The herald., 1897-02-24
THE STATE LEGISLATURE
Avoids Sensations and Sticks
to Business
A CENSUS OF LOS ANGELES
Likely to Put the City In the First
Class
Which Result BuiIa VIII Strive to Avert.
Bills Of Special Interest to tho
Southern Section
A CENSUS OF LOS ANGELES
Special to The Herald.

Special to The Herald.
SACRAMENTO, Feb 23.-Today has
been busy day in both houses, though
devoid of all sensational features. In the
senate the most important bill to come
up was Seawelps, which proposes to al
low attaches of asylums to have charge
Of transportation of insane patients in
stead of sheriffs. This measure has al
ready received severe blows from the
| sheriffs, who are fighting it bitterly, as
is deprives them of some Of the perquis-
| ties Of their office. AS some friends Of the
| bill were not present, Sea.well allowed
| 1t to go over until tomorrow.
| Quite a discussion took place over
| abolishing the office of attorney for the
state board of health. 1t was finally
decided to abolish it after March 1. 1898.
In the assembly humber of bills were
passed, but none of great Importance.
Bulla's Torrens law is advancing we'll
on the calendar and may be reached any
day The governor has signed Kenyon's
bill to allow cities of the sixth class to
disincorporate. This measure was es-
pecially desired by Long Beach, and it
permits that community to get out of
numerous municipal entanglements.
Over dozen letters were received to-
day by Senator Androus from leading
citizens of Pomona, urging the passage
of his bill making the Office Of city attor-
| ney in cities of the fifth class appointive
instead of elective. The bill is now on
the third reading file of the senate and
Will pass in a day or two.
The governor today appointed A. s.
cooper or Santa Barbara state miner
alogist. Cooper is Marylander by birth
but has lived on this coast since 1852
and is very expert miner. He 50 i'd to
The Herald representative that he pro-
poses not only to study the minerals of
the state, but the water and Oil He
believes there are very rich deposits of
petroleum oil all over the southern por-
ton especially and he will do the best
he can to locate them. He will also make
special study of the locatio of water.
with view to boring for artesian water,
believing 1t can be discovered in many
places. like the Mojave desert, which
are now barren and desert wastes. He
hopes to make a good record for his Of
flee, aSd 1t is generally thought the gov
ernor has made wise appointment
appropriations recommended for
/ Southern California include $4,000 for
new ward building at the Highland
insane asylum; $2600 for an addition to
the laundry, and $4,000 for barn, be.
sides $4,000 for last years deficiency in
maintenance. These bills will probably
all pass. Senator Jones will do all he
can to get the appropriation for the next
two years maintenance raised, and as
otner senators are making the same kick
he will probably succeed.
The senate this morning refused to
pass VooAheis' bill to allow persons with
out direct descendants to leave all their
property to non-sectarian institutions,
the direct object of the bill being to per-
NIT Mrs. Stanford to give all her estate
10 stanford university. AS the law now
stands, she can only leave it one-third
why the Dill was defeated 1t is difficult
10 say. but 1t was, and Stanford univer-
sity VIII suffer in consequence.
me irrigation bill to replace the
wright law will be reported to the SEN
ate somewhat amended from the shane
in which it passed the assembly or
thursday, but the amendments are trif-
ing. There is some question whether
IL Will pass the senate, as considerable
opposition has developed during the la st
two days by those who wanted a retro.
active law and are disappointed be-
cause this bill only deals with the fu-
ture.
The committee which visited San Luis
Obispo to look at a. site for technical
school has prepared a report It says
the site is admirable, climate excellent
ana school needed. But, nevertheless
l fear the bill will not pass, as their is
great opposition to establishing any
new institutions this year.
The senate this evening passed on
third reading Bullas bill raising cities
of first class to those having over 200 OOn
inhabitants. The bill for taking a CEN
sus of Los Angeles so as to raise the SAL
aries of letter carriers is before the gov. J..
ernor, who will probably sign it tomor-
row. Under its provisions an official
census of Los Angeles will be immedi-
ately taken. If the town has over 1OO.-
900 inhabitants it will be officially COM
municated to the postmaster general
and then. under the law the letter car
riers will be divided into three classes,
at salaries of$1 600. $500 and $500, where
as now $500 is the highest salary paid. II
is feared by Bulla. Simpson and others
that this census may raise Los Angeles
to city of the first class, giving her ell
the laws of San Francisco, with parpe.-
ual police commissioners, park commits
sioners etc. NJ
To avoid that danger Bul.a has b.ll
to raise the population Of cifias of the
first class to 200, 900 instead of 10c 900.
The assembly committee on murici-
palities has reported adversely on a bill
similar to the Androus bill In the senate
making the office of city attorney in
cities of the first class appointive This
is the bill referred to above as likely to
pass the senate. FRASIER.