The San Francisco call., 1897-01-22
with its own heading. All other candi-
dates will be worded "Independent."
GENERAL LEGISLATION.
Some Important Bills to amend the Er-
isfing Ldscs.

Some Important Bills to amend the Er-
i.fing Lacs.
SACRAMENTO, CAL, Jan. 2L-A bill
has been introduced in the Assembly au-
thorizing Supervisors to provide for The
use of voting machines patented by the
United States. A clause of the bill pro-
vides that there shall be placed over the
name. or on the margin beside the name
OF each nominee, in such q position as
shall not interfere with the name or num-
Der, distinctive party design, EN- biem or
device, so that the voter shall be able to
see OF which political party each person is
| candidate. All such devices shall be
distinguished from each other by distinct
i've colors. The bill describes tile ma
chine 10 be adopted, that is, it must regis
ter, record and count all votes for each
candidate or question to be balloted upon,
as follows:
Register compartments: The closed portion
OF the rear OF the machine containing the au-
tomatlc, mechanical counters or tapes, one
counter or tape for each nominee, and two for
each question to be voted upon, respectively
marked "for'' and against"
Register tapes or mechanical counters: The
separating registering counters or tapes in the
register compartment
Key levers or push rods: The levers or rods
which rise in two or more rows in line with
the names and numbers of the nominees, or
questions marked on the ballot, each lever or
roo being mum bered consecutively, beginning
with No. l, to correspond with the number on
the ballot.
Record sheet: A sheet in the closed part of
each ballot machine locs ted under the key
levers or push rods which records the votes
cast for each person or question to be voted
upon.
Ballots: The tabulated lists of officers and
nominees respectively therefor, grouped and
key In the same line, and succinct statements
OIL constitutional amendments, questions or
propositions submitted arranged in pairs, sue
cessiyely captioned 'for'' and "against," +"
printed on cardboard or heavy paper, and of
dlmensions, colors and types as hereinafter
speclhed, to be placed within the ballot frame,
which is set in view within the inclosed part
OF the case, beside the keyboard of the ma
chine Copies of the ballot must be also posted
at the polls and given to the election officers
OF each precinct as in the act described.
instruction cards: The directions as to
method and manner of voting and concise
statement of the penal provisions contained
IN the statutes relating to elections to be
posted at the polls.
HIPS Assembly bill 367 amends the law
relating to the assessment OF property
and the assess ment of taxes. It reads as
follows:
If any person, after demand made by the
Assessor. negIects or refuses to give under
oath the statement herein provided for, or to
title, the Assessor must note the refusal on the
aSsessmen t-book opposite his name and must
make an estimate oil the value OF the property
Of such person; and the value so fixed by the
Assessor must not be reduced by the Board of
Supervisors. The demand mentioned in this
section may be made by publication for one
week in a newspaper of general circulation
published in the county, and said demand is
deemed complete at the expiration of said
publication. The Assessor is not obliged to
receive any such statement after the expira-
tion of one week after such publication.
The Assessor must collect the taxes when in
his opinion said taxes are not lien upon real
property sufficient to secure the payment of
taxes.
Amendments of much Importance pro-
viding that persons in certain relations to
parties are prohibited from testlfying are
EN- bodied in Americas Assembly bill, No.
353. The bill is ss follows:
There are particular relations in which it Is
the policy of the law to encourage confidence
and to preserve itinviolate; therefore. a per-
son cannot be examined as witness in the
following cases:
A husband cannot be examined for or
against his wife without her consent; nor a
wife for or against her husband without his
consent; nor can either, during the marriage
or afterward, be, without the consent of the
other, examined as to any communication
made by one to the other during the mar
riage, but this exception does not apply to
civil action or proceeding by one against the
other, nor to q criminal action or proceeding
for crime committed by one against the
other.
An attorney cannot without the consent OF
his client be examined as to any commun1ca-
ton made by the client to him or his advice
given thereon in the course of professional
employment.
A clergyman or priest cannot without the
consent of the person making the confession
be examined as to any confession made to him
in his professional character in the course of
discipline enjoined by the church to which he
belongs.
A licensed physician or surgeon cannot
without the consent of his patient be exam
ined in civil action as to any information
acquired IN attending the patient which was
necessary to enable him 10 prescribe or act for
the patient; provided, that the provisions
hereof sb all not apply TO any physician who is
called as a witness On the trial of any viii con-
test, and that in such case an attending
physician may be examined and testify fully
as 10 the men al condition OF the decedent.
public officer cannot be examined as to
comm untcations made to him in official con fl
dence when public interests would suffer by
the disclosure.
Dibbles Assembly bill 374 authorizes
Boards of Health to issue subpenas and
compel attendance of witnesses before them
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