The morning call., 1895-02-07
BILLS PASSED BY THE SENATE.
MANY Measures Receive the Sanction Of the
Members Of the Upper House.

SACRAMENTO, Feb. 6.-The special order
in the Senate to-day was Orr's resolution,
introduced early in the session. calling for
special committee on election frauds.
AS the investigation contemplated by this
resolution is similar in scope to that de-
manded by Attorney General Fitzgerald's
bill providing for a rowing investigating
commission, action on the resolution was
postponed Fitzgerald's bill is before the
Judiciary Committee, but Senate caucus
is called for tonight, when the proposed
bill will be considered and will then doubt
less come up for action in the Senate to-
morrow.
Langfords bill repeating the Act of 1888,
providing support for aged indigents, came
up on special order The Finance Com
mittee recommended the passage of the
bill, the argument being that saving to
the State of 100000 for the next two years
would thus be effected. A spirited debate
followed. Langford, Seawell and Mat
thews favored the repeal bill, while Mar
tin and Ford urged that the operation of
the present act simply pays the debt all
Californians owe to the pioneers, many of
whom are now in need of aid, supplied
lIOLu tuo JULIUS VI Illlo IllcdSUucs
The repeal bill was passed by vote of &c
to II and ordered sent to the Assembly i'm
mediately. Those voting against repeal
were Arem, Bert, Denison, Dunn, Ford,
Hoyt Mahoney, Martin, MCGOWAN, Mitch
ell and Shine.
McGowan's resolution proposing con-
stitutional amendment to favor woman
suffrage was reached on special file. A
rollcall on its adoption was ordered. APP
parently the Senators did not propose to
be put on record just yet, and many did
not vote when their names we're called.
As soon as MCGOWAN realized the situation
he asked that the resolution be passed on
the file for the present, and this was so
ordered.
The resolutions by Smith, Kern and Nc
Gowan proposing constitutional amend
ments providing respectively for the use of
voting machines and exempting vessels
from taxation were adopted unanimously.
The battle of the day was over VOORHEES,
constitutional amendment to abolish poll
tax. VOORHEES, of Amador championed the
proposition in the interest of the poor
| men, claiming that the operation of the
present law works great injustice. Earl OF
Alameda opposed the amendment. arguing
that poll tax is about the only revenue now
| derived from Chinese. Gesford and Hart
sided with VOORHEES,, but on the other side
were Seawell, Seymour, Burke and others
After the debate, which lasted over an hour
the proposed amendment was defeated
| by 10 ayes to IS noes Aram, Beard, Burke
Earl, Flint, Gleaves, Holloway, Hoyt
Langford, Martin, McAllister, Orr, Pedler
Seawell, Seymour, Shippee, Smith, White.
hurst and Washington voting aye.
The constitutional amendment proposed
| by Senator Holloway to exempt from tax.
| alton fruit and nut bearing trees four years
| after planting, grapevines two years after
planting in the vineyard, and farm and
household goods to the value of $780, was
adopted.
Senator Fay's bill to permit the employ
ment of native citizens as interpreters of
Italian in the courts of San Francisco was
passed by unanimous vote. The present
law provides that such Interpreters must
be natives of Italy.
Senator Withington's bill to reduce the
number of Superior Judges for San Diego
County from three to two was passed by a
unanimous vote.
Senator Bert's bill to authorize the
twelve Superior Judges of San Francisco
to employ clerk to be paid out of the
State treasury provoked considerable oppo-
sition. To prevent the defeat of the bill
its supporters had it referred to the San