The record-union., 1893-02-15

49, A--@
ton, and upon which the taxes levied have
not been paid on account of any alleged
jllegality or invalidity of such assess
ment, or which have not been collected
because of any error. irregularity or in
validity in the proceedings to enforce the
collection of such taxes, or for any other
reason, shall be reassessed for each year
since 1884 for which such taxes shall re-
main unpaid. as aforesaid, by the
proper officers or board author
lied and required by law to assess
similar property, which reassessment shall
be entered upon the assessment roll re-
quired by law to be made and entered,
specifying in such assessment roll the
year for which such reassessment shall
have been made. The property affected
| thereby shall be subject to the payment
of all taxes thereon for each year of such
reassessment at the rate of the general
tax levy for the year in which such re-
assessment may be made, and all the pro-
visions of law now or hereafter provided
in respect to assessments, equalization,
levy and collection of taxes shall apply
to all reassessments made and TO the col
lection of taxes thereon under the pro-
visions of this Act.''
The basis of the reassessment is to be
the value of the property for the year for
which the same is reassessed.
The Shanahan bill proposed to attempt
to collect taxes for several years previous
to 1884, and thus tie the State up in end
less litigation. 1t is believed that the
substitute will be acceptable to both
houses. AS it provides that the three
years of taxes due shall be paid in this
year, the State Treasury will assume an
exceedingly corpulent condition-to the
tune of a couple of millions.
STILL ANOTHER INVESTIGATION.
a Committee to Look Into the Acts of
Attorney-General Hart.
In the Assembly yesterday morning
the Committee on Ways and Means ere
ated mild sensation by charging Attor-
neyGeneraliW. II. II. Hart with willful
neglect of duty and official misconduct.
In introducing the report DR.. Mathews
of Tehama, Chairman of the committee,
ooio ~ " do dI llISI 1LlGHISu " VI III =
charges of impeachment against Mr..
Hart, but the committee decided to give
that gentleman hearing.
The committee represents and charges
that Attorney-General w. H. II. Hart
has, at sundry times during the past two
years, "willfully and persistently neg
lected his official duty as the legal adviser
of the State officials, thereby necessitating
the employment of special counsel and
imposing heavy and unnecessary ex-
pense upon the State"
The report goes on in the following Ian.
guage:
THAT the said w. II. II. Hart has, as
your committee has been informed and
believes, employed special counsel when
it was unnecessary to do so, presumably
for the benefit of an intimate friend anG
associate, and that for such services he
has approved of unreasonable and exor,
bitant claims.
Your committee further represents
and charges that said w. II. II. Hart, OIL
account of suits instituted by the State
against certain Harbor Commissioners
received in satisfaction of judgment tht
following sums: July, %, 1891, People
VS.. Phillips, $7,725 81; August l, 1891
People VS.. Banding, S6,6Ol 56; October
%. 1892, People vs.. Knight, S2,404 So; DC
tober %, 1892, People VS.. Blanding, 81, 120
total of 81, S5l "A.
THAT said w. II. H. Hart has, for
period of nearly two years, retained il
his possession the bulk of this money, il
violation of the law now in force and Of
feet, and that he failed and neglected t,
make any mention of the said money il
his annual report, dated September Is
1892.
''That by the action of this Assembly
and formal demand made by the Con
troller, said w. II. II. Hart was appriset
of his dereliction of duty, and notified t.
pay into the State Treasury the amour
of money now in his possession, whicl
belongs to the State, but has refused t
comply with the demand, and is, there
: fore, guilty of official misconduct ant
misdemeanor in Office.
l Your committee, in conclusion. re
spectfully asks at the hands of this honor
able body that the rights of the State b
vindicated and the integrity of the publ
SeTNlce 10 preSerNeu Dy an investigator
r of the official acts and conduct of the sal
= w. II. H. Hart, and the passage of th
3 following resolution is recommended:
S "ReSoLred, That the Speaker be and he
q hereby authorized to appoint special CON
mittee OF five, whose duty in shall be to In
quire into the official conduct and acts OF "
f H. H. Hart, Attorney-General of the State {
California. and that said committee have fu
power to send for persons and papers. an
that they report to this Assembly by in
, parchment or otherwise"
Speaker Gould appointed the com
\ mittee, and shortly thereafter an informs
meeting of the committee was held.
f It was determined to subpoena Attol
: ney-General Hart, who was in Lo
f Angeles, by telegraph, to appear befor
! the committee, but it was subsequent
i ascertained that he was already on til
! road to the Capitol. The committee ad
1 journed to meet to-day at 3 o'clock.
i pR0rEEDIMEC I'M DEThII