Los Angeles herald., 1893-01-12
AT THE STATE CAPITAL.
A DEMOCRATIC JOINT CAUCUS ON
LIBRARY TRUSTEES.
Bills for the Repeal of the Railroad
Commission Introduced in Both
Houses-Legfslative
Notes.

SACRAMENTO, Jan. 11.-A joint Demo,
cratic caucus was held tonight to nom.
mate board of five state library trus.
tees, to take their seats March 1, 1894
A ticket had been prepared bearing the
names OF R. P. Hammond, San Fran.
cisco; Ed Leake. Yolo; DR.. NJ. Gard.
ner, Sacramento; F. T. Baldwin, San
Joaquin; W. s. Green. Colusa. But
this met with some opposition, and
Curtis Lindley of San Francisco was se.
lected in place of Hammond. 1t is ex-
pscted that q joint ballot on trustees
will be taken Friday. The trustees will
then elect a librarian to succeed Per-
kins.
SENATE PROCEEDINGS.
In the senate today number OF bills
were introduced, among them one by
Hart to create the counties of Putnam
and Buena Vista out of portion of
Tulare county, with the county seats at
Porterville and Tulare; by Gesford, a
bill making it the duty OF the legislature
to prescribe railroad rates and fares,
passengers rates not to exceed 2 cents a
mile.
THE ASSEMBLY.
Schlesinger of San Francisco pre-
sented resolution providing for the ap-
pointment Of special committee of five
by the speaker to investigate the act of
the railroad commissioners. as to
whether they have performed their du-
ties and have adopted proper schedule
of rates and fares as contemplated by
law, the committee to have power to
send for persons and papers and to pre-
sent articles of impeachment against
any commissioner direlect in his duty.
Mathews introduced a joint resolu-
ton to refund money to certain settlers
on government lands in Fresno, Monte
rey and San Benito counties.
Godchaux introduced in the house the
same bill as presented by Gesford in the
senate, abolisning the board of railroad
com miseionere and empowering the leg
islature to fix the rates and Iares. 1t
provides that for passengers not more
than two cents per mile shall be charged.
For freight and merchandise the charges
are specified in what is called the "Cali-
fornia distance tariff" adopted and is
sued by the western classification COM
mittee, which took effect January l.,
1898, and contains 22S0 items of charges
for distances from five miles to 1000.
Anderson introduced resolution pro-
viding for constitutional amendment
abolishing the poll tax after January,
1895.
Androus of Los Angeles presented
concurrent resolution, which was
referred to the public land COM
mittee, reciting that applicants
for the purchase of lieu lands
had been informed somehow of the
legal status of the lands years before
the secretary of the interior made pub
lie his decision, in which he holds that
settlers and buyers from the state have no
title to such lands, although they
have resided upon the lands many
years, and made Improvements valued
at about 100000. It asks that the
committee on public land be directed
| to ascertain if the secretary of the in
| terror quotes the law correctly with
reference to the act of congress granting
such lands to California; if the state
surveyor general was in fault in advis.
ing settlers that. their applications were
legal; also if settlers have q claim
against the state for the amounts paid
for their lands