84 



CALIFORNIA. 



CAPE COLONY, ETC. 



this year suspended the operations of some of 

 the principal hydraulic luines of California 

 may lessen by some millions the gold-harvest ; 

 but the movement to restrain the hydraulic 

 rniuers from washing their tailings into the 

 valleys, where they fill up the beds of the 

 streams and destroy agricultural lands, is in 

 itself an evidence of a grow ing conservatism of 

 feeling of the increasing disposition to look 

 upon California as a country in which perma- 

 nent homes are to be made. In the agricult- 

 ural capabilities of her soil lie the possibili- 

 ties of her greatest wealth. The wheat-crop 

 of last year, after supplying all home demands, 

 including that of distilling, gave a surplus for 

 export of no less than 1,400,000 tons a sur- 

 plus worth, even at the low rates that pre- 

 vailed on account of the scarcity of tonnage, 

 $37.500,000, or more than twice the whole 

 bullion product of the State. Or, in other 

 words, the wheat-crop of California for 1880 

 was worth more than half as much us the bull- 

 ion product of the whole United States. 



Among the most valuable of her industries 

 in the future will be those of the vineyard and 

 the orchard. The natural adaptation of the 

 soil and the climate has been proved beyond a 

 question. The grape-growers of the State can 

 now sell their grapes with as much certainty 

 as the farmer his wheat. There is now sent 

 to the Atlantic coast more wine than is im- 

 ported from France, and it is estimated that 

 the wine-crop of last year yielded to the grow- 

 ers nearly $3,500,000. The curing and pack- 

 ing of raisins has only recently commenced, 

 but it is already an assured industry. 



In San Francisco, in Alameda, and San Jose 

 are fruit-canning establishments which, during 

 the busy season, employ over a thousand hands 

 apiece, and all over the State, wherever there 

 is an important fruit district, this industry is 

 rapidly developing. Orchards of the finer va- 

 rieties of peaches, plums, pears, nectarines, etc., 

 are being set out in all parts of the State, and 

 in the southern section the culture of semi- 

 tropical fruit is attaining large dimensions. 



The question arising under the new Consti- 

 tution relative to the taxation of certificates of 

 stock by assessors of taxes was also decided by 

 the Supreme Court. The opinion was deliv- 

 ered by Justice Ross in the case of Burke vs. 

 the Assessor. He held that the Constitution of 

 the State does not require cr authorize double 

 taxation. On the contrary, its language clear- 

 ly prohibits it. The stock of any corporation 

 consists of its franchise and such other proper- 

 ty as the corporation may own. "When, there- 

 fore, all of the property of the corporation is 

 assessed its franchise and all of its other prop- 

 erty of every character then all of the stock 

 of the corporation is assessed, and the mandate 

 of the Constitution is complied with. This 

 property is held by the corporation in trust for 

 stockholders, who are beneficial owners of it 

 in certain proportions called shares, and which 

 are usually evidenced by certificates of stock. 



The share of each stockholder is undoubtedly 

 property, but it is an interest in the very prop- 

 erty held by the corporation, nothing more. 

 "When the property of a corporation is assessed 

 to it, and the tax thereon paid, who but the 

 stockholders pay it? It is true that it is paid 

 from the treasury of the corporation before the 

 money therein is divided, but it is substantially 

 the same thing as if paid from the pockets of 

 the individual stockholders. 



At the presidential election in 1880, the offi- 

 cial count of the vote was as follows : 



Total vote 160,795 



Hancock, Democrat 80417 



Garfield, Republican 80,878 



Hancock's majority 35 



The vote for members of Congress was as 

 follows: 



District. 



I Rosecrans, Democrat 21,005 



I. -< Davis. Republican 19,496 



| May, Greenback 688 



T r j Glascdck. Democrat 18.211 



- | Page, Republican 21,488 



TTT J Berry, Democrat 14,431 



' ) Knigbt. Republican 11,082 



TV j Leach, Democrat 17,268 



' ' J Pacheco, Republican 17,328 



The Legislature was divided as follows : 



The compilation of the returns of the cen- 

 sus are so incomplete as to add nothing to the 

 aggregate statistics of population in the previ- 

 ous volume. 



CANAL, INTEROCEANIC. (See PANAMA 

 CANAL.) 



CAPE COLONY AND BRITISH SOUTH 

 AFRICA. The present Constitution of the 

 Cape Colony vests the executive power in the 

 Governor and an Executive Council, com- 

 posed of certain office-holders appointed by 

 the Crown. The legislative power rests with 

 a Legislative Council of twenty-one members, 

 ten of whom are elected for ten years, and 

 eleven for five years, representing the country 

 districts and towns of the colony. The quali- 

 fication for members of the Council is posses- 

 sion of immovable property of 2,000, or mov- 

 able property worth 4,000. Members of 

 both Houses are elected by the same voters, 

 who are qualified by possession of property, 

 or receipt of salary or wages, ranging between 

 twenty-five and fifty pounds sterling per an- 

 num. There were 45,825 registered electors in 

 1878. The Governor is, by virtue of his office, 

 commander-in-chief of the forces within the 

 colony. He has a salary of 5,000 as Gov- 

 ernor, besides 1,000 as "her Majesty's High 

 Commissioner," and an additional 300 as 

 "allowance for country residence." The ad- 

 ministration is carried on under the Governor, 

 by a ministry of five members, called the Co- 

 lonial Secretary, the Attorney-General, the 



