The record-union., 1895-03-12

under the lease herein authorized shall
cease and determine; provided, further,
that said lease shall not be in effect un-
less 1t be approved and executed by a
majority Of the Board of State Harbor
commissioners, and for said purposes
the Governor and Attorney General of
the State are hereby constituted members
thereof, with like powers and rights as
other members of said board"
Reld SAID ne was not opposed to the
raj road. Far from it. But he wanted to
seetne grant so guarded that it would not
pe to the injury of the people. The bill
lakes up all the ground occupied by the
OLD ferry depot. 1t is too much to lease
10 any one company, and he wanted to
see 1t restricted as his amendment sug-
gested: The company he was informed,
wanted China Basin. He wanted Chan
mel street kept open for commerce.
Then again, the bill reads corpora
ton or corporations" showing that the
Harbor commissioners were TO lease to
any or all corporations applying. Under
the bill at present the company could im-
prove ten feet square and no power in
the State could take it away from them
II they did no more. His amendment
provided that they should build 200 miles
OF road. If we are going to have COM
petlng road let us have it and be sure we
are going to get it.
The bill is too broad. The present
Board of Harbor Commissioners and the
Governor and Mayor may pass away
and some corporation may come IN after
years and dig up this law and get
privileges without it being known. His
amendment specified the limits OF the
land leased and the work required to be
DONE
McKelyey offered an amendment to
the amendment providing that notwith-
standing the provisions of this Act, all
tide lands within two miles Of any in
corporated city or town Of this State and
fronting on the waters of any harbor,
estuary, bay or inlet used for purposes of
navigation. shall be withheld from grant
or sale to private persons, partnerships
or corporations.
lie said that provision of the Consti-
tuition prevents the operation of this bill
and stands in the way. There is no way
| to get over 1t or evade it. 1t shuts out not
only the Southern Pacific Company, but
| all other corporations. 1t would be a
godsend to that corporation, as well as
TO the State at large, II there were more
competing roads to open up and develop
the state.
Bledsoe agreed with Powers that the
bill could be amended to death and
| hoped the amendment would not pre-
vail. DWyer also opposed the amend
ment.
Bachman contended that the Constitu-
ton only prohibited granting or selling
the property, but did not prohibit leas-
ing it.
McKelvey said he was brought up in
State gridironed by railroads and he
| favored the building of railroads. In his
action on this floor he had always, in
| questions Of constitutionality, given the
bill the benefit of the doubt. He disa-
greed with the gentleman from Fresno.
10 lease IS to grant, be held, and he read
from authorities that sustained his posi-
ton. He also read from the COnstitu-
honaI Convention debates, showing that
when Ayers of Los Angeles moved to
amend the section as it stands his amend
ment was that the land might be leased,
and that the convention voted it down
DInkelspiel spoke In favor of the bill
and against Reid's amendment, urging
the members TO grant to the company
what IL asked.
Powers did not like the appointment of
committee OF one to make amendments
specially describing special property and
making 1t special legislation. Amend
ments and suggestions with regard to a
Dill OF this Importance can be offered in
definitely ana the bill killed by DELAY,
BrusIe said he had voted for the second
reading OF the bill and for Powers
amendments and thought that any citizen
who opposed or threw obstacles in the
way OF this road had not the interest of the
State at heart,
Proceeding, he said: 81 will answer
the gentleman from San Mateo, by first
IndorsIng what he says concerning Cali
iornla's S future prosperity, but let me in
candor add that the future or the past OF
our commonwealth lies not alone within
the lap OF San Francisco, because there
was time in the history of railroad
building In this State when the jeweled
bedacEed Queen of the Pacific refused to
contribute one dollar, and why? Because
controlling as she did the commerce OF the
interior transConunentaI line removed
from her the advantage of an exclusive
| distributing point-tha's why.
For weeks the subscription books to
the capital stock OF the Central Pacific
| lay open in San Francisco to no avail, and
but for the energy and indomitabIe wills
OF interior merchants residing in Sacra-
mento the stock never. would have been
subscribed and California to-day would
chants in the shape of unreasonable
profits.
1--WE can well profit from the wise ad-
monitlon OF the gentleman from Los
Angeles. Let not our zeal carry us be-
yond precautlon which we owe to no
person or corporation, but to the people,
The time viii come, if you make this ILL.,
advised and unbusiness like concession,
when the reprOaChes of the people will be
proportiOned to what you now mistake
for popular demand.
This valley railroad corporation differs
IN no respect from any other railroad
organization, and if it Us hamper ed to-
day you Will find it due to those popular
and contemplate prejudices which have
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