Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-04-18

ties of the subcommittee without his having to
go IN that extremity. The committee granted
MS request, and nothing further was said about
the matter
ON Monday last Assemblyman Murphy of san
Francisco introduced a resolution i'm the House
stating that Montague r. Leverson. Assembly,
man from san Francisco, had ON the Sth day
OF March, sent an improper and insulting letter
70 the chaplain of the Assembly, Rev. c. H.
ware, ana caused the same 10 be published in n
san Francisco paper. The letter was an insult
TO the reverend gentleman and an insult 10 the
Assembly Mr. Murphy asked that committee
ol tiNe be appointed to investigate the matter
The resolution was adopted and a committee
consisting of MeSSrS Murphy. Atwell. Doty,
Fiynn and Reeves was appointed for such duty
Ihe letter referred To reads as follows:
"StN FRANcISco. March $. 1881.
Rfr. C. II. Hdre- -REVEREND AND DEAR SIR:
Permit me. respectfully, for the sake of the
religion you profess, OF the sect to which vou
belong, and your own real interest, both heav-
enly ana mundane to appeal to YOU q resign
the post Of Chaplain TO the Assembly TO which
you were elected i'm violation both of the spirit
ana letter of the Constitution of this State.
winch all the members of the Assembly and |
presume yourself also, were sworn 10 maintain.
But not only should YOU, If YOU believe in
ne SanctitN OF an oath, refuse longer TO be party
10 us violation but surely when the matter is
presented To You in Its true light, You cannot rs
an honest man. continue 10 receive b of the tax
payers hard-earned wages for labor on your
part OF tve or. at the most ten minutes: in other
NotuS; Nt tne rate OF $40 per day for legal
day labor of eight hours
Surely as minister of a religion that teaches
that the decalogue was divinely bestowed You
cannot be willingly party 10 the intrlction OF
one oi It's most imperative and valuable COM
mands, or be yourself the party benefited by
such infracti0n
1t would be bad enough If your services.
however really valuable were rendered prntu-
itouSly rs a Jewish minister was willing his
should be, for the violation of the Constitution
would be theSalnc and under prCtense OF relig-
iI, .II,, Ve NIL Assembly, and presume yourself,
Ter such an act, and after such rate taken
trom the wages of the tojlerS hy land anl sea. is
what feel confident you viii not heucefor,h be
By rcuouncing the post with it, profits 10
winch you were ~ unluWmlly elected now that
your eyes must be opened to the true character
OF the act, you viii prove the sincerity of yonr
religious professions, and yolr remuneration win
rebound as much 10 the credit of vuIirs,lf and
Your creed rs persistence IL; the Cautrar, courst.
must diScrCdit both
Please give me, with the least possible de
lay. the assurance that YOU will ad1u the rollrD,
have suggested in which CuSe no vor,I ar ,iae,l
oi mine shall ever imply that 50 righteous am
act was prompted by amy one or ANYTHING nm
your own sense OF right; but in the unlikely
event of your being unable To give me thar as
Surance, must reserve the right 10 publish this
letter IN order that the supreme court of UuhIi,.
opinion may pass Judgment ON the matter, i'm
question. ] am, reverend and dear sir VulrS
respectfully, MONTAGUE Il. LEvERS0N"
At the close of the session ofthe ASsembyycS.
terdaN the committee met. Mr.. LcverSou also
appeared. As soon rs the meeting was called to
order Mr.. LeYer>Ou arose and drawing some
manuscript from his pocket read as follows:
MR. CHAIRMAN AND GENTLEsfEN . As both my
words and acts have been Frequently miSrepre-
Seuted, have taken the preCaution OF writing
down. for the purpose of reading to YOU, what /
intend 10 say 50 there can be no miSrepreSenta-
ton, Wllliul and malicious ! shall be happy 10
discuss with the members of this committee as
individuals. the letter asCribed To me hv tht,
resolution under which you are appointed 10
prove every position there stated. and / think
induce each member 10 propose To the House
that to avoid a continued violation of the Con-
Strtutlon OF the state and impropcrap
of the public funds. the services of Mr. Ware be
dispensed with. But aS a committee decline
To recognize your jurisdiction. With the utmost
respect. | deny the authority. not only of the
committee hut even of the House and ofthc en-
tire Legislature, To violate the right of public
discussion and of free speech.
This Is not at all like the case alluded 10 by
Mr.. Terry, III which complained of breach Of
the privileges of the House ON the part of a
member Tor offensive language addressed by one
member 10 another on account of words spoken
by this other in debate. The present inquiry re-
lates to II criticism written and published prior
to the commencement of this the twcnty-ScVenth
enormously called the twenty y-ffh) session of
the House, and so cuts at the very root of all free
discussion, and therefore | respectfully refuse to
appear furthcfbefOre the committee unless the
House should otherwise order. also on the
not am the author of the letter in question. ]
respectfully request that this explanation may
be reported verbatum in the House. Respect
fully, NJ r. LEVERsoN"
As soon as ne had finished reading the docrl-
ment he handed it over to the Chairman took
his hat, said Good day, gentlemen" and left.
Atwell said LeversOn'S conduct was GudaeiouS.
mendaciouS, and, in fact, insulting. He was in
favor of having him expelled from the LegiS-
lature. The entire committee agreed upon this,
and the Clerk was authorized 10 draw up the re-
port of the committee, which viii be signed and
presented this morning. one of the members
said he thought it would be charitable to trans
fer Mr. LeyerSon from the halls of legislation to
one of the public institutions either at Napa or
Stockton.
In note published Yesterday. stating that
ASSemblyman MurdOck. OF Los Angeles, eVi-
IDENTIFY does not take much stock in the extra
session, as he docs not put in an appearance at
the Capitol" and that - member remarked
Yesterday, when the 1attter was being spoken
of, MuTdOck is the one wise mAn of the Lcgis-
lature,'" the name of Murdock was mad
vertcntly given for that of MOiitt. Referring To
the error Mr.. Murdock said 'Therc was II
slight confusion of persons and places. Assem-
blyman Murdock is not an absentee and not
from Los Angeles. while ASscmblyman MOflitt is
both. The assertion that Murdoch is the one
wise man of the Legislature may be correct.
but II must rest on other grounds than that he
has not put i'll an appearance"