The record-union., 1897-02-12

the office of the State Printer, your
committee finds an apparent Irregular
ity.
From the evidence at hand and be-
cause of the limited time at its com
mand, your committee can not give an
exact reason for the existence of the
| apparent irregularity.
Your committee finds further that in
the matter of the publication OF State
documents the method is of such char
acter as tends to unnecessary eXpendi-
ture of State moneys; that the so-caHed
| Legislative Printing Account is
loosely conducted. a condition for which
| the Legislature itself is in some meas
ure responsible, because of the failure
| to heretofore enact such legislation as
would have rendered impossible the ex-
/ listing conditions. To meet these condi-
ti0nS, your committee has in the course
! of preparation measures of legislation
| which. if enacted, will serve to correct
existing methods of questionable ex-
penditures in these departments.
In view of these conditions and the
further fact that the State Printing
fund for the forty-seventh and forty
eighth fiscal years has been exhausted
since January Is. 1897, and that an
additional appropriation is needed to
complete the work in hand and rapidly
accommodating in the office of the State
Printer your committee respectfully
recommends:
FirSt-That one or more expert ac-
countants be provided for to make such
expert investiga ton of the books of the
State Printer as may be necessary to
definitely locate and account for the
apparent irregularities and Inconsistent
cieS as shown on the face of the ac-
counts of the State Printing Office for
the forty seventh and forty-eighth fis-
cal years.
Second-That the Assembly provide
for the appropriation of the moneys
needed to carry on and complete the
work of the State Printing Office for
the balance of the forty eighth fiscal
year.
w. s. Melick chairman. A. Ander-
son, j. l.. Dryden, a. l.. Foreman, J.
Burnett a. W. Hill.
Sacramento, Feb. IL. 1897.
Inasmuch as We, the undersigned.
were unavoidably absent at the time
of the exporting of the accounts of the
office of the State Printer, We do not
feel competent TO indorse an opinion
in regard to the irregularity mentioned
in the appended report. We, however,
| irdorse the recommendations of the
committee.
A w. North, George H. Burnham, F.
r. Stansell.
a LONG DEBATE.
Leavitt then opened the discussion
which proved to be a lengthy and heat
ed one-with a statement which clear
ed away and wiped out the alleged ''ir-
regularity" of 500 900 in the accounts
| of the printing office. These he had
! taken during a visit to the printing
| office in the forenoon, and the book
keeper had, at his request, taken his
cath to the statement Leavitt claimed
! that no reason existed and none had
| been proved why the appropriation OF
| so, 900 should not be made, while, on
the other hand. the greatest necessity
| existed for it to finish uto the fiscal
year, and the printing office was abso-
lutely without funds
| Dryden sustained the Governor.
though he accused the State Printer of
no crime worse than some great blum
der in the bookkeeping. He believed in
appropriating just enough to go on
| with until the matter could be investi-
gated by experts, and the discrepancy
| reconciled
Dennery made a long and well-puc
| defense of the printing office. citing
| facts and figures and showing up the
| adverse evidence in the Governors
message to prove the unreliability of
| the sources whence it was CLEANED. He
went into detail as to the present daily
work done in the office, showing the
necessity for every person employed
| there.
| Bridgford sustained the Governor.
Caminetti occupied the major part of
the afternoon with a manifesto against
the appropriation, the State Printer.
the office and everybody concerned and
sustained the Governor.
| Melick sustained the bill and tha
whole appropriation, believing it nec-
essary.
Shanahan sustained the Governor.
also Mulcrevy.
| Price made a vigorous attack on the
| Governor and stood by the bill.
| Dibble made a clear-cut statement OF
| the case which, he said, is one of ne
Cessity. The affairs in the printing Of
| flee might be investigated-that was all
| right, but the question the House is
| called on to answer is, Shall the AS
sembly close the printing office or keep
it open. The money must be had.
| Cross moved to request the Governor
and Attorney General to appear with
papers and correspondence in regard
| to the printing office, and to delay ac-
| ton on the matter in hand until to-
day Lost
Toland spoke against the bill
| The question being put, Shall the
| bill pass over the Governors veto?'
| the roll was called and the question
lost by the following vote, a two thirds
majority being necessary:
| Ayes-Anderson. Arnerich, Austin,
Bettman. Breiling. Burnham, Cana
van, Chynoweth, Clark, Cross, Gutter.
Damon, Dennery, Dibble, Ennis, FOn-
/ tana, Goff, Goodhue, Guy. Harris, Hen
ry, Hill, Hudson, Jones, Keables. Kelly.
Kenyon, Landsborough, Lindenberger,
| Malcolm, Leavitt, Melick North of AL
ameda, North of Yolo, Pohlman. Power
of Placer, Price, Robinson, Sims, Sow
ard, Stansell, Strain Valentine Vos-
burg, Waymire, Wright, Speaker
| Coombs-47
| Noes-Aldridge. Allen, Boone Bridg-
| ford, Burnett, Caminetti, Cartwright,
| Dolan, Dryden, Elliott. Emmons, Fore
man, Gately. Godfrey, Houghton, hee-
gan, Lacy, Manoney Mead, Mulcrevy.
| McCandlish. Mcclellan, McGrath Nc
Laurin, Power OF San Francisco, Ru-
| bell, Ryan, Sanford Shanahan, Toiand,
| Treacy-31.
| Leavitt changed his vote from aye
| to no, and gave notice Of motion TO