The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1895-02-08
THEY LOST THEIR TEMPERS.
All Is Not Harmonious in the Matter OF
Legislative Retrenehment.

oped the fact tonight that the resolution
of the Retrenchment Committee and the
Committee on Attaches would not meet
with the approval of the entire house. The
meeting was held with closed doors and
lively fight ensued in which many of the
legislators lost their tempers and said
things that they would not have given
utterance to had they not been Influenced
by passion.
Brusie of Sacramento made plea to re-
tain the attaches. To discharge them, he
urged would be unwise to say the least, as
it would be a virtual admission of the
claim of the minority that men had been
put in merely because they had done
political service. This aroused Phelps,
who is one of the strongest advocates for
retrencbment. He wanted right to be
done at any cost, and all unnecessary
clerks discharged.
Bettman urged that one or two of the
hardest working clerks in the Assembly
had been put on the list. He mentioned
one man especially who had worked hard
every day. The clerk was a useful man
who earned his salary, yet they were going
to drop him.
Spencer here took the floor to state that
they had advised the discharge only of
those who had been declared unnecessary
by the heads of their departments. He
wanted honesty and economy to rule.
This made some one refer to the number
of people who had been placed at Spencer's
request. He tried to explain that one of
the clerks had been put in really by Thomas
of Nevada. Hatfield and Weyse at once
Directing to the using of the name of the
gentleman who was absent. Spencer in
sisted on explaining. Chairman Wade
ordered the Lassen Assemblyman to be
orderly. No attention was paid to the
chair, and hubbub arose and cries of
''Time" and "Order". drowned the Speak
er's gavel. At last Spencer gave up the
struggle to be heard, and wild with indig
nation, grabbed his hat and left the room.
There was no further disturbance.
Belshaw Of Antioch urged the passage of
the resolution. He wanted retrenchment,
and he protested that if the members had
political debts to pay they should settle
them from their own pockets. Cutter of
Yolo was also a speaker for retrenchment
Dinkelspiel was in favor of moderation.
He thought discretion should be used in
numbering those to be dropped from the
paylist, and cited an instance of a man
from Solano, q hard worker, and editor of
paper, and man who earned his salary,
who was among the unfortunates. He
was unwilling to put that man out and
leave others less worthy in office. There
were many othes speakers, but the major
ity present showed that they were either
against the resolution in whole or in part
There was no joint caucus. Fully forty
Republican Assemblymen were present,
but only four Senators put in an appear
ance, and at 8 O'Clock, after some time
waiting for a quorum in vain, the meeting
adjourned.
Charles Sonntag is here with a bill which
will be introduced in the lower house by
Assemhlyman Dixon tomorrow. It's pur-
pose is to amend the code that the San
Francisco charter drafted by the Free
holders may be voted upon at special
election in April instead of waiting until
the next general election.
DIR. McNutt and Judge Slack of San
Francisco arrived tonight. They are here
to urge the Legislature to make an appro-
priation of $250,00O for the erection of
building in San Francisco for the accom-
mediation of the affiliated colleges.
There was crowded gathering of news
paper men and interested spectators in the
Senate chamber tonight when the Senate
Committee on Finance and the Assembly
Committee on Ways and Means met in
Joint session to consider the newspaper
bills for advertising the constitutional
amendments voted upon at the last cleo
ton. There was quite discussion as to
what the term square" meant, partici-
pated in by H. L. c. Barnes of the Bulle-
tin, Val McClatchy of the Sacramento Bee,
L. B. Willis of the Record Union, a. J.
Lennon of the Santa Rosa Democrat and
representatives of the Alameda Argus, the
Santa Cruz Sentinel, the papers published
in foreign languages in San Francisco and
many of the interior publications. The
aggregate of the bills is $4,000. 1t was
suggested that the papers be separated into
classes, according to circulation and stand
ing. Most of the questions were pro-
pounded by Senators VOORHEES, and Buggy
and Assemblymen Brusie and Laugenour
Finally the representatives of the vari-
Gus papers were called to state the basis of
their charges and the circulation of their
papers. Senator Smith created much
amusement by loosely replying that the
circulation of his paper, the Kern Echo,
was very big. After some remarks by
William Dargie of the Oakland Tribune,
H. P. Squire of the Oakland Times and
Mr.. Hester of the Report, the committee
adjourned, taking the bills under advise
ment.
The Senate Committee on Corporations
decided to report favorably Assemblyman
McKelvey's bill legalizing the creation of
mutual insurance companies. Senator
McGowan's bill on the same subject will
be reported without recommendation.
The Senate Committee on Judiciary dis
cussed the proposition tonight of the consti-
tutionality of applying the postal primary
law to the larger cities of the State only,
such as San Francisco, akland and Los
Angeles.
Sacramento Facored by the Press.
SACRAMENTO, Feb. AT meeting of the
eyeouti1e conpoittee of tho CoI;forn;o