The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-03-07
Strangling of the Much-Mooted
Measure in the
Senate.
FOR TOWNSHIP GOVERNMENT.
Passage of Bill to Provide for Town
Meetings in Cali
fornia.

passed by this Legislature which will pro-
vide method for the formation of new
counties, unless the Assembly can drag up
a bill from the end of the file and urge it
forward to passage. There is scarcely any
likelihood of this, and so Bidwell, Buena
Vista, San Luis Rey, Putnam, Santa Ynez,
Sunol and other would-b counties must
wait.
The Senate to-day deliberately voted to
nullify the wishes of to l majority of
the voters of the State as expressed at the
last election, when an amendment to the
constitution was adopted, the object of
which was to take county division fights
out of the Legislature. The action of the
Senate was notice that the combine was
supreme and that it intended to keep
those fights over new county propositions
in the Legislature.
The record of county division scandals
with all the reeking details of purchased
votes has not ended. The Senate has made
the decision, and so at the next session
there is every likelihood of repetition of
the acts which disgraced the sessions of
1891 and 1898
Senator Earl called up for reconsidera-
ton to-day the action of the Senate by
which general law applicable to county
divisions was defeated last night. The
Senate declined to -econsider its action by
the following vote:
Ayes-Arms, Beard, Bert, Denison, Earl, Fay,
Ford. Gleaves, Hoyt, Linder, Mathews, McAllis-
ter, MCGOWAN, Pedlar, Simpson, Smith, With
ington-17.
Noes-Androus, Dunn, Flint, Franck, Hart,
Henderson, Holloway, Langford, Mahoney,
Mitchell, Orr, Seawell, Seymour, Shine, Ship
pee, Toner, Voorhees, Whitehurst-1s
Excused from voting-Aram, Biggy, Ges-
ford-3.
Absent--Burke-1.
Declined to yote-Martin-1.
1t developed that the clerk made a mis-
take in the tally last night in the vote on
Senator Simpsons bill providing for the
organization of township governments.
and despite the objection of Senator Nc
Gowan the error was rectified At the
afternoon session Senator Ford sought to
withdraw his notice to reconsider Twice
1t was made with the understanding that
the bill had failed of passage. Senator Nc
Gowan objected. There was an hours
debate. The Senator from Humboldt de-
clared that it would enable townships to
nullify high license by passing low liquor
ordinances.
Senator Simpson declared that it gave
townships just the power in this respect
which municipalities had and that it
would enable the people to have local op-
ton. AS it was county Supervisors would
authorize the sale of liquors and small
communities had no redress.
Senator McGowan's substitute to re-
consider the action by which the bill was
passed was lost by the following vote:
Ayes-Aram, Denison, Ford, Holloway, Hoyt,
Langford, Martin, MCGOWAN, Orr, VOORHEES,
and Whitehurst-11.
Noes-Arms, Androus, Beard, Bert, Dunn,
Earl Fay, Franck, Gesford, Gleaves, Henderson,
Linder, Mathews, McAllister, Mitchell, Pedlar,
Seymour, Simpson, Smith, Toner and Withing-
ton-21.
Absent or declined to vote-Biggy, Burke,
Flint, Hart, Mahoney, Seawell. Shine and Ship
pee-8.
And so if the Assembly takes a like view
of it and the Governor approves, town
ship government and the New England
town-meeting will become features of Cali
fornia law.
Sergeant-at-Arms Blackburn purchased
laurel gatel and decorated it with red,
white and blue ribbons. Senator Earl, in
neat speech, presented the new gavel to
the president pro tenn. of the Senate, who
made fitting acknowledgment.
Governor Sheakley of Alaska was an
honored guest of the Senate for a short
time this afternoon and occupied a seat
beside the Speaker pro tenn. The Gov
ernor of Alaska made a brief speech, con-
trasting the present appearance of Sacra-
mento with that of forty-one years ago,
when he was last here. He declared that
California was the most prosperous COM
monwealth in America.
The Senate agreed to the report of the
conferees on the general appropriation bill
except as to four items. These were the
items reducing the appropriations for the
Napa Insane Asylum from $4OO, 600 to
1914 900, for the Mendocino Insane Asylum
from $1S0,675 to $780, 225, for the San Jose
Normal School from $1,000 to $45O0, and for
the National Guard from $225,OO0 to
$1S5,0O
Senators Gesford and Seawell led the
fight against the reductions for the insane
asylums in their counties. There was
quite bitter dispute between Senators
Langford and Gesford.
Senators Beard, Ford and Whitehurst
were appointed new conference commit
tee on the four items of the BILL where the
Senate had refused to concur in the report
of the first conference committee.
Senator Seawel's bill, appropriating
$146,7 for new buildings and improve
ments for the Mendocino Insane Asylum,
was finally passed.
A strong attack was led by Senators Orr,
Pedlar and Aram against the bill intro
duced by Senator VOORHEES, appropriating
$4,000 for additional buildings and i'm
provements for the Preston School of In
dustry. The bill was finally passed by
vote of % to 16.
Senator Mahoney introduced resolu-
ton in the Senate to-day appropriating $45
TO pay the claim of ex-Pugilist Joe Nc