Perhaps the earliest California statute in aid of railway construction was the act approved May 1, 1852, granting to the United States a right-of-way through the state for the purpose of constructing a railway from the Atlantic to the Pacific oceans.[38] In 1857 the supervisors of Yuba County were authorized to submit to the electors of that county a proposal to subscribe $200,000 to a railroad between Marysville and Benicia.[39] And during the following two years the San Francisco and Marysville Railroad not only received a land grant,[40] but secured an enactment, making it the duty of the Board of Supervisors of Sutter County to submit to popular vote the question of a $50,000 subscription to its capital stock,[41] and the duty of the supervisors of Solano and Yolo counties to call elections in those counties with similar intent.[42] No subscriptions were made under these acts. It seems to have been the intention of the legislature to treat the Central Pacific and the Western Pacific railroads after the same general fashion as other railroads had been treated—that is to say, to allow counties and cities interested to subscribe freely to their stock. By virtue of an act dated April 16, 1859, any county could so subscribe up to 5 per cent of its assessment roll when popular approval had been secured.[43] This was not, however, enough. Between March 21, 1863, and April 4, 1864, the legislature passed eight acts granting special concessions to the Central Pacific and to the Western Pacific. Mr. Stanford had become governor of the state in January, 1862, and this legislation had of course his cordial approval. In March, 1863, the supervisors of San Joaquin County were authorized to hold a popular election on the question of subscribing $250,000 to the capital stock of the Western Pacific.[44] In April, Placer County was authorized to consider a subscription of equal amount to the stock of the Central Pacific.[45] Next, Santa Clara County was authorized to hold an election and to subscribe $150,000 to the Western Pacific, if it so desired.[46] Sacramento received the same privilege in April, to the extent of being permitted to take 3,000 shares of the Central Pacific,[47] and was in addition allowed to give away rights-of-way and certain rights of construction of considerable though indefinite value;[48] while San Francisco was permitted to subscribe $400,000 to the stock of the Western Pacific and $600,000 to that of the Central Pacific, making $1,000,000 in all.[49]