The morning call., 1895-03-01
THE LBEOV BILL
TO COME Up.
JUDICIARY COMMITTEE OF
THE ASSEMBLY RECON-
MENDS It's PASSAGE,
ADVOCATES OF THE MEASURE
PLEAD URGENTLY FOR
FAVORABLE ACTION.
IT'S OPPONENTS PROTEST,
COMMITTEE MEMBERS RESERVE
THE RIGHT TO ATTACK
THE BILL.

SACRAMENTO, Feb. 28.-An opportunity
is to be given those who want to Lexow
San Francisco to try their strength. The
Judiciary Committee of the Assembly to-
night recommended the Waymire bill for
passage, and it will, without doubt, be
brought up as matter of urgency as soon
as possible.
Powers bill to enlarge the power of
grand juries came up first Judge Way
mire opposed it. He said he thought it
was unconstitutional. He was requested
to explain how he had reached that con-
clusion, and then said that he just thought
it was so. He thought, too, that the bill
would not give the required relief.
A vote was then taken and the fourteen
members of the committee present, in
Guiding Mr.. Waymire, voted to recommend
the bill for. passage. They changed its
form, however, so as to make it an amend
ment to the codes. Then Judge Waymire
presented the bill he has worked so hard
for. He spoke very modestly, almost
apologetically, for it. He thought San
Francisco rotten to the core, and the plea
OF her citizens for help should be needed.
Bledsoe of Humboldt spoke sneeringIy
of the personnel of the committee that had
come to plead for the bill. He claimed
that those from the Union League Club
were only the hangers-on of that organiza-
ton. He also criticized severely the min
listers who were at the head of the move
ment Bledsoe was opposed to any extra
commissions.
Reid of Trinity denounced the measure
as an attempt to cast reflections upon the
Democratic executive.
Judge Waymire was anxious to placate
the gentleman. He offered first to strike
out the clause providing for an appropria-
ton from the State Then he--offared 20
strike out tue feature of counting the votes
Powers of San Francisco here interfered
If the bin was to be carried, he said it
should be carried as whole. There was no
use in striking out the vital part of the
bill. If the city was to be cleansed by a
commission he wanted the job thorough
one.
Cutter of Yuba was opposed to such a
commission, and declared vehemently he
would vote against it.
Bulla of Los Angeles did not believe in
the recounting of the ballots at this late
date. The Republicans, he said, had had
| legal recourse before the Governor was
inaugurated. Since they had neglected to
take the steps necessary to interfere with
Budd's assuming his position then, he was
opposed to their now trying to get special
act to reopen the matter. Besides, he
urged the commission was created only
to investigate and discover crimes, and not
10 punish them.
Judge Waymire here interrupted with a
suggestion that if the crimes were once
| ferreted out, then the proper officials
would step in.
Bulla continued that he thought the
commission was unnecessary. San Fran
cisco he said had its grand jury to see that
criminals were punished. If guilty men
were escaping because the laws were faulty
he would favor the changing of the laws,
but he thought that the city should be al
lowed to govern itself.
Judge Spencer of Lassen made a spirited
speech in defense of the bill. He addressed
himself more particularly to Bledsoe, as
suring the gentleman from Humboldt that
| if they two were as good as the minister
who had been shghtingly spoken of, both
himself and Bledsoe would have cause to
| rejoice. He spoke of the Union League
Club as an organization IN which some OF
the most prominent professional and busi-
ness men of San Francisco were to be
found. To speak sGghtingly of this club
was to insult the entire Republican party
of that city. He had grown to feel that a
commission such as the bill proposed was
matter of necessity.
| When the matter came to vote the bill
was recommended.
Those against reporting it favorably
were: Powers, Bulla, Brusie. Cutter,
| Bledsoe and Reid.
Those voting in favor of recommending
it were: Waymire, Spencer, Weyse, Hat
field McKelvey and Guy.
Davis explained that as the bill was
really committee measure, he felt that to
vote against recommending it would be to
stultify the committee. He would vote for
a favorable report on the bill, but reserved
the right to fight it in the House if he
wished. Dinkelspiel made the same state
ment.
Judge Waymire will make an attempt to
bring the bill up to- o-morrow.