The record-union., 1897-01-28
Bill to Limit the Utility Of the
Rock k-CruSher.
Measures for Building a System Of
State Highways
Sacramento Members Of Assembly Introduce
Important BiIls-The Senate's Big
Appropriation List

It was a quiet day in the Senate yes
terday. not a ripple of excitement float
ing over the dull monotOny of commit
tee reports and introduction and read
ing of bills, until the report of the Com
rnittee on Attaches, recommending the
payment of the bill for furniture was
received.
Then Smith wanted some information
as to how so much came to be expended
for furniture for the use of committees
and what authority the Sergeant-at-
Arms had for buying so much. Simp-
son informed him that he had presented
a resolution for the purchase of neces-
sary furniture i'm order that the COM
mittees might do their work properly.
After it was adopted the Sergeant at
Arms asked him what he needed, and
he directed him what to get. The Ser
geant-at-Arms had also consulted other
Chairmen of committees, and as there
were only thirteen desks for thirty COM
untttees he thought that what had been
purchased was needed.
Other Chairmen said they had given
orders to the Sergeant-at-Arms like
wise.
Wilmington said that last session the
Senate purchased a large amount of
furniture for committees. On investiga-
tion he found that some of the State
officers had appropriated it for use in
their own offices, leaving an insufficient
supply for the Senate.
Smith said that people were always
charging the Legislature with being ex-
travagant. It had sins enough of its
own to answer for without shouldering
those OF. other people, and it was about
time this sort of thing was stopped. He
did not propose to bear the blame
while the State officers were making a
reputation by a showing of economy. If
they wanted furniture, let them buy
it out of their own contingent fund, and
not out of the Senate's.
He moved that a special committee of
three be appointed to investigate the
matter and request the State officers to
return the Senate its furniture. The
committee, consisting of Smith, Gil
lette and Dickinson. were appointed,
and the Senate viii probably have
enough furniture to last it several ses-
sfons
In the afternoon Simpnson sent to
the desk the memorial adopted by the
Fruit Growers Convention last fall, and
also one from the same source, asking
for an appropriation of $4,000 for the
State Board of Horticulture.
Dwyer offered a joint resolution, ask
ing the Representative of the State in
Congress to use all honorable means 70
procure the passage of the law confin-
ing the sale of goods manufactured by
convict labor to the State in which they
are made.
As Chapman's illness Will probably
preclude his being able to act in the
contested election cases, he yesterday
resigned from the Committee on Elec-
tions and Doty was appointed in his
place.
A resolution for the appointment of a
stenographer for the President and Sec
retary of the Senate was offered, and
the Republicans held a caucus at noon
on the subject, and appointed a COM
nittee to report on it.
A number of bills were passed
among them that OF Doty's, to allow
State Agricultural Societies to sell tht
property in their charge; Withington's
bill creating a commission to secure
uniformity of legislation in the United
States; Simpsons bill TO prevent tbs
collaboration of honey; Smiths bill Il
the Tennessee Centennial Exhibition
and Wolfe's bill for the appointment
of Commissioner to represent th'
State at the Central American Exhibi-
tion in Guatemala.
The report OF the Finance Commit
tee showed that the Senate bills up Il
No. 401 appropriate IS, 242, 800. Tht
Controllers estimates for the forty
ninth and fiftieth fiscal years amount
to SIC. 939 $50, and adding these appro-
pr'iafions and the university tax brings
the budget up TO S14 4,302, 100. A tax o.
fifty cents on the basis of the last as
eessment of the State viii only bring
So, GO. $3.50.
ROCK-CRUSHING BILL.
The Assembly Committee on Labo'
and Capital held a meeting yesterday
afternoon and considered the bill tha'
proposes to knock out the rock-crush
ing plant at Folsom.
Powers said that the committee hac
concluded that the bill was SO loosely
drawn as to be ineffective, and there
fore favored substitute prohibiting
tbe manufacture of any articles by con
vict labor except jute bags and broker
stone for country roads only.
Mead said he was opposed to limit
ing the broken stone to countr,