Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-04-02

discussion has been gong on for days. and IL IS Iuy
understood. There had been no gagging.
3lr. SPENCER said the gentleman had misquoted
the Democratic platform. He had voted against
the bill. He read from the platform TO show where
/ his party stood
Mr.. BRUNER said he had voted for the bill because
this was the last chance. He would now move for a
reconsideration in order to have the bill amended to
suit the people, So far as the platform OF the Re-
publ can party was concerned it said that the
State should be taxed for the benefit of few swamp
land owners, and reclaim their lands for them. The
opponents OF the bill had been cut OF from perfect
ing the substitute The friends OF the ill had vio-
| lated their pledge. He would propose amendments
to cut out all in reference to reclaiming swamp
lands.
Mr.. HARTsoN-This was but an opening wedge
into the treasury. 1t will be followed next session.
How can we follow this large appropriation by one
for the Normal Schools. One or the other will be
rejected. The appropriations this year will be enor
NOUS 1t is reasonable to suppose that the General
Government will appropriate S25000 for the rivers
OF this State and with the State and districts 1t will
be enormous He wanted the miners to pay larger
proportion OF this expense. The tax placed on the
miners in this bill is little than what they have
to pay in litigation to defend themselves.
Mr.. CARR OF Yuba said he had voted for the bill
under protest He had done all in his power to
keep this swamp land incubus from the bill, but it
had been forced on the House. He would rather
have the bill than nothing, but he called on all
honest men to snatch that rider from the bill Ii it
is not done the reaction will set in and swamp the
whole scheme. He was in favor of reconsideration,
in order to amend the bill. The State h no right
to reclaim these swamp lands.
MIR. MAYBELL said Dr. May stood on three plat
forms, while he himself stood on and on the
Constitution Of the State. He could find nothing in
platform in relation to the reclamation OF SWAMP
lands belonging to private land -grabbers. If what
the friends OF the bill say is truethat this is just
bl-why need they fear to submit it to the people
he did not fnd anything in his platform about
slickens and swamp lands.
Mr.. SIMON favored reconsideration, because this
bill had been rallrOaded through under the DreViOus
esion. The platforms of all the parties have de-
clared in favor of reducing taxation and here
rolling up taxes by the millions The people will
remember the votes cast here
MIR. ANTHONY said he had favored electing the Di-
rectors by the people after the first term The bill
now before the house is almost identical with the
original Brown bill, and is full of iniquty. He
wanted il reconsidered in order to strike out these
district clauses. The Constitution is the platform
on which members stand. That is what governs.
He considered this unconstitutional. Let such
measures as this go before the people. He did not
believe the people at large favored such bill as
this.
Mr.. CARR of Sacramento said he wanted his voice
heard in defense of the people against the machna-
tons Of this lot of swamp land owners. The object
of the district feature in the bill is to reclaim swamp
lands in the hands of private individuals There
have been many petitions against the Parks bill,
and yet this is the same bill again. Mr.. Young
had favored the Parks bill, and then the Sweetland
bill, and finally the present bill, always voting
against the proposition to submit it to vote OF the
people, His constituents are not in favor of this
district scheme. He in favor of State aid to
clean out the rivers and stop the debris, but he
would never give consent to this scheme for re-
claiming swamp lands.
Mr.. MCDADB said the tactics pursued by the
friends OF the bill were beneath the dignity OF an
honorable body. There are members who voted for
the bill who not satisfied with it. They have
been forced to do it. He wanted this corrupt swamp
land scheme cut out. He protested against the
putting OF this tax upon San Francisco, and was
lh.1a thn actin Hf tha Er0n naia
sentaves in voting TO levy this tax upon their
stituentS.
Mr.. FFLroN said he voted for the bill, believing
that it was that or nothing. He would be in favor
of the substitute offered by Mr. Bennett if it could
be passed. but he did not believe it had any earthly
show. This is a great question, and there is
emergency at hand There is no time for delay
there is no time to submit it to the people. He had
visited the scene, and when he had to look up ten
feet to the river which once below the level
of the country, he realized that there dan
ger and that something must be done at once. He
had not consulted his people, but they people
with big hearts, and he knew that they would will
ingly pay the tax, and say to the people of these
counties, you shall not be destroyed. He himself
paid considerable tax, and he should submit to this
tax willingly. 1t was this bill or nothing and he
should vote against reconsideration.
Mr. LANE said the State could not afford to stop
mining 1t is great interest, and has been great
interest. They are willing to be taxed. The farm
ers are willing to be taxed The State is willing to
taxed. He not afraid to go home to his con-
situents The State must to the rescue, and he
believed in starting in Ii it is not right, the
people can instruct the Legislature to repeal it.
