The San Francisco call., 1897-01-21

Chief Clerk Duckworth was the subject
of a caucus held this afternoon by the
Republicans n the Assembly, but he was
not in vited to appear. The Assembly re-
solved itself into legislative grand jury,
and after heated discussion decided to
request = Mr.. Duckworth to tender his
resignation. A committee was appointed
to wait on him and convey the decision of
the caucus, and this committee was In
effect a personified threat that he must
resign or be ousted.
1t had been found that several persons
had been placed on the payroll who had
not appeared at Sacramento at ALL and
the fact tnat the temporary organization
this year cost $1,000 more than it did last
year was the burden of the debate. 1t
was conceded that Mr.. Duckworth had
appointed the greater part OF those at
taches at the request of members of the
Assent bly,, and that after the organization
of the Assembly had been completed the
Assembly itself had voted to pay them for
a weeks service.
Another scandal cropped up in the
caucus. 1t is SAID that several attaches
on the temporary roll who are now on the
permanent roll had drawn double mile
age, and when this was broached in the
caucus there was storm of Indignation.
The meeting was OF the unanimous mind
that the extra mileage should be returned
or else the offending attaches should be
discharged.
This evening Mr.. Duckworth made the
following statement to a CALL CORE
spondent:
1.-The roll was made up at the request of
members of the Legislature for every
name that appears except in one or two
instances. The journal of January 4 says
shat l handed in the temporary roll and
not even one dollar appears opposite their
names. The names appear on the roll
without any liability against the State.
The journal of January says that the As
sem bly, on that day elected fifty-seven per-
manent employees to serve through the
session and to perform the duties that
were suppos SD to be performed by those
on the temporary roll. The journal OF
January 6 says that the Committee on
Mileage and Temporary Officers submitted
it's report and that it was recommitted to
the committee for further consideration.
''The journal of January contains the
Temporary Attaches and consists of two
resolutions. The first provided for the
mileage of memb bers and the second for
the payment of mileage and per diem to
the temporary employees. Both were con-
sidered at length by the House, and Mr..
Bridgford moved to strike out all the
mileage on the temporary roll except for
statutory officers.
'.Mr. Belshaw moved as a substitute
that the mileage of Joseph Brooks, Ed ].
Smith, F. H. LON bard, William Levison,
A. A. Fredlander and ]. Cramer be
stricken from the report. In each instance
the mileage allowed by the committee
amounted to $16 80. Mr.. Belshaw's sub
stitute was accepted by Mr.. Bridgford and
was voted down by the House. The report
of the committee as originally submitted
was then adopted by the House, prac-
tically by unanimous vote.
From the two resolutions presented by
the Committee on Mileage, two pavroIls
were made up by the sergeant-at-arms,
one for the mileage OF mem bers, the other
for the pay OF the temporary attaches.
The payroll for the mileage was rejected
by Speaker Coombs upon the ground that
he did not consider it correct. The
second-that for the attaches-was ap-
proved by him, and thereupon warrants
were issued by the Controller in favor OF
all those on the roll. 1t goes without say
ing that in this proceeding | had abso-
lutely no part.
"At the proper time | shall vindicate
myself The committee that requested
my resignation was composed of three
Republicans, two of whom had appoint
ments made for them on the temporary
roll at their special request. The caucus
at which it decided to request my resigna-
tion was held behind closed doors, and |
was not aware that it was being held nor
OF the nature of the charges against me, if
any were preferred.
II stated 10 the committee when it
called on me that / would give my answer
tomorrow, the subject being of too grave
Importance to be disposed cf without
serious consideration. When the caucus
was held goodly number of my friends
were absent.
ssWith regard to the clause that six or
seven of the attaches were not i'll Sacra-
mento at all, wish to say that had no
means OF knowing whether they were
present or absent. They were appointed
by me at the request of members and /