Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-02-10
ASSEMBLY,.

pharmacy in the city and county of San Francisco.
On motion Of Mr.. BAKER the Senate adjourned al
4:j0 P. NJ.
ASSEMBLY.
SACRAMENTO, February 9. 1851.
The Assembly met at IL A. NJ, Speaker Parks il
the chair. Roll call. Quorum present.
The Chaplain had just concluded his prayer, anC
the Clerk about TO commence the reading Of the
journal, when message Was received frCm the Sen
ate announcing the passage OF Hills ). B. q, al
Act TO repeal an Act to promote drainage. Tbs
sound Of the messengers voice had hardly died
away when Mr.. DEL ALLIE Of Los Angeles arost
in his seat and moved to take up Senate
messages to put s B. q at the head of the file tC
be kept there until it was finally disposed OF. The
potion was the signal for brisk Cebae, which con
tinued for one and one-haf hours.
Mr.. MAY said: am opposed To any such motion
as that made by the gentleman from Los Angeles.
had hoped that the debris qu ston would be allowed
to come before US in its regular order and that the
time of the State would not be occupied in idle fill
clustering by the opponents Of the debris law. True
it is a subject Of vast Importance and upon which
the sentiments OF the people divided, but it il
not one of priority, aad should not be Considered
out Of its proper order call for the ayes and
Mr. WHIPPLE said: ajority of the people o
California are clearly in favor OF the repeal OF III,
debris bill Now sir the bill Under discussion may
be prevented from getting q fair consideration il
either one of two ways, viz by adverse rulings BY
the Chair or by being smothered III committee. II
House will alone be held responsible. The debri:
problem is an overshadow. issue. shall not now
attempt to discuss the merits OF the BILL but vii
say that we desire its prompt consideration. II ac
ton upon it be longer delayed and the bill be com
PEELED to await its regular Order it is likely that
any consideration of it will he reached during the
present session
Mr.. DAeGErr said am opposed, at this stage OF
the session, to the taking up of bill out of its reg
uar order.
Mr.. GRIFFITH said The debris issue is one OF
paramount impo tqnee. The debris bill has been in
the hands of the Water Rights and Drainage Com.
mittee since early IN the session. Iwo,thirds
Of the session has now expired, about 236 bills
are on the file, and yet no consideration b s
thus far been given to this leading measure.
The persons who have Deen manipulating
the investigation have tried, seemingly, to
prevent any action being takeni upon the re-
peal bill continuation on the existing law in
wolves an expenditure OF more money on the part
OF the taxpayers than would satiice 10 maintain the
State government for the next ten fifteen years.
soTle say that the peoples MONEY IS being washed
away with the sands in the Yuba and Bear rivers,
while others maintain that the dams are the only
means of salvation to the country. The people are
looking on with breathess interest, and IL behooves
us sir, to take immediate action
Remarked Mr.. JACKSON: hope, sir, that the bill
will not be considered out of its order fo- the reason
that the report of the Committee on Water Rights
ana Drainage has not yet been printed and l sm
consequently not informed upon the testimony taken
by the committee.
Nr. BuRNs said Ii the gentleman will look in the
journal which is lying upon his desk, he will the
report of the committee. The report was also
printed in the RECORD-J L MON. Rep
Mr. LoYa said in reply to Mr.. Whipple; No
attempt has been made by the cont ittee TO smother
the debris bill, and the House will economize time
BY pursuing its usual cours, and considering the bill
out OF its order There are other bills waiting their
turn, OF equal and even more Importance to the
sta than the debris biz Let the gentlemen who
are so anxious for al immediate consideration
dispense with their trivial bills and frivolous ar.
neuts and we shall make much better progress.
