Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1876-02-04
An UNJUST RULE.

Inc lattst uo'sip"'"
upon the press. inausurated in the Cali
foruia Senate, il q resolution introduced
ON Monday last by Senator Gibbons. Of
Alameda County. II is a proposition to
add to the joint standing rules Of the
the following:
Any newspaper that makes use OF Ian.
guage in regard to any member Of the
during the session which
would be deemed unparlimentary II used
by a member toward another. shall
not be represented ON the floor OF either
House by q reporter. This rule shall
not 10 construed to prohibit fair COM
ments ON tho public acts of menbers OF
the exposure OF known Official dslin'
qucncy.
The intent Of the senator in intro
ducins the above resolution was doubt
less good. The clause itsslfrssds smooth.
ly. and upon its face seems fair and equ't-
able. But IL carefully studied. 1t will DO
seen to DO unfair and dsspotic. 1t re-
s%tricts correspondents OF newspapers
who have been admitted as reporters to
the door OF the Assembly or Senate to
the use OF Language in regard TO any
member which would be deemed un-
parliamentary II used by u member
toward another" Ia other words. II
makes the speaker Of the Assembly or
tho President Of the Senate. censors.
Who shall decide upon the character OF
matter written by o correspondent and
published in his Journal. IL restricts
the freedom OF criticism to DO INDUCED
in by the press. TO such expressions
m may. in the Judgment OF the
officers named DO strictly In accordance
with parliamentary propristy. IL places
. power in the hands Of these gentle
mon unprecedented in the history ofths
press in America. Besidss this the sf-
feet OF the rule would be to compel
every correspondent to submit his man.
uscrips to the examination Of the afore-
said officers before publication. for the
ideas Of . correspondent concerning
parliamentary language might and
doubtless would widely differ from those
Of the presiding officer Of either House.
This il a $ bad as the press censorship OF
France or Germany. Moreover. the
penalty alfred 10 disproportionats to the
offsnss. BY the resolution reporters are
put upon tho same plane with Senators
or Asssmblymen as regards the language
they may use in criticism. yet the PEN
atty for violation oil the rulo 10 made
grossly unequal. In the case OF an Of
Tending Member or Senator the penalty
Is never moro severe than a rsprimand
by the Chair or a vote OF censure by
the House in which the offsnse was psrpe-
traied. while in the case Of the defense
less reporter. IL il expulsion. We do
not believe that one Of the various laws
aimed a the freedom Of the press in
California has the sanction Of any con-
siderable portion Of her people. They
are all stsps toward intolerancs; Gu
beavers to restrict free criticism OF the
acts Of public men. They are. with two
or three insignificant exceptions, de-
nouncsd by the entire press OF the
State, and in this matter. a. in othsrs.
the majority OF newspapers may DO
rightly held to express tho views OF q
majority Of the people. The Senate OF
Californis has donsitself no honor In at
tacking the freedom OF the press. II
has largely lessensd its influence. i'm
paired its power for good. and rendered
itself an object Of ridiculs. 1t should
stop this petty persecution and turn its
attention to matters which more deeply
concern the public. There we're made
during the late campaign profuss prom
ises Of economy and reform which yet
remain unfulhlled. In this connection
w may perhaps remind the Honorable
Senators OF our sister State that some
legislation which would abats the sawdust
nuisance in the Truckse river would be OF
vastly more importance. and rebound
infinitely more to their credit than tho
absurd attempts they have been lately
making to preserve their official dig
nifty. There is nothing to DO gained by
butting q locomotive. Even though the
latter should DO ditchsd. the effect upon
bull would be equally disastrous.