The record-union., 1893-02-16
The Early Adjournment Bluff
Ends in Smoke.
THE SENATE RECONSIDERS.
Senator Goucher CGnSureS The PeO-
pie Of Sacramento.
HARTS INVESTIGATION BEGUN.
Some Interesting Evidence in the johnson
Scandal-San Jose POltics-
Shanahan and Gould
HARRIS INVESTIGATION BEGUN.

The Senate has gone back on its resolu-
ton to adjourn the Legislature sine die
at noon on March 4th.
When the proposition was putforward
Tuesday numerous statesmen took occa-
sion to show their disapproval of the
action of the people in declining to eX-
tend legislative sessions to 100 days, and
their speeches demonstrated that the
Senators were inclined TO be revengeful-
that they were inclined to pout and let the
interests of the State go by the board in
order that they might have an opportunity
To say, az told you So" This was not the
motive that actuated all of the advocates
for an adjournment at the end of the al
lotted sixty days. But some of them did
take advantage of the opportunity to
show their teeth.
In accordance with the notice he gave
when the resolution was adopted, Senator
Maher moved yesterday afternoon that
the resolution be reconsidered. Then he
made a speech. He said there were many
measures on the files which it would be
impossible to reach before the 4th OF
March, and he hoped the Senate would
repudiate its former hasty action. Senator
Seawell hoped so, too. He intimated that
some of the Senators who were advocat-
ing early adjournment had been favored
and had gotten bills they were interested
in hurried through; and now
THEY DIDN'T CARE
Whether anything else was attended to
or not. He considered this very selfish
disposition. He was not over-anxious to
work overtime himself, but he thought
that the least the Senate could do would
be to reconsider its action, and then hold
the resolution in allegiance until some
thing definite was known as to when
the business of the session could be
closed up. He considered that the press
was to blame for the defeat of the pro-
posed To-day session, and did not think
the people should be punished.
Senator Carpenter took the floor and
announced with biting sarcasm that he
would vote to reconsider the resolution
50 as to help some of his colleagues out OF
the hole they had gotten themselves into
by trying to make records.
Mr.. Goucher spoke. again and this
time blamed Sacramento for most of
the trouble. The Capital City. he said,
had deliberately polled a two-to-one
vote against prolonging the sessions,
in the face of the fact that she gets
nearly all of the money the legisla-
tors draw from the State. He then de-
Tended himself against the slap he con-
sidered Seawell had given him, about
being selfish. None of his bills had yet
become laws, so the Mendocino Senatof
was mistaken - had been talking
through his hat" as it were. Reverting
to the main issue, he said it would be
humiliating for the Lawmakers to work
an hour after their time had expired.
The Constitution said plainly that sixty
days were the limit and the people at the
recent election had said they didn't want
the sessions prolonged. He was in favor
of getting out when their pay stopped.
Certainly. he argued, Senator's sery-
ices, after the allotted sixty days had ex.
pired, should be worth as much as any
of the attaches, yet the colored spittoon-
cleaners could get their pay and the
statesmen could not.
Senator Gesford wanted TO goshome as
soon as his pay stopped. And he did moi
blame Sacramento for not desiring tc
bear with the Legislature any longer thar
she could help. The session of two wears
ago was enough for the Sacramentans-
they knew all about it, as they were in
close proximity.
SENATOR Harris REPLY.
Senator E. C. Hart of this city replied
to the imputations of Mr.. Goucher with
reference to the verdict of the people OF
Sacramento in November. LET me saw
to your, sir" he began, that the people
of Sacramento demonstrated on that oc-
casion, as they have on all other occa-
sions, that they are not at all selfish. II
was not because they did not want YOU
with them, but because they believed,
when they voted, that in sixty DAYS all
legislation that was healthful could be
accomplished" Referring to Gesford's
no-pay-no-work argument, Mr.. Hart
said that members of so great body as
the California Legislature should not be
circumscribed as regards their per diem
The paltry sum of IS a day amounted to
nothing to many of them, when the i'm.
portance of their work was taken into
consideration. Such a pittance should
not stand in the way of their duty to the
people, and he hoped the resolution
would be reconsidered.
Mr.. Goucher said his friend Hart would
not miss the IS day because he was a
home, but to those who were from abroad
it made considerable difference. He de-
clared that if the State Capitol were
moved to his city, Fresno, the people
there would poll an unanimous vote for {
hundred-day session.
Several others spoke, among them MIR
Burke, the author of the resolution. He
thought that the resolution should not bt
reconsidered, that it would invite the law.
makers to hard work, and thus they
would clean up the file within the allotted
time. Senator MCGOWAN spoke in favor
of reconsideration, taking the ground
that it was premature-that something
might happen that would make few ex.
ira days very desirable. and if allowed tc