The record-union., 1897-01-24

| At the Capitol the quiet of Saturday
was in strong contrast with the turmoil
week
The go members of the Assembly,
for whom adjournment was SO ardently
urged on Friday, had gone home and
had left the rest in possession of a
peaceful house, with an opportunity for
retrospection, introspection and good re-
solves for the future
To-day there will be a pleasant trip to
Folsom at the hospitable behest of the
Board of State Prison Directors. A
goodly number of legislators will avail
themselves of the invitation. No per-
son but those who have received tickets
and invitations will be taken on the
train.
In the case of Chief Clerk Duckworth
there We're no further developments yes
terday. Mr.. Duckworth was confined
to his room and received no visitors.
The Speaker will announce tomorrow
the special committee of seven, who will
investigate the whole matter of the at
fully decided on yesterday.
During the afternoon yesterday some
notes were gathered from desultory con-
versation with various members of the
| Assembly; they are given herewith:
NOT CODE, BUT CUSTOM.
Speaker Coombs, in a little talk con-
corning the very deplorable but I'M
avoidable' condition Of the attaches af-
fair, said that it was a case where a
abuse, and while the existing law GER
tainly did not sanction either custom or
abuse in terms, yet the necessity of leg
islation which should strictly define the
rules for the organization of the Legis-
lature, and which should definitely re-
strict the number of officers and at
Members have already recognized the
truth of what the Speaker says. They
realize that the failure Of the code to be
specific in it's verbal structure left the
bars down" and that the innovations,
which have increased with every SEES
sion, have reached the point of criminal
eytrava otapca
RESTRICTIVE MEASURES.
This has resulted in the introduction
shaw's 40, Chynoweth's 254, and Hart
Norths 313-all of them intended to pre-
vent the recurrence of the existing trou-
BILE
All of these were referred to the
Committee on Commissions, Re-
trenchment and Public Expenditures;
Chynoweth's has been reported back
favorably and is ON first reading file.
Belshaw's will be reported tomorrow
with recommendation to pass, as
amended in committee. North's is still
with the committee.
A COMPREHE NSIVE MEASURE.
Belshaws bill, as it now stands,
will, it is claimed, make a saving over
the present daily expenses of 81 900.
All clerks and employees, including COM
mittee clerks, are to be elected by the
house in which they are to serve. In
fon he h IN ho
sonal patronage of legislators to a
minimum, If not to a minus quantity.
The reduction provided for is in the
number rather than in the salaries of
there also. There was no desire to i'm
pair the efficiency of the working of the
Legislature by parsimoniouS reStric-
tons. so Hill of the Retrenchment Com
mittee, who greatly favors this bill, de-
clares, but it is his belief that the work
now done by the present immense force
would be easily performed by the force
specified in this measure. Committee
clerks would be expected to combine
several of the less important commit
tees, while the larger ones would retain
their full quota 1t is well known that
many committee clerks. under the pres
emf system, have many days at a time
when they have not a penstroke of
duty to perform. The bill makes an
average of about two and one-half COM
mittees per clerk.
In this bill the organization of the
Legislature is provided for in the fol-
lowing amendment to Section 237 of the
Political Code:
The Secretary of the Senate and the
Assistant Secretaries, the Clerk of the
Assembly and the Assistant Clerks, the
Minute Clerk. and one assistant of each
house, the Sergeant at Arms and the
Assistant Sergeant alarms of each
house, the Postmistress. but not her as
sistant, of each house, three Gatekeep-
ers of each house. and three Pages Of
each house, all excepting the Sergeant
alarms. to be specified by the Secre-
tary and Clerk for any session. shall,
at the next succeeding session of the
Legislature, perform the duties of their
~