The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-03-16

LIS TIE Assembly uiu, anu tue I'M "eio
sent to the Senate Enrolling Committee
and from that body to the Governors
office. Here it was found that the record
of the Assembly's recession from its
amendments had never been made on
the bill. The rest of its history, to-
gether with some very suggestive dis
patches and letter are found in the
message given herewith
STORY OF THE BILL.
Executive Department, State of Cali
fornia
To the Honorable, the Legislature of
the State of Observation-Disclosures On
February 18th, by vote of % to 1, Sem
ate Bill No. 494 was passed by the Sen
ate On March 4th, upon it's considera-
ton by the Assembly it was amended.
and on March Sth, by vote of 10 to D
1t passed that body as amended. On
March 9th, by vote of 20 to the SEN
ate refused to concur in the Assembly
amendments and on March 18th, by a
vote of Al to Z the Assembly receded
therefrom. The bill was returned from
the House to the Senate and ordered to
enrolment. On March 18th, what pur-
ported to be Senate Bill No. 494 was
handed to the presiding officers and
Chief Clerks of your two bodies as duly
enrolled. and therefore was by them ecr-
titled to me. The document certified to me,
however, was not Senate Bill No. 494 as
1t passed, but contained provisions not
contained in the true bill, and had it
been approved as certified to me the re-
suit would have been that the bill as
passed would have been killed.
This fact being brought to the atten-
ton of the proper officers, a second
document purporting to be the said Sem
ate bill was transmitted to this office but
not accepted as it was found not to be
Senate Bill No 494 as it passed was
properly delivered to this office.
In view of these facts, and of certain
communications which / transmit to
you, / desire to recommend that your
honorable bodies, under a suspension of
the rules, pass a bill making it a felony,
with the severest penalty, for any per-
son to directly or indirectly write, tele-
graph, telephone or in any manner ap-
proach one of the officials through whose
hands bill must pass, requesting that
official to blockade that bill, or to use
his position to kill the same, or to take
any part for or against any measure be-
fore the Legislature. The Legislature
itself, which passes all bills, is the
proper body to which appeals should be
made, and if appeals are permitted to
be made to the clerks of said bodies or
persons who may control or be employed
in the printing of bills, that bill be
"a
may be introduced unknown to the laws
for the defeating of measures after their
passage.
1t is now felony to alter bill 1t
should be a felony for any clerk or en-
ploye of your honorable bodies to lobby
for a bill or for any person to suggest
that they in any manner take part in
legislative proceedings-other than in
the proper discharge of their duties.
Had the bill in question been deliv-
cred later in the session or the blum
der remained undiscovered, even the
signature of the Governor would not
have made law of the measure which
your honora BILE bodies SO almost unan-
imously passed. The change of word
or phrase in the printing of bill may
under our Constitution blockade and
kill it.
On March Sd Henry French of San
Jose telegraphed to the State Printer
as follows:
San Jose, Cal, March 3. 1897
"A j. Johnston (PersonaD, State
Printer, Sacramento-Blocka Assem-
bly, bill GSS and Senate bill 1914 until my
letter reaches you.
HENRY FRENCH"
On the same day he sent an identical
telegram TO Mr.. Brandon, Chief Clerk
of the Senate. Neither of these gentle
men, however. complied with his re
quest or blockaded the bill. There
after Mr. Johnston, superintendent Of
State Printing, received from Mr.
French the following letter:
San Jose, Cal. March ). 1897.
"A J. Johnston, State Printer, Sac
ramento. Cal.-My Dear Sir: / want to
write you a line in strict confidence and
ask your assistance in killing Budd's
pet bill before the Legislature. Assem-
bly, bin 6SS and Senate bill 494 [ am
just in receipt of letter from Narco.
the enrolling clerk Of the Assembly,
who assures me ] can count on your
cheerful cooperation. You will prob
horses that left my business and spent
a week in Sacramento, at my own ex-
pense, in the last Legislature to kill
No. 90, and did not return home until
the flowers withered from the funeral
ceremonies
You will perceive that Assembly bill
6SS and Senate bill 494 are Identical,
and the hope is If the one is killed the
other will go through.
Il know you have sufficient conf
dence in my integrity and loyalty TO the
taxpayers Of this State to know that if
j was not thoroughly confident of their
vicious nature that / would be engaged
in securing their passage instead of their
defeat. l know you are in position
to kill these bills and | am backed by
influential friends OF yours in asking
you to do So and if you ever want any
thing from Santa Clara County. kindly
communicate with yours. respectfully,
HENRY FRENCH
See Frank Brandon-I think he viii
do anything he can confidentially."
Frank Brandon. Chief Clerk of the
Senate, received from Mr.. French the
following letter:
Frank Brandon, Chief Clerk of the
Senate, State Capitol. Systematically
Dear Friend: L want to write you in
strict confidence and invoke your as
sistance in killing Assembly bill 6SS
and Senate bill 494 / have discovered
a rotten scheme that lies behind these
THE