your honorable body, and the majority 

 vote also ascertained by the Secretary of State, I 

 beg to say that such is difficult of accomplishment, 

 if not practically impossible. For instance, in the 

 single county of Sacramento sixteen members of the 

 Legislature were voted for, while but four could be 

 elected. How is the average to be arrived at or the 

 majority vote determined? lam free to confess- 

 after consulting excellent authority on the subject 

 my inability to arrive at anything like a satisfactory 

 solution of the question ; and while it appears evi- 

 dent that the voters voting at said election were 

 more than treble the vote in favor of a convention, I 

 submit to your honorable body, or some one better 

 versed in political mathematics than myself, to de- 

 termine what the majority vote, as cast for the mem- 

 bers of the Legislature, amounts to. Very respect- 

 fully, DSUEY MELONE, 



Secretary of State. 



A number of amendments of the constitu- 

 tion were also prepared by the Legislature of 

 1873-'74. It was necessary for these to be 

 acted upon by the Legislature of 1875-'76 be- 



fore being submitted to a vote of the people 

 for their approval, but by some misunderstand- 

 ing a vote was taken on them at the election 

 of this year. This, however, is wholly non- 

 effective. 



The State Grange of the Patrons of Hus- 

 bandry held its third annual session at San 

 Francisco on the 15th of October and the fol- 

 lowing days. The subordinate granges of the 

 State number two hundred and Jfty-two, with 

 an aggregate membership of twenty thousand. 

 Thirteen granges in Nevada are also under the 

 jurisdiction of the State Grange of California. 

 During the sessions of the order, irrigation 

 and other topics relating to agriculture were 

 discussed, numerous amendments were made 

 to its constitution, and various resolutions 

 were adopted, among which were the follow- 

 ing: 



In view of the many land-swindles that have been 

 perpetrated in this and other States, and to check, 

 so far as it may be in our power, a continuation of 

 such wrong- doing 



Rtxolved, That the Executive Committee of the 

 National Grange be requested to take measures to 

 have investigated, whenever such action is asked of 

 them, the land-stealing operations carried on under 

 the so-called Spanish grants, bogus railroad grants, 

 and other similar methods of monopolizing the ara- 

 ble lands of the State, and preventing its occupation 

 oy actual settlers. 



Resolved, That the Secretary of the California 

 State Grange is hereby directed to communicate 

 with the Executive Committees of our sister State 

 Granges, and secure their cooperation. 



The subject of irrigation for the benefit of 

 agriculture is receiving a large degree of atten- 

 tion in California. Governor Pacheco, in his 

 message to the Legislature of 1875-'76, says : 



It is apparent that irrigation is of paramount im- 

 portance in California. Agriculture, which has be- 

 come our leading industry, has met with a serious 

 check on the very threshold of a vast expansion. 

 Experiments, partial successes*, and disastrous fail- 

 ures in husbandry, have demonstrated the pecul- 

 iarities of our soil and climate. Millions of acres 

 of arable land must lie idle until a lavish natural 

 waste has been checked by art. Large tracts of 

 fertile territory, capable of conversion into countless 

 homes, are measurably worthless, and will remain so 

 until they are redeemed by baptism. The elements 

 of wealth, in extensive areas of country, are held in 

 bondage under natural laws, that must be broken 

 to create a taxable property of immense value and 

 enduring character. In the winter our system of 

 inland waters, converging mainly to one point, is 

 heavily taxed to drain its great area; in the sum- 

 mer, we easily realize' the loss of the untold wealth 

 it poured into the sea. How to properly equalize 

 the moisture and merge the value of the seasons, is a 

 problem of great magnitude. No effective solution 

 of it is possible except through legislation, and no 

 subject will demand your attention that is at once so 

 important and so difficult. . . . If the State, indeed, 

 should enter upon the great work, justice and safety 

 should demand that all questions of property be- 

 tween herself and individuals be settled by a com- 

 mission; that a series of exhaustive surveys be 

 made as the preliminary step : and that the aid of 

 the best engineering skill be invoked, both in plan- 

 ning the work and in its progress. But it is prob- 

 able that private capital alone will be relied upon, 

 and will be invited and encouraged by appropriate 

 enactments to embark in the enterprise. Such legis- 



