The San Francisco call., 1899-02-09
WOULD EXCLUDE
ALIENS FROM
PUBLIC WORKS
Kenneally Stirs Up a
Hornets Nest.
HIS BILL Y uP FOR DEBATE
MORE STRINGENT THAN ANY
PROPOSED FEDERAL LAW.
HIS BILL up FOR DEBATE
johnson and Belshaw Indulge in an
Interesting Bout During the
Discussion-The Sea-
wall Bill.

+ CALL HEADQUARTERS, SACRA-
MENTO, Feb. S.-Americanism was given
vent to in all its variety this afternoon in
the Assembly chamber, and not a little
personal spite was dragged into the pro-
ceedings and allowed to blaze unchecked
for time. The promoters of the after
moons enjoyment were Belshaw,s Johnson,
Fairweather and Kenneally. Johnson and
Beshaw mixed things in no mild manner;
Fairweather mixed it with them both,
and Kenneally, whose bill precipitated
the row, made it his especial business to
keep things stirred up for as long as
either of the contestants had a punch left
IN him.
Assembly bill 1893 was the cause of it all.
It was introduced on the 21st of last
month by Mr.. Kenneally, who really did
not know at the time how heavily it was
loaded. In fact. Mr.. KennealIy did not find
out until to-day, and then he learned,
through listening to much glittering ora
tory on the subject, that his measure, If
passed. would bind the State of California
to an anti-immigration policy more radi-
cal than anything in that line that has
been attempted by the Federal Govern
ment A
In substance it provides that no person
shall be employed upon any public works
being prosecuted by any city, city and
county, county or the State itself who is
not either a natiye-born Californian or
naturalized citizen. In other words, Mr.
henneally's bill is designed to give the
man who lives in the State and partici-
pates in its running expenses preference
over the forelgn-born and unnaturalized
laborer. who has no other interest in the
State than the days wage he can get out
of it.
Mr.. johnson explained the bill for Mr.
henneally When IL came up on the file,
ana an ne got a rise out of Assemblyman
talrWeather or Fresno, who championed
the cause of the foreigner to a finish
He said the foreigners might not partici-
pate TO SO large an extent in tkS State
taxation as the native born but no one
could deny that when there was war on
hand or the country was menaced that
these same foreigners came to the front
IN the country,s defense as quickly as
any one else. Mr.. Fairweather found a
SECOND IN Assemblyman Belshaw, who got
into the debate with some heat He SAID
the bill was vicious and un-American, and
that If the people of California did not
want to give the worthy foreigner a
chance to earn his living after he got
here they should not invite him with
repeated that the bill was vicious and un-
American, and Johnson got up to resent
the imputation. Said he:
L do not understand why the gentleman
Americanism with mine. 1T is not perti-
nent to the question, and II that is what
L a
hall and charge 81 admission. We might
make some money, and we would GER
tainly provide some amusement 1 deny
that this bill is either un-American or vi
cious. 1t simply aims to give the native
born or naturalized citizen chance to
work without suffering from the competi-
ton of the class of foreign labor that is
overrunning this country. 1t is high time
that some such law was enacted. I con-
slider. this good one and hope it will
pass"
pleasing to Mr.. Belshaw, and he at
tempted to get the floor to retort, but the
privilege was gwen to Dibble, who got up
TO warmly second the measure He said
he did not see why a distinction should
be made between the man who labors for
his living and the man who holds pub
public crib and eats the States taxes
should be citizen of the State, whether
he sits in public office or works on a
lie officers were citizens of the the countrv. col
He said that arrival at Castle Garden,
New York, was ample reason for appoint
as the State allowed immigrants to come
in It should give them a chance to earn
a living.
Belshaw got his chance here. He was
still considering the hall proposition, and
he had a score held over from earlier
days to settle with Johnson. He climbed
down from the desk upon which he was
perched and said:
Mr.. Speaker. the proposition of the
gentleman from SACRAMENTO to hire hall
Wongg Us ggo6d oW f5en ne
with the fact these last few days that
there is altogether too much Johnson on
the floor of this Assembly. The gentle,
year or so in Congress he is the man
ager. of this House, and that every man
on the floor of the Assembly is bound to
not bend the knee to him on any PROPOSE
ton. say that this bill is vicious, al.
though t., do beieye in in the restriction of
ment should draft bill to stop 1t l would
vote for it if | had that privilege"
Then johnson got back at Belshaw
again and read him a paternal lecture
that did not seem to set well on the Con-
ira Costans digestive apparatus. Some
thing was due at this time from Ken
neatly, who had contented himself with
stirring up the Johnson oratory, and he
got up to vouchsafe the information that
"some of these fellows that come in here
to work could not be dragged into citizen
ship with hawser fastened on to a tug
boat" His speech was received with ap-
plause, and Assemblyman Brown of San
Mateo arose to offer an amendment to the
bill which exempted from It's provisions
honorably discharged soldiers and sailors
whether they were citizens or not. In
speaking in favor of the amendment.
Dibble took occasion to explain to Mr..
Fairweather, who interrupted him, that
when foreigners serve this country in the
army or navy the honorable discharges
made them citizens at once, no matter
how long they had lived in the country
Then the amendment of Mr.. Brown was
made the question, and it was adopted,
and Kenneallys bill, instead of being
passed, was sent back to the printer
Senator Braunhart's seawall bill was
another matter Of considerable discussion.
1t was passed yesterday in the Senate,
and came up to-day for second reading in
the Assembly.
Valentine, chairman of the Ways and
Means Committee, wanted the bill con-
signed to that committee, but Dibble
strongly objected. He said it was an un-
heard-of thing in parliamentary law to
deny bill carrying a favorable recon-
mendation it's second reading. Valentine
insisted upon his suggestion and the bill
was finally referred. Senator Braunhart
says it was done only as a matter of reg
ular procedure and that he expects no
opposition.
The establishing of the true line between
Mendocino and Trinity counties proved
TO be burning question. Mr.. Sanford
file which fixed the line at the 40th degree
of Trinity denied that the surveyor who
last laid out the line had got the circle
IN the right place. In fact; he claimed,
through Grove l.. Johnson, that the sur
veyor, one Rice, had got the lire two
miles further south. Mr.. Johnson thought
that surveyor who could daily with lat
ftude and longitude to the extent of set
ting the line two miles of its beat should
- c.- III rr<@&A 80 4