The herald., 1897-03-18
Sufficient to Cover Every State
Assemblyman
COMMITTEE MAKES REPORT
That Examiner Charges Were Based on
False Rumors
Timing for crooksdnsss In the Coyote Bounty
BIZ Not Expected 70 Psy Divi-
dends Bills Passed

standing the absence OF several senators
and assemblymen at Carson. both bod
les were kept busy today passing pilis
Valentines bicycle bill, which the gov
ernor vetoed, was taken up, amended
and probably will pass. 1t proposes to
allow the construction Of bicycle pain
from Pasadena to Santa Monica, via
Los Angeles.
The committee to investigate charges
against Prohibition Candidate for GOV"
ernor French as made In recent veto
message fully published in The Herald.
today received a telegram from French
as follows:
SAN JOSE, March T.-Price, chair
man of committee, Sacramento: Have
this minute read in the morning papers
that have been requested to appear be-
fore the legislature and failed to ap-
pears Up to this time have received
no intimation that / was to be given
the privilege of a hearing, although
returned from San Francisco yesterday,
and have been at my home ever since.
Courting the fullest investigation into
my actions In doing my duty as trus-
tee of the state normal school at san
Jose, await your command.
"HENRY FRENCH"
Chairman Price says French Will be
sent for at once. French wrote letters
to Secretary Brandon of the senate and
state Printer A. j. Johnson. asking them
to blockade the state normal school bills
The governor finally decided to sign
the dredger bill today, appropriating
$500, 900 to dredge the Sacramento river.
He also finally decided to veto the Dill
removing the girls from Whittier to
Santa Clara. He considers that the
people of the latter town have acted
in bad faith in the matter, and declares
he will have them removed to Glen Ell
len next session.
In the Examiner charges of bribery
the committee this morning submitted
the following report:
Mr.. Speaker: Your committee, ap-
pointed to investigate the charges Of
bribery made by the Examiner Of San
Francisco against members Of the as
sembly beg leave to submit the following
report:
The committee met Thursday, March
2, at 2:15 p. M, and organized by electing
Mr.. Belshaw chairman. Garrett Nc
Enerney appeared as counsel for the
Examiner. and at his request the COM
mittee adjourned to Thursday, March 4.
at p. m. Since that time the labors
of the committee have been incessant
up to the present We have examined
under oath over 100 witnesses, includ-
ing every member Of the assembly.
The investigations has been most thor
ough, but the committee has been una
BILE to find the slightest evidence to sub
stantiate the charges made by the Ex-
aminer. Your committee invited the
Examiner people to assist In the inves-
tigation. but they. acting under the ad
vice of their attorneys. positively re-
fused to divulge the information, IL any
they had, upon which the charges were
made. and the committee was forced to
proceed with the investigation as best
1t could, without the information which
the Examiner claims to have had, but
refused to disclose. With the exception
of three or four witnesses, we have been
unable even to bring out rumors rela-
tive to the matter. and were unable to
trace these rumors to any authoritative
source. Therefore. your committee is
unanimously OF the opinion that the ar
ticle printed in the Examiner Of Febru-
ary 27, 1897. headed Bribery in Aid of
Thievery," was based entirely upon ru-
mors and not upon facts, and we be-
lieve every member Of the assembly Is
innocent Of the offense charged.
While we believe that 1t is the prov
ince of every newspaper to make public
all manner Of corrupt actions by public
men, we further believe that 1t should
ascertain for a certainty the facts of
the case, and not blacken the reputation
of any man or body Of men upon Idle
rumors.
The committee on conference in rela-
ton to the county government act has
been in session all day, and will report
tomorrow.
The senate has passed the general ap-
preparation bill, and the amounts appro-
priated for public institutions were not
changed
The bill to abolish the code commits
sion was killed in the assembly today
and the commission will be continued.
The Examiner men, Lawrence and
4@criuBSs hdNc disappeared, anu the Bnef-
If of Sacramento is looking everywhere
for them. Their bond simply covered
their appearance before the supreme
court, and when they appeared at the
morning session Of that body Tuesday, 1t
was complied with. There IL likely to
be more trouble over the matter, as the
senators declare the sheriff derelict in
his duty, especially as he went to Carson
instead OF staying here and attending
to business.
There is some talk OF the sessions
continuing next week for several days,
though the majority Of both houses are
anxious to adjourn on Saturday, as
agreed upon. The committee Is busily
Investigating the Examiners charges Of
boodling in connection with the coyote
scalp bounty bill, but the investigation
is likely to prove as abortive as the 9TH
ers which have preceded 1t.
FRAsIER.