The record-union., 1893-01-10
AT WORK AGAIN.
The Legislature Resumes BuSi-
ness in Earnest.
THE CAMINETTI MINING BILL
Is Endorsed by Both the Senate
and the Assembly.
SACRAMENTO'S NEW CHARTER.
Senator Hart Presents It-A Shower Of
Bills in Both II0uSeS-Retrench-
ment Talk
SACRAMENTO'S new CHARTER.

Both branches of the Legislature in
dorsed the now celebrated Caminetti
mining bill yesterday, and arranged to
have the news of their action telegraphed
at once to California's representatives in
Washington.
The bill is rather thoroughly under
stood by the people living in this section,
it having been explained in detail many
times during the late campaign by its
author, Congressman Caminetti. In brief,
it provides a solution of the hydraulic
mining question to a considerable extent.
providing for the restraining Of mining
debris by means of dams and other meth
ods; the improvement of the navigable
streams-the Sacramento and San Joa-
quin in particular; a conference between
Government and State engineers-the
latter to be appointed by the Legislature
with the view of agreeing upon plan of
protecting the lands and rivers by a thor
ough system of levees and other protec-
tive systems; and lastly, providing that
hydraulic mining may be resumed under
the supervision of the Government en-
gineers, provided it can be done, with the
aid of the dams and other projections re-
ferred to, without injury to the valleys.
OsTRoM EXPLAINS.
In the Senate the matter came up as
''Assembly concurrent resolution, No.
2" and on motion Of Senator Ford was
promptly coneurred in. Only five voted
against the esolution-Senators Carpen-
ter, Goucher, Harp, Shlppee and Wilson
and of these Carpenter and Goucher
explained that their negatived votes were
based simply on the belief that the reso-
luton should be referred to committee
before being acted upon.
Senator Ostrom, who halls from Yuba.
acounty that has suffered as much if not
more than any other valley county from
the effects of the mountains of debris
that have been washed down upon it.
voted for the resolution, and offered an
explanation. He said he was one Of those
valley people who seriously believed that
in the enactment of the Caminetti bill
solution of the slickens question would
be reached. If made law its carving
out would rest with department of the
Government in which he had implicit
faith. 1t was a department that had never
been accused of partiality nor prejudice.
The Caminetti bill, if faithfully carried
out, he thought would accomplish great
good and benefit both the farmer and the
miner.
DIRECTION IN THE ASSEMBLY.
The resolution, as above intimated,
originated in the Assembly, being intro
duced there by Mr.. Price of Butte.
1t met with some opposition on the
part OF representatives Of counties where
mining debris had played havoc. The
author of the resolution asked for its i'm
mediate consideration, since the Cam
inetti bill will come up for consideration
in the United States Senate Tuesday.
Mr.. Miller of Alameda innocently ac-
knowledged his ignorance of this i'm
portant bill, and asked what the purport
of the Caminetti bill amounted to.
Mr.. Price, with an appearance Of aston
ishment, told the young Alameda Assem-
blyman that he thought every man in
California knew what the Caminetti bill
was. He then related briefly what would
be accomplished by the bill.
Nann of Colbsa and Lake urged the
representatives to be careful how thev
voted on this important question. He rep
resents district thoroughly conversant
with the direful effects Of mining debris.
There should be a stay of proceedings.
The resolution should go before the
proper committee, and after calm delib-
Grafton acted upon.
Mr.. burst, Of Yuba and Sutter. in a
lengthy speech, also opposed the resolu-
ton. He hoped it would not be hastily
adopted. He represented a section where
the evil effects of hydraulic mining ,vera
as great as in any section. He was not
opposed TO hydraulic mining if it could
be carried on in such a way as the hin
proposed, but he did not believe il conld
be done. The people of his section ara
not and never were in favor of the Cam
inetti bill, and it would be unjust to then,
for this Legislature to take such action as
the resolution called for. He wanted the
resolution printed before being acted
upon.
THE SYCAMORE TO THE FRONT.
Shanahan took up the cudgel in sun
port of the resolution. 1t was not the
purpose of the Caminetti bill to DESTROY
property. 1t proposed to build up.
Whenever there was any meritorious
legislation proposed, he said, there was
always a determined and persistent oppo-
sition to it, but the opposition could be
counted on the fingers Of his hand. 1.-THE
adoption of the resolution" he said, "re-
quires immediate action. The bill will
come up in the Senate, and it is necessary
for this Assembly to act at once. The
(1aD1inafti hill has haap iud0rcod nv two
mining conventions, the press and the
people who claimed to have been affect
ed" In support of his claims he cited
the election of Caminetti and Geary in
districts largely Republican. Mr.. Shan
ahan construed their election as being
brought about by their action in favor of
the rehabilitation of mining.
Mr.. Thomas of Nevada rose to contra
dict Mr.. burst, in so far as his statement
went that the people of that section were
opposed to the Caminetti bill. They