Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-01-05
THE LEGISLATURE,

The Legislature Is to assemble to-day.
What is needed is the minimum Of legis-
lation consistent with the absolute needs
of the State; legislation for the people
and irrespective of party advantage. Few
and brief speeches and fewer bills, earnest
work and early adjournment, will do more
for the party Of the majority than months of
strategic management to accomplish popu-
lar ends. There seems to be a general
concession that nothing of Importance will
be done until after the election of Il United
States Senator. But to those looking
only to the good of the State and economy
of expenditure, it would seem that
legislation might proceed mincumbered
by the Senatorial contest. While the
least legislation is desirable there are
some measures which should be early intro
duced, thoroughly debated and considered
with calm deliberation, and which should
result in definite and satisfactory action
Among such subjects and measures we may
mention that of irrigation; provision for
youths criminally inclined, that mere
tyros in crime may not be sent to those
penal colleges, the State prisons, to be
graduated as accomplished rascals; rela-
tive to memorializing Congress to improve
and preserve the navigable waters of the
State; relative to the imperative necessity
of preserving the forests of the State from
wanton destruction; concerning the better
promotion Of pisciculture and the propa-
cation Of food fishes for the amendment
of the Constitution, to provide that it may
not be amended with the haste now posi-
bic, and thus made the subject Of partisan
passion or monetary popular craze; for
the faithful carrying out OF the auend-
ment relative to the publication
of textbooks for the common schools.
and their delivery to the people al cost; con-
corning giving powers and means 10 COM
petent authority to protect the State by
land quarantine and other measures from
invasion by pestilencc; the better organ
ization and greater encouragement of the
National Guard of California; the pay
ment of their honest dues to the men who
labored for the State under the late Drain
age Act; concerning needed checks to
prevent fee piliering in State Offices; re-
lating to the further improvement of our
excellent election laws 10y providing sepa-
rate ballot-boxcs for municipal, State,
county and judicial tickets, and the more
rapid counting Of ballots, to the end that
the liability of error may be reduced to the
minimum. Finally, amendment of the
Code in manner to protect the marriage
relation fIom secret contracts Of marriage
Aside from the perp!exing question Of
irrigation there are none OF these subjects
which call for long debates or involve
great difficulties. The forestry question is
one that really has but one side; the facts
upon which the necessity for forest pre-
servation is based are settled, and not pos
sible of dispute; nor, with the experience
of other nations before us, is there any
doubt as to the remedies to be applied, or
the appeals we should make to Congress.
SO too with regard to the improvement of
inland navigation; the increase of the
supply of cheap food by fish culture the
wisdom of maintaining weIl-disciplined
militia, or the necessity of separating
the tyros in crime from hardened
offenders. There can be no honest
hesitation regarding the furnishing of
means to give the new school book system
a thorough trial, since the people have, by
constitutional amendment, commanded
their representatives to do so. The matter