History of California - Theodore Henry Hittell - Google Books

Books

John McDougal's early life; member of constitutional convention of 1849 62

Election as lieutenant-governor; popularity.....

Characteristics; dress; why called "I, John".

Inauguration as governor; first veto message......

Second veto message; misconstruction of constitution................................

Veto that evoked anti-squatter rancor; resignation of state printer,
McDougal's action..

State-printing extravagance; Alonzo W. Adams' exposures..

Adams' tribulations; result of his exposures to himself...........

Legislation of 1851; civil and criminal procedure; question of divorces... 67

Elcan Heydenfeldt's opposition; passage of divorce law.

Homestead and anti-lottery laws.......

Law to license gambling; punishment of robbery, grand and petty larceny 70

San Francisco beach-and-water lot act; discussions

Charges of corruption; investigations......

Question of removal of capital; Mariano G. Vallejo's grand scheme..... 72

Election of 1850 as to removal; reports in favor of Vallejo...........................

George B. Tingley's opposition to removal............................

Choice of Vallejo as capital; charges of corruption........

Attempts to impeach Judges Levi Parsons and William R. Turner........

David C. Broderick and John Bigler as legislative officers; smoking and

Democratic and Whig conventions; election of John Bigler and Samuel

Purdy governor and lieutenant-governor....

Meeting of legislature of 1852 at Vallejo; protests against capital-removal 82

McDougal's annual message; views on slavery and unequal taxation...

What he had to say about education and public lands.............................

Recommendations of various reforms and improvements...

State debts; removal of Indians; state-prison convicts.......

Question as to printing of message; McDougal's attempted resignation 87.

McDougal's subsequent career, and death...

John Bigler's birth, occupation and immigration; how he became a

politician.......

Legislative career in 1850 and 1851; political partnership with Broderick;

election as governor....

89

His inaugural address in favor of American precedents, few and plain

Praise of "hardy yeomanry," pioneers, free mines, anti-monopoly, and

greatness of the people..........

His views on slavery and against interfering with it..................................

Lieutenant-governor Purdy's inaugural plea for wise and economical

legislation......

Vallejo's failure to furnish suitable quarters; motions and counter-
motions ..........

PAGE

Vallejo declared legal seat of government, and session adjourned to

Sacramento........

Manner in which they interfered with white labor..............

Meeting of legislature at Sacramento; Vallejo's petition for release from

his contract...............

How John B. Weller was elected United States senator.....

Legislative measures of 1852...........

Fugitive-slave law adopted; opposition of Broderick and others; anti-

negro legislation..........................

The Chinese in the early days of California........

Their characteristics; the Six Chinese Companies......

How Chinamen flocked to gold-fields and learned to mine.......

Their economy; prejudices against them..........

First movements to prevent their increasing immigration.....

Chinese-labor question in legislature; Tingley's bill; Philip A. Roach's

opposition.......

Roach's argument in favor of high-priced labor.....

Special objections to Tingley's bill...

Objections to further Chinese immigration.........

Increase of anti-Chinese prejudice; Bigler's special message..

His account of coolie-contract system; recommendations.

Views on state's constitutional right of exclusion.........

Failure to impress better classes; reaction against his views..........

Report of assembly committee on mines in favor of Chinese immigration 108

Its account of the Six Companies and their business.....

Reports of T. T. Cabaniss, John J. Hoff and Benjamin F. Myres on

Anti-Chinese efforts in legislature of 1854...........

Statute of 1850 against Indian and negro testimony........

....... IIO

.... III

Adjudication by supreme court that all Asiatics are Indians; character

of decision.......

BIGLER (CONTINUED).

Meeting of legislature of 1853 at Vallejo; quarters still unprovided..................... 114

Removal of capital to Benicia.........

PAGE

Meeting of legislature of 1853 at Benicia......

Bigler's first annual message; remarks about "area of freedom;" recom-

mendations of changes in organic and other laws..................................

Expression of views on public questions for legislative consideration..... 117

Inquiry into state-prison matters; how convict labor had been "leased"

to Vallejo and Estell.........

Report on management of convicts by lessees..

Bad state of affairs; recommendations.........

Alleged corrupt tampering with state-prison act of May 1, 1852; new act

San Francisco water-front extension scandal; Bigler's connection with it 122

How scheme engineered; controversy; Lieutenant-governor Purdy's

famous casting vote against it..........

Question about titles to mining ground; Benjamin B. Redding's report... 124

Why mines were left open and free to all....

Question as to damage to Peruvian bark Eliza while in charge of pilot... 125

Bigler's argument why state not liable.............

Thomas Burdue's claim for illegal arrest and prosecution for murder..... 127

Question of claims for relief of suffering immigrants in 1852.....

How it led to duel between James W. Denver and Edward Gilbert, and

how Gilbert was killed.........

Rejection of resolutions in favor of Louis Kossuth and against Louis

Napoleon.......

Questions as to division of state; defeat of projects...........

Abuse of granting leave of absence to public officers, and how reformed 131

William Van Voorhies' report on increase of population and productions

in 1851 and 1852..........

