Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-03-27
ArToRHEY-GEHERAL's VIEWS.
Some Caustic Comment on the Governors
Action.

Action.
(San Francisco Chronicle March 26th.l
SACRAMENTO, March 25sh.-Your corre-
spondent interviewed the Attorney. General
yesterday. The conversation, which was
quite long, was in the main as follows
Statements have been made that you as
sented directly or Indirectly to waiver Of
the States claim for interest and penalties
ia the railroad tax cases. How is this? %
ANY one who says that is either utterly
ignorant or barefaced liar. l RENTED
nothing, waived nothing, directly or indirect
". took payment on account, expressly
reserving the claim of the State TO the re-
mainder, respecting which proceedings are
now pending on appeal. The litigation be-
tween the State and the railways is in pre-
cisely the same shape as it was in before the
partial payment was made, the only differ
ence being that 1 have got the face of the
taxes"
"Yes Governor Stoneman left me under
the impression on Saturday that it was the
action taken by you in these cases which rem
dered the calling of an extra session an i'm
perstive necessity"
eff Governor SLOVENIAN conveyed any
such impression, or said or implied that
compromised anything, or RENTED any
thing, he uttered villainous SANDER. He
knows it is not so. A SANDER of the kind was
published and repeated for several days by
q newspaper in San Francisco, aud 1 was so
Indifferent to what it stated that l did not
for quite awhile take the trouble to lay the
facts before the public But with the Gov
ernor it is different. He knew the facts, and
if ne implied that l compromised anything
he uttered vile SANDER, knowing it to be
false"
Permit me to draw your attention to the
tenth section of the list of objects upon
which the Governor invites the Legislature
TO legislate, in relation TO declaring thst the
people of California have not authorized and
do not ratify any compromise. etc. This Sec
tion certainly implies that compromises have
been made by the Attorney General"
1.-THE paragraph which you read, was the
reply, has been the laughing stock of the
Bar ever since it appeared in print. AS /
have already told you, there have been no
compromises. as the Governor knows well.
If there had been it would be no part of the
business of the Legislature to ratify them or
therwise. The Attorney-Generali is branch
of the Government. The Legislature is not
called upon to rstify his acts any more than
he is called upon TO ratify theirs. His du-
ties, like theirs, are defined by the Constitu-
ton, and cannot be altered except by con-
stitutional amendment. As tc saying that
he shall not accept judgment for less than
the sum named in his complaint. that is
childish. Suppose he made an error of %
cents in his addition, would he be debarred
from accepting judgment which rectihsd
the error"
"What is the object of the present ses,
sion ?"
"That is g corundrum which must leave
you to guess. Some time ago, when the
Stata mas in financial frOnhle and fha frn0s
were 80 low that several departments and
some of the counties were embarrassed, and
we had been compelled to borrow .00C
from Croker to run the State Prison. mott.
fed Governor Stonernan that if he did not
call an extra session | would accept from the
railways Judgment on account, which they
said they were willing to make. Hs called
no extra session. l got the money and SC
provided for the immediate wants of the
State. After this there was no earthly rea-
son for calling an extra session. He now
sees that ne has made mistake and tries to
lay the blame on me. He and his gang try
to exculpste themselves by slsndering the
Attorney General"
"What ia your opinion on the subject OF
prohibiting Courts from issuing injunctions? ~
80 | think il is a matter of some difficulty.
l don't believe it is necessary any way. No
Court can epjoin a collector from collecting
a tax regularly levied. The iDjuuctions OBJ
tanned against county collectors did not hold
water. | was served with an injunction
against taking money from the railroads;
Just put the Injunction into my waste paper
basket. An injunction, improvidently grant
ed, is mere waste paper; no collector should
regard it. Taxpayers have their remedy by
an answer in Court to a suit brought for
taXes,"