Page:History of California (Bancroft) volume 6.djvu/17

CONTENTS. xi

PAGE tion — Senator Gwin,  the  Almighty  Providence  of  California— Party iMues — Governor Bigler — Broderick — White  vs  Black — Slavery  or Death  ! — Legislative Proceedings — ^Talk  of  a  New  Constitution — Whigs, Democrats,  and  Independents — Another  Legislature  ....... 643

CHAPTER XXIV.

rOLinCAL HISTORT.

1854-1859.

Warm and  Wicked  Election — One  Party  the  Same  as  Another,  only Worse — Senatorial Contest — ^Broderick's  Election  Bill — Bitter  Feuds — A Two-edged  Convention — Bigler *s  Administration — Rise  and  Fall of the  Knownothing  Party — Gwin's  Sale  of  Patronage — Broderick  in Congress — He  is  Misrepresented  and  Maligned— Another  Election — Chivalry and  Slavery — Broderick's  Death  Determined  on — The  Duel —Character of  Broderick 678

CHAPTER XXV.

FOPULAB TRIBUVAL8.

1840-1856. '

State of  Society — ^Miners'  Courts — Crimes  and  Punishments — Criminal Class — The Hounda^Berdue  and  Wildred — Organized  Ruffianism — Committees of  Vigilance— The  Jenkins  AfGsir — Villanous  Law  Courts — James Stuart — Political  and  Judicial  Corruption — James  King  of William — His  Assassination — Seizure,  Trial,  and  Execution  of  Crim- inals— A Vacillating  Qovemor — A  Bloody-minded  Judge— Attitude of United  States  Officials — Success  of  the  San  Francisco  Vigilance Committee under  Trying  Circumstances — ^Disbandment. 740

CHAPTER XXVI.

▲NNAL8 OV  SAN  FRANGI800.

1851-1856.

A Period  of  Trials — Land  Titles — City  Limits — Mexican  Grants— Spu- rious Claims — Water Lots — Fluctuations  of  Values — The  Van  Ness Ordinance— Villanous Administration — A  New  Charter — Municipal Maleadministration— Popular Protests — Honest  and  Genial  Villains — Increased  Taxation— Vigilance  Movements — Reforms — Another Charter— Real Estate  Sales— The  Baptism  by  Fire  and  Blood— Ma- terial and Social  Progress — Schools,  Churches,  and  Benevolent  Socie- ties—The Transformed City 755