The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-02-01
The LAW MILL
GRINDS BRISKLY.
Legislators Continue to Intro
duCe New Bills.
4 Measure for the Supervision Of Water
COmpalieS-LifliDg Taxes From Mort
gageS-Frte School Books.
Special to THE MoRSINo CALL


Glascock and W. w. Cannon have sent to
the Assembly denials of the utterances at
tributed to them by an evening paper Of San
Francisco These denials were read this
morning and Mr.. Gould. who instigated
the investigation of the charge that men,
beers of the House were holding out to be
bribed to vote for the electric bills at once,
moved TO end the investigation there and
then, but Mccall of Alameda was deter
mined that it should go on. He declared it
to be the duty of tile House to ascertain by
whom these reports had been spread. and
whether there was any foundation to them.
Seeing that the man from Alameda was in
earnest Gould withdrew his motion and the
investigation will proceed.
OBSERVANCE OF THE SABBATH.
G. NJ. Cot;rell OF Los Angeles, who styles
himself "SeYenth-day Baptist Missionary
to California, from Atchison County Kan
sas, has sent a petition to the Assembly.
urging il to pass law to close business
places on Sunday that will take into cons
sideration those who observe the seventh
day of the week as the Sabbath" Such a
law as the Assembly proposes to pass, the
missionary to California says, would be a
manifest Injustice to the class of citizens he
represents, las well as in direct opposition
to the Constitution of the United States,
which grants religious liberty to all There
fore in behalf Of the hundreds or thousands
of conscientious and law-abiding citizens of
California who observe the seventh day."
he urges that they be exempted from the
- provisions of the law.
TAXING TINRFR LANDS
Clark of Yolo introduced the following
resolution calling for much needed legiSla-
tinn relative TO timber land:
WHEREAS, Under the present law OF The
United States the timber lands of The United
States may be purchased by one qualified per
son In quantities of 100 acres; and, whereas, :
der the present law such person may receive a
patent 10 such land Within three months alter
his application therefor; and, whereas, foreign
aud other corporations are taking advantage of
the law as IL now stands, ana procuring " DUN
mics" TO locate large bodies of the timber lands
Of this state, which dummies" transfer said
lands 10 said corporations Immediately after
they receive patents therefor, 10 the exclusion of
The citizens OF this State, and OF The United
! States, who ought 10 lave such lands reserved
for their use; aud, whereas, such corporations
fan 10 place their deeds to such lands on record,
thereby preventing The same from being taxed,
and thereby escaping tAer just burden OF taxa
tiOn; therefore,
BesoIved, That the people of the State of Cali
fornia call upon their Senators and Representa-
tyes tn Congress TO amend the present land laws
relating 10 The sale OF timber lands that no one
person can purchase more Than forty acres OF
the same and that Registers and Receivers shall,
un lie first day Of FebIuary OF each year. furnish
list OF all applications to purchased timber
lands to the Assessors OF the counties where
such lands are situated, and list OF all pa tents
issued therefor during the present year.
MORTGAGE TAXES.
An amendment to the Constitution affect
ing every holder of mortgage, and. in fact,
every taxpayer in the State, is a special
order for Monday. 1t is the following:
All property IN this State, not exempt under
the laws OF the United States shall be taxed IN
proportion 10 its value, TO be ascertalned pro-
ylded by law. The word property, as used in
thus article and section, is hereby declared 10 in
rclude all moneys, credits bonds, stocks, deeds,
= franchises, aud all other matters and things,
real, personal, and Mixed capable of private
oGnership; provided, that growing crops mort
cages, trust deeds, property used exclusively for
public schools, aud such as may belong 10 the
United States, this State, OF any county, or NUM-
clpal corporation within this State, shall be ex-
empI from taxation. The Legislature may pro
vide for reduction from credits or debts due
bona hde residents OF this State.
This amendment was introduced by Mr..
Matthews. Its very apparent purpose is to
relieve holders of mortgages from paying
taxes on them, and, 1t is believed, was intro
duced for the purpose Of lifting out of the
slough into which they had fallen, the
mOney-lenders who hold mortgages on prop
erty IN Southern California where values
went down With the collapse of the boom.
1t Is by no means certain that 1t will pass
the HOUSE, for more than one member from
the north is laying tor it."
wRANGLING MEDICos.
AllOpath and homeopath have locked
horns over the bill TO regulate the practice
of medicine in this State, which is known as
House Bill 24O and which creates Beard
Of Examiners who are to determine who
shall be permitted TO practice medicine in
this State. a pamphlet, allopathic in guam
hty but homeopathic in quality, has been
sent to each member of the LEGISLATURE in
VIII h vigorous attack is made upon the
bill.
The writer says: Inspection of this bill
plainly shows that it is not Intended to pro-
tect the public from abuses in the medical
profession, but to create and perpetuate a
ring, or trust, with power b. reduce the pro-
1esslon TO a single school of medicine, and
to reduce the numbers of that school to
suit the views OF the trust. The bill creates,
under the guise OF Board of Examiners, a
court of record, with power to issue process,
hear and determine causes, render Judgment,
adOIt rules of procedure, clothes il with
bolh judicial and juridicial powers, and
from whose judgments and proceedings
there IS no appeal or review. 1t establishes
another State bureau, the cost of which can
only be imagined, but with good nursing can
be made $4,000 or $50, 900 year. And all
Tor what? To crafty the malice of doctors
toward one another, the haired of the So
called regular school against all others
ana To enable the trust to destroy its rivals
in the profession. Only this ana nothing
more. And the machinery of this bill ac-
eomplshes that object by giving this board
power TO drive any doctor out of practice on
mere question Of ethics. 1t establishes an
unOrldled and irresponsible censorship in
what Is called the ethics of the profession
All the provisions of the bill center on this
all are but means TO this end"
The Worlds Fair bills will be made the
special order in the House and Senate for
Monday.
FREE SCHOOL BOOKS.
Assemblyman Clark kept his promise rela-
~. IN ann hill .g1.xa. =
books shall be sold at the actual cost Of
printing and distributing. He said yester-
day afternoon that there was an African in
the bill and this morning he produced his
AFRICAN. AT present., in accordance with
the Constitution, the books are sold at an
increase OF per cent on the cost of pro-
duction. This increase enables the State to
keep up the printing plant; but if the books
are soid AT cost the fund for keeping up the
pant would soon be exhausted and the work
would have TO be suspended. Wherefore.
Mr.. Clark moved reconsideration oil the
vote by which the bill passed
Assembiyman Dibble said the bill Twas
framed Tor righteous purpose. 1t is a we'll
known fact that booksellers in San Fran
cisco are charging 40 per cent increase on
the cost OF school-bOoks, and they keep
within the letter of the law by saying that
they are charging but the actual cost OF the
books with postage added. That is, they
charge for each book as il it had been singly
sent through the mail from the printing
Office. whereas they actually receive the
books by freight He thought it would be
wei to let the matter stand as it was, as
there is little doubt that law will be
passed making school-books Free and bill
for that purpose has already passed the
. Senate.
WATER LEGISLATION.
just before the Senate adjourned to-day,
and when half of the seats were empty,
Aiahoney of San Francisco asked permission
10 Introduce a bill out of order. Permission
being granted, he sent up a bill the title of
which gave no suggestion of its contents,
The bill will be nice Sunday reading for the
Spring Valley Water Company. The com
pany Will probably call it hoary- headed
''cinch," but others may linda mIder term
to designate it. 1t provides that all copor-