[p. 86] State Capitals.
As has been previously stated, the contitutional convention of 1849 met in Colton Hall in Monterey. During its sessions the question of locating the capital came up. San José offered to donate a square of thirty-two acres valued at $60,000 for capitol [sic] grounds and give the free use of a building of meetings of the Legislature. The offer was accepted and the first Legislature convened there, Dec. 15th, 1849. The first capitol [sic] of the state was a two-story adobe building, 40 by 60 feet, which had been built for a hotel. This building was destroyed by fire April 29th, 1853. The accommodations at San José were not satisfactory. The Legislature next accepted a proposition from Gen. M.G. Vallejo to located the capital at his new town of Vallejo. He offered to donate 156 acres of land for a site and within two years to give $370,000 in money to be expended in the erection of public buildings. When the members of the Legislature met at the new capital January 2nd, 1852, they found a large, unfurnished and partly unfurnished wooden building for their reception. Accomodations were very poor and even food was wanting for the hungry lawmakers. Sacramento then offered its new court house as a meeting place and on the 16th the Legislature convened in that city. The great flood of 1852 inundated the town and the lawmakers were forced to reach the halls of legislation in boats-again there was dissatisfaction.
[p. 86 State Capitol, Benicia, 1908e]
Benicia now came to the front with the offer of her new city hall which was assuredly above high water mark. Gen. Valllejo had become financially embarrassed and could not carry out his contract, so it was annulled. The offer of Benicia was accepted and on May 18th, 1853, that town was declared the permanent capital.
In the Legislature of 1854 the capitol [sic] question again came to the front. Proposals were received from several aspiring cities, but Sacramento won with the offer of her new court house and a block of land between I and J, Ninth [p. 87] and Tenth streets. Then the question of locating the capital got into the courts. The supreme court decided in favor of Sacramento. Before the Legislature met again the court hours burned down. A more commodious one was at once erected and rented to the state at $12,000 a year. Then Oakland made an unsuccessful atttempt to secure the capital. Finally a bill was passed authorizing the erection of a capitol building in Sacramento at a cost not to exceed $500,000. Work was begun on the foundation in October, 1860. The great flood of 1861-62 inundated the town and ruined the foundations of the capitol. San Francisco made a vigorous efffor to secure the seat of government, but was not successful . Work was resumed on the building, the plans were changed, the edifice enlarged and finally after many delays it was ready for occupancy in December, 1869. From the original limit of half a million dollars, its cost when completed had reached a million and a half. The amont expended on the building and the grounds to date is $2,972,925.
[p. 87 State Capitol, Sacramento, 1908e]
State Senator E.C. Seymour, representing Orange and San Bernardino counties in the Thirtieth and Thirty-first sessions, introduced a bill to remove he capital to San José. The bill passed, but the scheme was defeated in the courts.