Mr. CAMROS said : am for an immediate consid-
Grafton of the repeal bill II IS the privilege of this
House under the rules. e ask nothing OF the gen
tleman from Nevada Mr. Long except that which
is lust The rule reads that Senate messages and
messages from the Governor may be considered at
any time by vote of the House. II is not fbust-
ering for US to ask it, especially when bills have
been introduced here and kept for weeks in the pos
session of committees for the purpose Of delay If
we permit this bill to 60 to the Commit ee
on Water Rights and Drainage, there it
will sleep for ten days, and then when re
ported back it wiz be put at the
bottom of the fe where. with upwards OF two
hundred bills ahead of it. no chance can be had for
it to be reached prior to the close Of the session.
ask accordingly IN justice TO the taxpayers whom
represent that the message may be taken up now,
and the bill put at the top OF the file.
Mr. MAY spoke again, saying: The gentleman
from Alameda see,ns to imagine himself Atlas,
with the State of California resting upon his
shoulders. too claim to represent the taxpayers
Of my district, and | repeat that 1T is fbustering
for gentlemen to resort to such tactics when, had
they only exercised a little patience, the Senate
messages would have been reached in twenty
minutes in the regular order OF business. When we
do reach the issue which is atating the gentle
mans heart and brain We will consider it-not like
narrow minded partsans, bat like statesmen, with
broad and enlightened views, and will then deter
mine 1t TO the best of our judgment.
Mr. DEL VALE said 1t is not Us who ibus
III. 4f,nSE
settled convictions upon the debris repeal BILL yet
seeks to delay its consideration.
The SPEAKER ruled Mr.. Del Yalle's motion as
stated improperly, since it was compound motion
comprehending two Issues, and said that they must
consequently be separately considered. The first
motion therefore to be determined would be, shall
Senate messages be now considered.
The ayes and noes being demanded, the roll was
called upon the above stated motion, which was car.
ried-ayes 3S, noes 50.
The Clerk then read the message, which referred
only to the action of the Senate upon ). b. q,
previously narrated.
Half dozen members arose eXcltedly and at
tempted to make motions.
The Speaker raped for order, and announcing
thai members would be recognized at the proper
time, he signed the bill to the Water Rights and
Drainage Committee. remarkiug after he had done
so that the House was then at liberty to order its
reference to any other committee.
Mr. BURNS moved to put the bill at the top OF the
file and keep it there until finally disposed OF,
marking that the testimony given at the nvestiga-
tion had failed to enlighten him upon the subject,
since it had proved everything to the satisfaction of
the committee, that water would in the course
of time run up hill.
Mr.. LANE seconded the notion
Mr. FREBR said | am opposed to putting this bill
at the top Of the fiIe believe that the people are
more deep'y interested in the passage of a county
government law or an apportoDment Act, than they
are in the debris bin As one of the minority |
caution the Democrats who intend to vote to put
this bill at the top OF the e that in so doing they
are falling into pit III which they will meet with
their political death.
The Speaker said that twothirds vote would be
necessary to carry the motion 70 put the bill at the
top Of the file.
Mr. BURSs then withdrew his motion
Mr. DEL VALE moved to refer the b II to a COM
mittee of the whole House
Ruled out Of order by the Speaker, who said that
reference to a standing committee was entitled TO
precedence.
Mr. LANE demurred to the ruling, declaring that
as the Speaker directly interested in the drain
age Act he was not competent TO make fair rulings
he Speaker replied that, luckily for the equities
Of the case there were eighty members Of the House
to oyerbalanee his '.wonderful powers"
Mr.. FELTON, remarked that while the Speaker
might not possibly be entitled to vote, he surely
competent TO rule
Mr.. KELboeG moved to lay the motion on the
table.
Mr. MAY protested against so many motions and
counter motions, asserting that they all out Of
order.
The confusion then increased, and the House was
soon involved in parliamentary angle and wrangle
motions and counter motions succeeding another
in hopeless confusion.
Mr. EDWARDS renewed the motion made by Sir.
Burns To put the bill at the top Of the fle ard was
seconded by MIR. LANE, who again said int, 10 lis
opinion, the Chair was ruling contrary t. his con.
science. He charged that there were members on
the floor who had put up job to sus ain the de
cisoBs Of the Speaker right wrong, and closed b
reularkng that ii the bill was sent to the Water
Rights and Drainage Committee, it was good y,
John"
After short dissas On between Messrs. Re- clds
Van Fleet and Nay, relative TO Joints o. orde. the