The record-union., 1897-02-06

81 900 denomination instead of S1OO. 1t
was estimated by Engineer Holmes
that the cost of construction would ag-
gregate $1,000,000, and upon that es
innate the number of bonds to be is
sued was placed at 900.
AS the wall could not be completed
mined to make all bonds sold payable
twenty years after the date OF issue, in
gold coin and bearing interest at the
rate of Il per cent. per annum. En-
money annually expended for repairs
upon the present wharfs would pay the
interest on the proposed bonds. 1t
was finally determined to report the
bill favorably.
THE CONTEMPT LAW.
There was introduced in the Assem-
PrislI, a proposed amendment to Sec
ton 8, of Article l., of the Constitution
of the State of California, introducing
into such section the following SEN
tence:
No speech or publication rejecting
upon, or concerning any court, or any
officer thereof shall be treated or pun
ished as a contempt of court, unless
made in the immediate presence of such
court while in session, and in such a
manner as to actually interfere with
its proceedings"
This is a proposition to put into the
Constitution the present statute known
as the Barry contempt law of 1891,
which was declared unconstitutional by
Judge Catlin of this county, but which
Supreme Court.
A BATTLE OF BILLS.
It was a very neat little battle-look-
ed at from the outside-which was
waged in the Assembly yesterday, and
was really an all-day fight, with two
principal engagements, one in the
morning and the other just at the close
of the afternoon session.
Those two old war-horses-Cutter
and Dibble-were in command. Cutters
forces were the men of the mountain
and valley, to whose hearts the great
companion bills, the dams and
dredger' measures, are most dear.
Dibble led or thought he did, the San
Francisco delega ton and a squad of
Southrons, but during the day there
was a good detection from the ranks,
and when night fell the fortunes OF
war left him with hardly a corporaIs
guard Dibble would not recognize de-
feat, however, and his motion to re-
consider was a signal for hostilities to
reopen tomorrow.
The first engagement in the morning
was a repulse for the mountain men
under Lieutenant Seward. His bill, 50,
to reappropriate $3.50, 600 for restrain
ing dams for mining debris, and the
appointment of a Debris Commission
er, had a fine place on the special or
der file beside its companion, Sims
3O4. appropriating $4,000 for dredg
ers. 1t was about to be read the sec
ond time, when little pencil mark
attracted the Clerks eye and he called
the Speakers attention to it. The
Speaker regarded it as a mutilation of
the bill and was valorously supported
in this opinion by Dibble. Seward ex-
planned it was mere mark to guide
the Clerk in reading, and tried to get
permission to erase 1t or ignore it, and
Cutter came to his assistance with a
fighting force. but the Speaker s ruling
was too much for them, and Seward
experienced the humiliation of seeing
his bill killed before his eyes. and he
was ordered to go back to committe for
a substitute. The repulsed party was
sore and Dibble was jubilant.
The next move was when Sims bill,
304, for the dredgers, had gotten safe
ly through the Committee of the Whole
and Gutter moved to make it a special
order for Thursday. Dibble jumped on
this proposition and fought it desper-
ately. The were roll calls galore and
d call of the House when sixty-nine
II embers were present or accounted
for"-some being in committees-and
Cutter got his motion through by the
close call of 81 10 81
Cutter was temporarily triumphant,
but wary. and Dibble knew there was
blood in his eye SO when a very pet
measure of Dibbles-that to increase
the salaries of the San Francisco Su-
perior Judges-appeared on the third
reading file in the afternoon. Dibble
knew he had his work cut out and
fought hard to get his bill passed on
file. so putting off the thing until every
body was more peaceable. But the
rousing negative to his motion showed
him the fight was on. He tried the
hlibustering motion to adjourn" and
demanded a roll call on his motion, but
was repulsed with great loss. When
he found the bill must take its chances
on final passage he defended il gallant
ly. but his cause was lost, and he went
into camp for the ngiht with only
eighteen men. while Cutters forces
numbered forty-two.
CAMINETTTS IDEA
Caminetti. who possesses the courage
of his convictions on all occasions. has
evolved a novel idea. which he CON
tends is practical. feasible and a
much needed departure from existing
methods He has PIT it into the shape
- u .,rns-i1,tin,1al amendment aud in