The morning call., 1891-02-14


| inspect the State insane asyiums. Ostrom,
| who is mildly facetious at times, moved
| that eighteen members OF the Repuolcan
majority be sent along with them, so that
| some good Democratic legislation might be
had in the interest of the people. A Repub
lican member retorted that unless the Re-
publican majority remained the Democrats
would break out of their Ascent limit.
Sprague asked 0strom whether he referred
to the Democratic legislation of last session.
but changed the subject when Ostrom re-
minded him that he had voted for every APP
preparation bill passed at the last session.
REWARD FOR THE ARREST OF MURDERERs.
Both Houses passed to-day an urgency
| bill appropriating $500 a reward for the
arrest and conviction of the murderers OF
| Mrs. Greenwood Of Napa.
The Senate passed a bill providing that
hereafter no property belonging to the State,
except wooden buildings, shall be insured.
The Senate passed SeawelPs bill provid-
ing that a conveyance by married woman
shall have the same effect as if she were I'M
married, and may be acknowledged in the
| same manner.
ELECTION OF STATE PRINTER.
The typographical unions of the State,
which have advocated the election of the
| public printer by the people, will learn with
| deep satisfaction that the Senate to-day by
| a vote of 25 to passed bill providing for
| such election. The bill as passed ordains
that the Superintendent of State Printing
| shall be elected at the same time and place
| and in the same manner as the Governor OF
the State, and his term of office and quail
| hcatlons shall also be the same. He shall
| be a competent practical printer, and before
| entering upon the discharge OF the duties of
| his office shall give a good and sufficient
| bond in the sum of $4,000 with TWO more
| sufficient suretieS. to be approved by the
| Governor, for the faithful performance of
| his duties The majors who voted against
| the bill were: Broderick, Dray, Heacock,
| Streeter, Simpson and Sprague.
| The Senate also passed GOucher's bill,
which provides that thirty days prior to the
| next general State election the Governor
| shall issue a proclamation calling upon the
| electors to signify at said election their will
| as to the method of the election of United
States Senators by placing upon the ballots
| the " ords ''for the election of United States
| Senators by the direct vote of the people,"
or the words against the election of
| United States Senators by the di-
rect vote of the people" and the
inspectors and the judges of cleo
| lions at each and every poll in the State
shall ascertain and make returns of the
| number of votes cast 'tOr the election of
| United States Senators by the direct vote Of
the people" ana the number of votes east
| against the election of United States Sen
| ators by the direct vote of the people" in a
| like manner as other votes are required to
| be counted and returned, and an abstract
| thereof shall be transmitted by each County
| Clerk in the State TO the Secretary of State
in the same manner that the votes for State
| officers are now required TO be transmitted.
| The Governor shall prepare memorial
from the people of the State of California,
attested by the Secretary of State, setting
| forth the question submitted to the electors
| and the vote thereon, and send copies to the
President and Vice resident of the United
States and 10 each Cabinet Minister, Sena-
tor, Representative and Governor of each
State and Territory.
THE SCHooL-BooK QUESTION.
OF the introduction of bills to change the
character or cost of public school books
there appears to be no end. The latest APP
peared in the Senate this afternoon. 1t re-
QuireS the State Board of Education to
adopt series. of textbooks supplementary
TO the State series for use in the common
schools throughout the State, and 10 enter
into contracts with the publishers fixing the
price at which such books shall be furnished
the pulls. Textbooks so adopted shall
continue in use not less than four years.
The bill can hardly be considered step in
| the direction of free school-b0oks, and such
bill, if passed, would place in the hands
of corrupt Board of Education a power
that could be used against the interests of
the people and for the ACKNOWLEDGEMENT of
any publisher obtaining control OF such
board
FREE BOOKS.
Goucher introduced bill for submitting
| TO the people a constitutional amendment
| providing that the Governor. the State Su-
perintendent of Instruction and the princi-
| pals of the normal schools shall constitute
| State Board of Education, and the Legs
lature shall provide by law for a County
| Board Of Education in each county. The
| State Board, in addition to other duties,
| shall adopt series of textbooks to be used
| in the common schools, and the Legislature
may provide for supplying the same 10
| pupils free.
BURIED FISH BILL,
Among the bills that are getting wrinkled
and old in the committee rooms is the bill
introduced in the Assembly at the request
| OF the Fish Commission 10 change the close
| season for salmon The bill, as stated by
! IHE CALL when introduced, was opposed
| by the fishers and Gamers, who declared it
| would ruin their business. Secretary Wood
| bury of the Fish Commission was opposed
to the Gamers before the committee having
the bill in charge, stoutly maintaining that
1t was drafted to protect the rights of the
people OF the State. He has, however,
given up all hope of ever seeing the Dill
emerge from the committee, and lays the
blame for its defeat at Assem-, blymau Dur
Der's door. He has written statement
for publication OF the committees conduct
toward the bill, III which he said: 1.-The
bill was taken up by the House Committee
| on Fish and Game on January 9th, but the
committee did nothing but listen 10 the OBJ
| IectionS OF Gamers TO its passage. The next
| meeting was held January 5th, but in the
| meantime AsStmblyman Burner, who is
| fighting the bill in the interest of the Gamers
| and fishermen, had the misfortune to have
| death in his family, and the meeting was
| put off till February 18th. At this meeting
| he did not appear, and no action was taken
| A meeting was called for this afternoon,
| and all the members Of the committee were
| notified to attend, and all did attend but Mr..
| Burner, and he sent no word explaining
| his absence. After other bills ad been dis
| posed Of | asked to have the bill for the close
season acted upon, but the Chairman re-
| fused, saying he had promised Mr.. burner
| he would not act upon II unless Mr.. Burner
was present. In reply to a question by me,
| he said he had notified MIR. Burner to be
| present short time before the meeting was
| opened.
| HOPE LONG DEFERRED.
Il have waited two weeks for Mr.. Burner
to make it convenient to be present. The
| season is coming to close, and the chances
OF getting the bill hearing in the Assem-
| bly, are daily growing less. i reminded tile
| Chairman OF these facts andtold him | did
| not think II fair TO keep his promise to take
no action on the bill till Mr. burner was
| present, while at the same time MIR. Burner
made il convenient not to be present. The
Chairman angrily told me that he would
allow none of my dictation, but said he
| would allow dictatiOn from the mem beers of
| the committee. Every member. except the
| Chairman, saw the matter as | saw it. After
the meeting had closed ! met one of the
| members of the committee and told him l
| would publish every name and circumstance
| If the thing went on much longer. He re-
| ported what | said to the Chairman, not in
| any malice toward me, but in order that the
| business might be settled. When | met the
| Chairman in the evening / asked him when
the next meeting would be held for action
on the bill. He related to me what he had
| been told about my publishing names, and
said he would not be bulldoked by me, and
refused to hold another meeting of the Fish
and Game Committee unless ordered to do
| so by the Speaker OF the Assembly,
| There is much more Of Mr.. Woodbury's
| statement, but the story of his trials is told
| committee who, he says. were present at the
| meeting at which be was sat upon metaphor
ically are Lynch, Cram, Mccall, Beecher,
| Kellogg and Rice.