Fresno-Tulare-Kern County CA Archives History - Books .....State Government 1892
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Book Title: Memorial And Biographical History Of The Counties Of Fresno, Tulare, And Kern, California

  But soon the subject of a

STATE GOVERNMENT

for themselves was agitated by the people. This resulted in the convening of a
convention at Monterey, September 1, 1849, at which a constitution was adopted.
The State seal was presented in the name of Caleb Lyons, and also adopted,
despite the objections of Vallejo, who had some enmity for the bear which forms
its chief figure. The constitution was sent to Governor Riley, and he issued an
order for a general election to be held November 13. The successful candidates
were: Peter H. Burnett, Governor; John McDougal, Lieutenant Governor, and Edward
Gilbert, and George W. Wright, Representatives in Congress.

  At the same time there were elected in the various districts sixteen Senators
and thirty-six Assemblymen, to constitute the first State Legislature. That body
met at San Jose, Saturday, December 15, 1849, and adjourned April 22, 1850,
after holding some very stormy sessions. Fremont and Gwin were elected to the
United States Senate.

  Meanwhile the question of admitting California into the Union was exciting
warm debates in Congress, though President Polk had assumed a favorable attitude
in the matter. The California representatives, upon their arrival at Washington,
presented a copy of the constitution to President Taylor, February 13, 1850, and
by special message he announced the formal application of the new State for
admission. The measure was strongly opposed by Henry Clay, of Kentucky, and John
C. Calhoun, of South Carolina, and as warmly advocated by Daniel Webster, of
Massachusetts, William H. Seward, of New York, and several others. A number of
compromise measures were submitted and debated, but on September 7, despite the
almost general opposition of the Southern Senators, the bill admitting
California as a State was passed by a vote of 150 to 56. Two days later, on
September 9, the bill was signed by President Fillmore (President Taylor having
died July 9), and California became the "Golden State" of the Union. Its
representatives at once took their seats in Congress, and when the glorious news
reached the people of California celebrations of the event took place with great
enthusiasm in all the towns within the boundaries of the new State. No State had
before entered the Union with such an extraordinarily rapid and triumphant
career. With the passing of the golden era, the admission of the State into the
Union and the purging of society by the heroic treatment of the vigilantes, the
history of California loses its romantic features and glides quietly into the
plain record of passing events.

  In the first decade appeared the clipper ships in response to the demands for
quick transportation of freights, the introduction of the "Pony Express" across
the continent in 1859; the opening of the Panama railroad for business on
January 23, 1855, the Fraser river gold excitement of 1858, and the organization
of the Steam Navigation Company in March, 1854, for traffic on the interior
waters of the State. The output of mineral in these ten years was phenomenal,
the figures reaching $553,000,000. The agricultural resources of the State were
also largely developed, and many manufacturing industries were established.

  On February 25, 1854, the Legislature was removed to Sacramento, which became
the State capital. In the second decade, 1860-'70, the following were the
principal events: Steamer communication with the Hawaiian Islands established in
1861; a line of steamers started to China in 1867; first steamer communication
with Australia in 1869; disastrous floods in the Sacramento and San Joaquin
Valleys in the winter of 1861-'62; completion of the overland telegraph from
Western Missouri to San Francisco, October 22, 1861, and the opening of the
Central Pacific Railroad in May, 1869.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

Memorial and Biographical History
OF THE COUNTIES OF
Fresno, Tulare, and Kern, California

Illustrated
Containing a History of this Important Section of the Pacific Coast from the
Earliest Period of its Occupancy to the Present Time, together with Glimpses of
its Prospective Future: with Profuse Illustrations of its Beautiful Scenery,
Full-page Portraits of Some of its most Eminent Men, and Biographical Mention of
Many of its Pioneers, and also of Prominent Citizens of to-day.

"A people that take no pride in the noble achievements of remote ancestors will
never achieve anything worthy to be remembered with pride by remote
descendants." -Macaulay.

CHICAGO:
The Lewis Publishing Company.
Undated, but OCLC lists a publication date of 1892

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/fresno/history/1892/memorial/stategov500nms.txt

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