Mr.. SwEETLAYD said Mr. Felton's argument was
unanswerable. He had seen the danger, and was in
favor of doing something at once. He was aston-
ished at the men who wanted 10 tax the miners
alone when the finest properties in the valleys
owned by the men who have caused the damage.
He hoped the vote would not be regonsidered.
MIR. SHERBURN in favor of reconsideration.
He protested against the passage of any such bill as
this
Mr. BRAUSHART had no apology for his course.
Something has got to be DONE The substitute Of
Mr.. Bennett proposes that the district which is
most benefited shall be exempt from portion of the
tax The members have seen the disaster. They
have seen the farest parts of the State ruined, and
yet they come here and say that San Francisco
has no interest in it, and should pay nothing toward
a remedy San Francisco has derived immense
revenue from the mines and the agricultural lands
OF the State, and she is entitled to stand by when
these sources of wealth are to be protected. lie
voted against submitting this to the people because
it was only trick to beat the bill
Mr. GoRLEY supported the bill after having visited
the scenes where mountains are being washed down
over the valleys and destroying pleasant homes. In
regard 20 the swamp lanes, any other country but
this would have had them reclaimed long ago They
ought to be reclaimed, both in sanitary and mon
etary point of view. He was opposed to reconsider
ation
MI. CHANDLER said he was opposed to reconsider
alton. He had opposed any swamp land steal, was
against any bond steal, first and all the time. He
was in favor OF State aid. He wanted something
done, and he would not the risk of defeating all
measures The children are now born that will see
the Bay of San Francisco destroyed ii this is not
stopped He was bound to stand up in the interest
of his constituents He did not believe any
body would be hurt by this experiment. Let it be
tried Something most be done, and done quickly.
| Mr. McCARTY said he had opposed the bill. He
was willing for the State to pay portion, but by
far the larger portion should out of the swamp
lands, because they reap the benefits
said hon CtrhI u.oC fr
preached all the ideas were crude. The first bills
had been found full of objections. He had been
the first to dispense with bonds upon the districts
| He refused to support the Brown bill because it
proposed to tax the districts alone He had sup
| ported the Chamberlain BILL and the Carr bill, but
they were beaten. Then he had prepared this COM
promise bill, trying to meet the objections urged
If this bill is killed he did not believe so votes could
| be had for the Chamberlain bill.
| Mr.. STANLEY said there had been a good many
acrobatc performances on this question There
| had b. Ell a good MANY somersauts turned on this
question. He was opposed to the bill all the time
| There had been so much hacking and filling and
swapping that it would prejudice the best bill in the
world.
| Mr.. WAsoy of Ventura said he had voted on all
| occasions to improve the bill. He had worked to
| kick out the swamp land scheme, but failed. Ii
that is done, he would be willing to vote for the
bill If these swamp land owners had stayed away
there would have been no trouble in arriving at a
| conclusion.
| Mr. HERsHY said he had voted against the bill.
He did not like the bill, though, personally, it
would do him good i'll retaining his swamp land,
| but his constituents would never consent to be
taxed for that purpose He was opposed to a dis
| trict tax.
| Mr. MERRY said he represented district which
pays three-fifths of all the taxes paid in San Fran
cisco. The district contains all the banks all the
insurance companies, most of the wholesale mer-
| chants. These anxious that something
should be done in this matter and he should set his
own feelings aside and represent their wishes. The
bill not in every respect what he wanted, but 1t
will be beginning, and by next winter the mistakes
can be seen and represen. atives will come here in
| structed by the people in the matter. He would
vote against reconsideration.
| Mr.. WAsoS said that would be good argument if
the State the land, but they are in the hands
| of individuals. That goes to build up landed ar1s-
tocracy: That is where the objections come in.
Mr.. MEDALLION opposed the reconsideration. This
is the only real workingman's measure that has yet
| passed this House.
| Mr. MORSE SAID the bill contained most iniquit-
| Gus feature, and that his objection to it. He
would vote for bill granting State aid to stop the
debris and rectify the river channels but be wosld
| never vote for such clause as this All the way
the frienos OF the bill have clung to this one thing
the reclamation scheme He would never vote for
| it. He did not know what these swamp land buz-
yards were lowering around for.
Mr.. YORK said he had noticed spirit cropping
out in the shape of menace in relation to the Nor
NAL School. He scorned any such thing The Nor
NAL School measure must rest upon its own merits,
and so must this bill Reconsiderations are good
things, but what is this reconsideration for2 1t is
simply to beat the BILL Debate has not been cut