The morning call., 1893-02-28
SAVED ITS TOOLS.
The Railroad ResCues the
Commissioners.
THE SENATE SUBSERVIENT.
The Resolution to Gust Rea and His
Associates Lost by Safe
Vote.
lie SENATE SUBSERVIENT.
Special to THE MORNING CALL

Senate this afternoon. and as had been pre-
dicted all along, there were not near enough
votes TO pass it.
At $3.50 o'clock this afternoon the resolu-
ton was read, but the crowd that had
gathered in the Senate chamber to hear an
animated discussion were sadly disap-
pointed. for Immediately up0n the coReiu-
sion of the reading by the clerk President
Ruddick ordered the roll called. 1t had not
progressed far, however. before Senator
Goucher was on his feet calling LOT his
minority report. Senator Arms raised the
Eoint of order on him that there could be no
discussion during the Tollcal, and Goucher
was compelled to cease talking.
Nothing has come up thus lar this session
which caused as much mental torture as did
Tie voting upon this resolution by those who
had been driven into line by the railroad
company to vote no"
Senator Ford was the only member absent,
bur it is understood that be would have
voted to retain the commission had lie been
present.
Twenty-seven votes we're necessary to
adopt the resolution. and only nineteen
were secured. The ballot was as follows;
For the removal Of the OmmissiOneTs-
Arms, Bailey. Berry, Bggy, Burke, Dunn.
.NcGoaaa, Martin, Mathews. Mitchell,
0stTom. Seawell. Whtehurst. Wilson-19
Against ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Campbell,
Carpenter, Denison. Everett. Flint,
G9ucher, Maher, Mahoney Orr. Ragsdale.
seymour. Shipree. Simpson. Streeter. YOor-
HES, Williams. Harp. H0yt and Hart-20.
Osrom changed his vote from ave to no
in order TO give notice that he would move
pi
until the names Of ali the other members
mad been called, when he made another de-
mand for his minority report, but finally
decided ia vote 'nO." with the understand
fDg that his report should be printed in the
journal as an explanation Of his vote.
Boyt and Orr had been counted upon to
stand in to expel the Commissioners. and
even Voorhies had been looked upon as
doubtful, but when the time came they fell
into line and voted with the corporation.
Thus one Of the most important matters
thatcame before the present Legislature,
and one in which the people Of California
were deeply interested was defeated. Some
OF the country members felt very keenly
Eheir betrayal Of tile people who had sent
Them here, but the hardened ones. like
Frederick, Maher. Maheney, Everett and
Williams. sung out No" defanIly, SEEM
ing to glory in the fact that they were
voting in line with the Southern Pacific
Company.
Senator Burke, OF the Committee on Con-
etitutienal Amendments, sent up his minor
fly report On the Leeds amendment this
afterno room. The report was concurred in
. by Senator SesweIL 1t was in substance as
follows:
The report calls attention to the fact that
she evidence adduced before the Committee
On Constitutional Amendments refers
chiefly, if not exclusively. to one portion
only of the proposed amendment-that re-
Eating TO the adoption Of schedule of
: ghfs and fares, designated therein as the
California distance tariff. In the jadg-
8nent Ct ihe minority the testimony shows
that { would be unwise and detrimental to
She public welfare 10 make this tariff part
tf the constitution. While the maximum
rates Of fare and freight therein set forth
&c would doubtless be fair aud reasonable to
many Of the roads operated within the
State, notably those Of the Southern Pacific
system, nevertheless there are q number of
shorter roads of vital Importance to the
people which would be greatly injured, if
not absolutely ruined, If compelled to adopt
such rates.
Senators Burke and Seawell also say that
o careful review and consideration Of the
evidence leads them to believe that it would
be impossible to frame a rigid uniform
tariff for all or any class of roads within
the State which would deal fairly with
these properties or which would not be in
furious 10 the public interests There is
such disparity in the cost of construction
and operating and in the fixed expenses
and earnings OF the various roads within
the State that any tariff which would be
just and reasonable for one road, and just
and fair TO the public, would be so in juri-
Gus as to bankrupt another less favorably
situated. To this extent Senators Burke
and Seawell agree with the majority report
Of the committee.
La regard to that part Of the amendment
which provides for the repeal OF sections %
and % OF article XII of the constitution.
Senator Burke and Seawell say that the tes-
timony, in so far as it touches that point at
al confirms the general conviction already
formed by the public, that those sections
should be repealed and the Railroad Com
mission abolished. They say that twelve
years Of experience with this constitutional
commission has developed the fact that it is
worse than useless, having failed to per-
q.
They also say that The thirteenth animal
report of the commission shows that it has
not only failed. neglected and refused to
perform It's duties, but that the Commits
sieners are incompetent and have not tried
10 qualify themselves for the position. They
seem to have made no effort to correct
abuses. for the correction OF which their
Office was created. They have only added
to the burdens already borne by the public
at least to the extent of their salary and the
expense incurred in making the discovery
Of their inefflciency.
Senators Burke and Seawell do not agree
with the majority that the people ara 10
blame for selecting unfit men Commits
sQneTs. They believe that the selection
was secured by the same power which seeks
to retain them in Office, a power which.
they regret to say, seems abundanty able
TO thwart the will of the people whenever
II is it's interest to do so.
1--WE cannot believe" say the Senators in
conclusion. shat 1t is any easier for the
people TO select three fit men for the commits
sion than it is TO select 100 fit men for the
Legislature. That's a reflection which we are
not prepared 70 admit We therefore recon-
mend the repeal of sections % and % of
article XII Of the constitution, and recon-
mend farther that the regulation of freignts
and fares be relegated TO the Legislature. /"
Chairman Mathews of the Hart lnyesti-
gazing Committee announced Oh Saturday
that the report OF the committee would be
put Into the Assembly to-day, but certain
information has been furnished the commit
tee which calls for further Investigation.
and another meeting has been called for to-
morrow afternoon at o'clock. when new
witnesses from San Francisco will be in
attendance, and new and startling testi-
moRy is expected. The committee now
feels reasonably certain that thew have
caught Hart where he least expected IL.
ie dor,l,t tt.r4~ -