Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-02-23
LEGISLATIVE GOSSIP.

sion about the Capitol
There is at least one wit in the Senate, and
his name is Neumann. As an example OF the
brilliant replies of the Senator, it may be re-
lated that as he sat cogitating the oVner oay
over an editorial of the RECORD Y MON on
"The Sack of Lima" brother senator
asked him what had become of certain Well
known Iebhyist who has been conspicuous
recently by his absence. VI COURSE re-
piled the Senator "your have read about the
sack Of Lima 2" 80 Oh, yes, responded ms
| interrogation. "Well, said the Senator, oal-
ancipg his leg on a chair back, " he mas gone
to look for that sack." M. e :.
It is said the Kenield committee OF IN
vestigation is ready to report, ana gossip
hints very broadly as to what the report WIN
| contain. 1t is said the committee Will report
a. tets only as instructed to do, and thai 1t
sd that the Controller for his wife drew
| re- salary in April and thereafter to Octo-
| - md that from April to October, SIX
roa1+bs she did no work of any KIND
! aboI,4 6fice business. The exposure OF the
Toatter was first made in October, it will be
remembered. That the salary Is Sl55 per
month. It is understood the committee VIII
| CIV there is work enough In the office Tor
| tbLss clerks. but that Mr.. Kenfeld has forced
I'm 49, - earn the salary which he drew in the
ron,e If his wife. 1t is well known now that
! bs Jrew It himself and that his wife was
r1s,,er in the Treasurer's Office to draw the
| -oI,r1 It is understood that the Democrats
90, +ba committee finding the facts strictly in
ocoor5snce with the published statement,
and fearing that their report to that effect
would be criticised as actuated by political
oDnosition and because OF their being OF
different political faith, proposed to Mr..
Kenfield that if he would exhibit any work
Of his wife's done about the Office between
Il naFoI,ar q inch n
of it. they would give him a clean bill of
health. The Controller, however, utterly
failed to do so. The report, it is understood,
will find that there Is no evidence OF any
work done by the wife until after the ex-
posture. 1t is also understood to be the I'M
qualified opinion Of the members of the COM
mittee that the charge was true in every par
ticuIar The Controllers only defense is said
to be that he is Controller, and the sole and
only party to Judge of the work of his clerks.
1t leaks out in this connection that the work
in the Controllers office is very much behind
hand, and the clerks are much behind in their
work, and large amount of back work
ssls to be brought up.
The visit of the citizens committee,
or rather of the committee of Sacra-
mento citizens to the Capitol the other
day, to urge the passage of a resolu-
ton to direct the Attorney-General to
enioin the hydraulic miners in the name of
the People, is still talked of. 1t is considered
to be square confession Of the utter failure
of the proposition to force this city to bring
the suit, andi an acknowledgment that the
correction of the mining debris evils State
duty The proposition suggesting that the
Attorney General should or might employ
counsel to assist him in such cases, is looked
upon by the great mass as anything but COM
piimentary to the Attorney. General, and the
remark has been open and frequent that it
simply meant that the Attorney General
should employ Hon. George Cadwalader. It
is said by those who know General Hart best
that he is not the man to receive such prop
osition kindly, and that if action is taken he
is, every one says, competent to bring and
handle the case, and that there is small need
to expend State money for special counsel !;
that the State has, In short, had quite
enough of special counsel expense already.
Concerning this matter Attorney General
Hart yesterday stated that, in his opinion,
hydraulic mining, if to be enioined, can be
under the present law, but it was wise to
amend the possible defects in the law; that
if any citizen laii before him q complaint,
showing anyone is committing a public
nuisance by fouling and filing up the rivers
of the State, he should feel bound to con.
sent to the use of the name of the State fog
the abatement of the nuisance. In that
case, he would do his duty as Attorney Cen
eral and did not need to be told it by legislative
resolution. He had given his opinion already
as citizen, that hydraulic mining results are
evil to the rivers and valley, and the flow OF
| the matter into the rivers ought to be made
! felony, and the law so made ought to be en-
| forced. He had plainly told people and legis
lators urging the resolutions referred to that
| il they passed he must be understood as not
| pledged to employ any one to aid him-even
| If he deemed 1t necessary TO employ any
| One-who had originated such a resolution
and sought TO urge it upon the Legislature
| To employ such would, in his view, be mani
/ testify improper. The General is evidently a
strong believer ia the doctrine that by action
of Court the miRers can be successfully re-
strained from flowing hydraulic washings of
| the mines into the rivers. 1t appears clearly
to any one who converses with him
that he does not consider the resolutions
as necessary, and that he can act on proper
| showing made Just as well without as with
them. The General says in so many words
that he informed gentlemen urging the re-
peal of the Drainage Act, and the passage of
the resolutions concerning special counsel,
that there Is, in his opinion, no difference in
using State money to prevent a nuisance and
using State money to abate nuisance.
There is much satisfaction expressed over
the success thus far of the apportionment
! bill in the Senate. 1t is understood that Sen
ator johnson and the Committee on Appor-
| tionmentwere not in harmony with some of the
party leaders about that measure. The Con-
stitution requires the numbering of districts
| to proceed from the north line Of the State
and the districts shall be composed of con-
tiguous territory. Asthe Senators to be chosen
from the even-uumbered districts will hold four
and those from odd-numbered districts but
/ so number the districts as to4make it likely
that all the even-numbered ones would en-
brace territory believed to be Republican in
vote, and thus give the Republicans most Of
the hold-overs. To this end they began, in
their plan, at the north, but ran down the
coast and skipped about to accomplish the
! end sought, and yet kept within the technical
pale of the law. The committee on the
| other hand resolved to begin at the north and
number down and across as nearly as posi-
/ bic in strict compliance with the Constitu-
tion, and hence the row which it is under
| stood at one time threatened to rock on its
! foundations Senator Johnson's political resi-
! dence, as well as the party domiciles of the
! other Republican members of the committee.
The State Library fight being ended, it is
generally conceded that Mr.. Wallis won, and
| that in the new Board he will receive four
out of FIVE of the votes. So far as getting an
expression out OF the trustees, however, on
this subject, there is little success, they de-
clariug they are not pledged for State Lii
brarian, that they don't take Office for a year
yet, and that there is plenty of time in which
to form judgment.
There is a general remark made which does
Sacramento credit and awakens local pride,
and it is in accord with the evident truth that
the Assembly has never had more faithful
and efficient Sergeant-at-Arms than 1t has
found in Sergeant Walters, whose admins
tration is the subject of complimentary re-
mark even from his bitterest political oppo-
nents. So, too, as to Clerk McStay. 1t is
certain the House has not in many years had
a better Clerk, and this fact, while the occa-
sion OF such expression by the many, is veri-
! fed by reporters and old representatives, who
have had good opportunity to make COMPARE
sons. While speaking of legislative officers,
| it comes in order to notice the fact that the
new Secretary of the Senate wears well. The
Senate goes along just as easily in IDS busl-
ness as can be desired by any, and MIR. Orr Is
found to be a clear reader, prompt Clerk, an
intelligent and efficient officer in very try
ing position calling for rare good qualities.