The record-union., 1891-02-20
Afternoon Session.

The House assembled at 2 o'clock,
Speaker Coombs in the chair.
Under the head of unfinished business,
a. II. III was taken up and passed. The
bill is an amendment to the code, and is
as follows:
Any ten freeholders who will be accommo-
dated by the proposed road, two of whom
must be resident OF the road district wherein
any part of the proposed road is situated, and
who are taxable therein for road purposes,
may petition, in writing, the Board of Super
visors to alter or discontinue any road, or to
lay out q new road therein; provided, that
when a road Is petitioned for upon the divid-
ing line between two counties, the same course
| shall be pursued as in other cases. except that
a copy OF the petition shall be presented to the
Board of Supervisors of each county, who
| shall appoint viewers, to act jointly and re-
port TO their respective boards the action of
such viewers; provided further that all such
roads shall be at least forty feet wide.
SPECIAL ORDERS.
S. B. 4S0 relating to the appointment of
married woman as administrators Of an
estate of deceased person, was read the
second time.
Mr.. Bruner offered resolution pro-
viding that S. B. 4S0 be made a case of
urgency, read the first, second and third
| times and placed upon its passage, but, as
it met with opposition, he. withdrew it.
Mr.. Gould moved to amend by striking
out Section 2, which makes the bill take
effect at once. The amendment was lost.
Mr.. Beecher then moved to amend by
adding proviso that no case now pend
ing before the courts shall be affected by
the passage of the bill.
Mr.. Bruner opposed the mott on. If
the bill was good one to pass it should
| go into immediate operation.
A great deal was said concerning the
special case that this bill is supposed to
fit, that of the Johnson estate, in San
Joaquin County, Mr.. Gould claiming that
| If in W a SnnninJ an o.fr
Mr.. Gould then moved to adopt the
same resolution as that withdrawn by Mr..
! Bruner. 1t was adopted, and the bill
placed upon its final passage.
In the final discussion Mr.. Shanahan
said that the old law, which forbade
married woman to administer upon an
estate, was a relic of the semi -barbarous
ages, and should be killed as soon as pos
sible.
Mr.. Robertson believed that the bill
should not pass. Many old California
miners and farmers had died and left
wealthy widows, who were sought in
marriage by scoundrels. The wealthy
widow usually married for love, but the
impecunious scoundrel married for
money, and the children of the old miner
or the old farmer were defrauded of their
| fortunes.
Mr.. Mccall defended the bill. 1t pro-
tected our wives, and that was what he
wanted. If any of the members had lost
confidence in their wives, he was not one
of them. He would rather trust his wife
to administer his estate and do justice to
his children than any man in the world.
But" said Mr.. Robertson with pathos,
''if you knew she'd marry another man,
would you trust her?"
The dreadful thought did not appal Mr..
| Mccall, who stoutly maintained that,
even if she married again, she would do
justice to her children.
Mr.. Lowe upheld the bill. He knew
nothing of any special case, and cared
from Santa Clara, who had an only
daughter. If her father died intestate,
she would inherit his estate, and might
administer it; but if she married the adj
administration would be taken out of
her hands.
Mr.. Burner said he was interviewed
not long since by Public Administrator,
who pleaded with him to oppose this bill,
and said he had letters from Public Adj
ministrators all over the State in opposi-
ton to the bill. Mr.. Burner had asked
him why. Because" replied the P. A..
sit would ruin our business" Mr.. Dur
ner replied that for that very reason he
should vote for the bill. [Applause.l
The bill was passed by vote of ayes
So, noes IA.
| MISCELLANEOUS BUSINESS.
A. c. r. 4, inviting the President of the
United States to visit California, was read
and adopted.
Mr.. Brusie moved that A. B. 694, au-
thorizing the Governor TO decide upon
the amount of matter which may properly
be sent to the State Printing Office,
should be, by suspension of the rules,
read the second and third times and
voted upon. The motion was carried and
the bill was passed by a unanimous vote.
| No. 693, a companion bill, was made the
/ Snpcial order for or
S. b. 20S, concerning the appropriation
for the Whittier Reform School, under
special order, was voted upon and passed.
PETITIONS.
| Several yards of manuscript, including
some alleged poetry, were presented by
Mr.. Mathews (by request) asking for the
passage of a bill to prohibit cigarette
smoking by minors.
! Mr.. Bledsoe again came to the front
with petitions from half dozen places
for the passage of the bill requiring edu-
cational qualification.
| REPORTS OF COMMITTEES.
| Reports were received from the Com
mittees on Judiciary, Apportionment,
| Ways and Means, Elections and Privi-
leges, Engrossment, Claims, Fish and
/ Game, Corporations, and Municipal Cor
| porations.
INTRODUCTION OF BILLS.
The following bills were introduced:
Wy Mr.. Lowe-Repealing the Act to
provide for the compiling, illustrating,
electrotyping, printing, ETC., of State text
/ books.
| l(By Mr.. Shanahan-To add a new sec
ton to the Penal Code relating to misrep-
resentation by proprietors of periodicals
as to circulation for the purpose of obtain
! ing patronage.
Y BY Mr.. Hayes-Relating to the collec-
ton of tolls and tonnage.
| By Mr.. Hersey-Making an appro-
priation for the deficiencies in the Attor-
ney-GeneraPs office.
| By Mr.. McCall-Relating to benevolent
and religious corporations.
| by Mr.. Sturtevant-On county and
| township government,
v By Mr.. Misunderstanding to official
| publications.
| Wy Mr.. Young-To prohibit the coming
of Chinese to the State.
By Mr.. Dow-To prohibit the employ
ment of women in saloons.
" By Mr.. Sturtevant-Relating to the
| legal rate of interest.
| By Mr.. Rice-To exterminate wild
morning glories and other noxious
weeds.
by Mr.. Bruner-Relating to making
assessments of lands in swamp land dis
! tricts.
v By Mr.. Durner-Relating to the incur
| ring of Indebtedness by cities, towns, etc.