Speaker Wall's valedictory about “Democracy”.

Remarks on the Democratic party in California.................

Political conventions of 1853; re-election of Bigler as governor............ 134

BIGLER (CONTINUED).

Bigler's position as politician and office-holder.........

Meeting of legislature of 1854 at Benicia; Bigler's second annual mes-

sage; condition of state; public debt; water-front extension........ 136

Affairs in general and more water-front extension in particular............ 137

Bigler's ire that legislature would not follow his recommendations, and

how he expressed it..............

David C. Broderick's prominence; his earlier life.....

How he became a political leader and student.................

Opposition in New York to "Albany Regency;" defeated for congress,

and the result..

Arrival in California; manufacturer of gold coin; fireman and politician 141

Lieutenant-governor in 1851; how he became rich; fight with James

Freaner; duel with Caleb E. Smith...........

Aspirations for United States senatorship; defeat in 1852 by John B.

PAGE

His determination to succeed Gwin; how he went to work

Attempt to bring on senatorial election in 1854, a year before proper time 145

Charges of corruption; position of Charles A. Tuttle; accusation of

Joseph C. Palmer by Elisha T. Peck..........

Investigation of Palmer's alleged offer to bribe Peck............

Edward D. Baker's philippic against Broderick, Selover and Palmer;

farcical outcome of investigation..........

Influences invoked to force on senatorial election; removal of capital to

Sacramento........

Legislature at Sacramento in March, 1854; struggle over senatorial elec-

tion bill; Broderick's temporary success........

Position of Jacob Grewell; reconsideration; defeat of election bill......... 150

Broderick's persistency; his anti-slavery views; opposition to Stephen

A. Douglas......

His preparations for renewed fight for United States senatorship........... 151

Democratic state convention of 1854; its disorderly proceedings; two

Danger of bloodshed; two sets of officers sitting side by side; crimina-

opposing presidents........

tions and recriminations...........

How A. R. Meloney's pistol went off; Meloney's ridiculous fright; ludi-

crous armistice of warring factions..........

Separation of factions; election of "chivalry" congressmen..

Broderick's continued fight, and what he had accomplished.....

Legislature of 1855; Bigler's third annual message; review of public

affairs.........

How and why Broderick opposed Democratic caucus in 1855.........

Skill with which he prevented senatorial election.............

BIGLER (CONTINUED).

Controversies over office of state printer...........

Remarkable report on state printing extravagance.......

Unsatisfactory attempts at reform; continued large expenditures.......

Old state hospitals; their enormous cost; San Francisco state marine

hospital and why it was abolished.......

Development of state hospital at Stockton into insane asylum; Dr. Reid's

report on cases of insanity.........

Bad management of state prison under James M. Estell; "trusty system" 165

Improvident contract with Estell; continued bad condition of affairs..... 165

Circumstances of sale of custom-house block in San Francisco to United

Bigler's anti-Chinese cry, and its result; Wilson Flint on Chinese question 167

Efforts to secure wintering of whalers at San Francisco; whaling business

in Pacific...........

Needs of whalers; advantages and disadvantages of San Francisco;

exorbitant rates of pilotage; reforms effected..............................................

Military and post roads across plains; start of overland mail routes;

camels and dromedaries..........

Bigler on utilization of wild hemp and tule; prospects for tule printing

Recommendation of reduction of freights and fares; questions about

Bigler's personal appearance and character; bickerings with legislature 172

Rise of Know Nothing party; its progress in California.......

Democratic and Know Nothing state conventions of 1855..........

Election of 1855; triumph of Know Nothings; reflections on defeat of

Democrats.......

Know Nothing address on bad state of public affairs..........

Bigler's fourth and last annual message; his rose-tinted view of matters 176

Remarks on state prison, and how Estell relinquished it; more about San

Francisco water-front extension; other recommendations............ 177

Mines, mining improvements and products; agricultural advances; pros-

pects for tobacco raising; California's rank among states............ 178

Final recommendations; sale of state overflowed lands; good words for

squatters; appeal against aspersions.......................

Popular judgment on Bigler's appeal for vindication; his subsequent

career, and death......

John Neely Johnson's life before becoming governor in 1856................. 181

His inauguration; legislature of 1856; leave-of-absence questions; case

of Heydenfeldt, justice of supreme court.......

Discussions as to legislative changing of names......

Doleful report from state prison directors; consideration of subject...... 183

Exposures of abuses; Carothers' judgment; Selover's sale of state's

Tax upon importation of Chinese; Edward McGowan and his office as

commissioner of emigrants

reversionary interest in San Francisco beach-and-water lots........ 184

Know Nothing activity in raking up corruption; Broderick, still a power,

again prevents senatorial election.........

Congressional appropriation for Indian war claims; trouble made by

Jefferson Davis; how matter settled............

Anti-Chinese legislation; foreign miners' license tax act of 1855; discus-

sions and reports; new act of 1856..........

Important legislation; state capitol construction act; San Francisco con-

National politics; party rancor; James T. Farley's firebrand resolution

against Nathaniel P. Banks

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