Los Angeles herald., 1891-02-20
The SolOns Getting a Move
on Themselves.
A Number Of Bills Passed I'm
der the Urgency Rule.
Carpenter and Campbell Have An
other Passage at Arms.
The Los Angeles Senator Again Shows
His Friendship for the Corpora
ti0ns-Many New Bills.
Associated Press Dispatches ,

|
that permits any senator on Thursday
of this week to call up bill and ask for
the suspension of the constitutional pro-
vision requiring three readings on sepa-
rate days, the senate rushed through con.
siderable business to day. Among the
bills passed in this way, were Ostrum's
billdeclaring the Feather river bridge at
Marysville free; permitting the commits
sioners OF the supreme court to examine
applications for admission to practice,
and authorizing the superior judges to
represent the supreme court in such ex-
aminations; providing that appeals for
stay of judgment in capital and other
criminal cases, may be taken, where the
defendant so demands.
TIE FOLSOM DAM BILL.
A halt was called when the Folsom
dam labor bill was called up. The bill
appropriates $16,925 to pay for skilled
| labor on Folsom dam. Some OF the
senators were disposed to question the
bill. Delong, chairman of the finance
committee, stated that under the con-
tract, the Natoma company was to sup
ply all material for the dam, and all the
labor. 1t became necessary to employ
labor other than prisoners, and the COM
pany agreed with the prison directors to
advance the necessary money, which
the bill proposed to refund. The finance
committee, he said, had passed upon the
| claim. Seven senators demanded that the
bill be sent back to its place on the file,
and it went, but later on the senate re-
Tented, and passed the bill unanimously.
The senate also passed bill provid-
ing that if any officer or person shall
ignore or neglect writ OF fhabeas corpus,
the person aggrieved shall have cause
of action in sum not to exceed $4,000.
CARPENTER AND CAMPBELL.
Britt's bill making telegraph compan-
! les common carriers, was the event oi
the day in the senate. Carpenter, Of
Los Angeles, declared it absurd to class
telegraph dispatch with a sack of
wheat, or say that the company shall be
liable for damages in case it should not
be able to transmit within certain
time. 1t had been testified before the
committee on corporations that only
fifty-three stations in California pay ex-
penses. The others are maintained at a
loss. Ii telegram deposited at the
San Francisco office should fail to reach
Eureka because of accident to the line,
the company would be liable under the
proposed law for heavy damages. This
was manifestly wrong.
Campbell, referring to the passage of
the telegraph bill two years ago, charged
that felony had been committed by
some servant of the telegraph company,
in the improper substitutionof the word
''included" for excluded" in the orig
inal bill. He argued at great length
that the telegraph companies should be
common carriers; if lightning Frustrated
their wires, they could not be held re-
sponsible. The telegraph companies
should be responsible for all dispatches.
MCGOWAN favored the bill. The COM
pany, he said, could not guarantee a
/ message for 40 cents, but give them 20
cents more, and they bound themselves
to send the dispatch with absolute cor
rectness. This showed that it would be
no hardship to make them liable as com.
mon carriers.
Carpenter, replying, said there was
| evidently no popular demand for the
bill. Neither Campbell nor MCGOWAN
had produced one witness or petition fol
the passage OF the bill. Every other bill
from woman suffrage to the prohibition
| of cigarettes, had been petitioned for by
some one.. This bill was borne into the
senate chamber simply to express the
ideas and sentiments of senators who
supported it.
Campbell-What are those ideas and
sentiments?
Carpenter-What the bill expresses.
The Western Union is assailed because
it is rich.
i Campbell deny it,.
Replying angrily to Carpenter, Camp
bell shouted that he (CampbelL was moi
under obligations to the Western Union
he was not the paid agent of any corpor.
alton, and he challenged the senator
from Los Angeles to say any more. He
protested against the insinuations of the
Los Angeles representative.
Carpenter-1 have not insinuated.
The Solano law-maker refused to bt
pacified, and in his torrent of passion
tore up and scattered over the floor Z
sheet Of paper containing the notes from
which he spoke.
"If uttered what / had written or
that paper" he yelled, "and what in
tended to, it might not be we'll, and so
scatter it unsaid."
Carpenter cloSed the debate with tn,
statement: II am and have been an
attorney Of the Western Union IN som,
localities. receive fees to 60 into (
court Of justice when required, but d.
not think that any one will dare charge
4 that such retainers extend beyond my
legitimate duties as an attorney, or affec
my rights as q SENATOR
The bill passed on vote-22 to 10.
immediately after Hamin astonishet
the senate by giving notice that tomor
row morning he would move reconsider
/ alton Of the vote by which the bill hat
| just passed.
"A SPECIAL FILE INSTITUTED.
4 Delong, from the special committee Of
joint rules, reported rule to the cffec
that each branch Of the legislature shal
establish q special 1ile on which ehal! 3.
placed only bills that have passed On,
house, such bills to be considered dali,
from 2 to 8 :30 O'Clock. Adopted.
The senate bill, providing for statf