The San Francisco call., 1899-02-11
EVIDENCES OF HASTE
IN. THE SENATE
Members Are Anxious TO Hurry
Up the Most Important
Matters,
HEAnOuARTERS G

CALL HEADQUARTERS SACRA-
MENTO, Feb. 10.-The Senate is showing
a desire to hurry matters a little. The
end of the session is approaching faster
than the bills are being considered and
passed upon. The first symptoms of haste
appeared, to-day, when Senator Smith
produced a resolution providing for night
sessions of the Senate, and another symp-
tom showed itself to-day in the resolu-
tion by Smith of Kern to form an urgency
file and later in a discussion precipitated
by Boyce of Santa Barbara, when he
asked to withdraw one of his bills on the
second reading file and substitute another
one farther down on the same file.
Senator's Smiths resolution to form an
urgency file was referred to the Commit
tee on Rules. 1t provided that next Tues
day morning each member of the Senate
should be allowed to name one bill to be
placed on the urgency file, which would
insure its early consideration.
The consideration of the second reading
file was then taken up, and when it had
proceeded as far as Senator Boyces bill
No. 1856, Senator Boyce rose and asked to
be allowed to withdraw that bill and put
in its place on the file his bill numbered
SO, over one hundred numbers farther
down the second reading file.
Senator Rowell objected. He did not
want bills jumped around the file unless
the one substituted was of a nature SINH
lar to the one withdrawn. Boyce,. in an
swer, declared every Senator had a right
to the place of bill on the file, and
should he wish to withdraw a bill his
right to the place allowed him to substi-
tute another bill on the same file
There will be great deal of business
transacted in this Legislature before the
end of the session, and it will be neces-
sary for Senators who have important
bills far down on the file that have been
unavoidably delayed to advance them in
Had
and l move that Senate bill 36 be put in
the place of Senate bill 156 on the file, and
that be permitted to withdraw number
156 1 want a rollcall on this motion and
l will abide by the decision of the SEN
ate"
Senator Leavitt supported Boyce's mo-
ton, but Luchsinger called attention to
the opportunity which such a privilege
would give for the getting of useless bills
on the file for the purpose of holding a
place: Davis did not helieve any Senator
would resort to such a subterfuge He
thought Boyce's motion a good one, for
it expedited legislation by getting rid of
one bill at the same time that an impor-
tant measure was advanced for consider
alton. He thought, however, it was wrong
to have new bill sprung suddenly on the
Senate when they had probably studied
the bills on file just ahead of the session,
for the purpose of becoming familiar with
them.
AS several Senators thought there was
something in this point Mr.. Boyce made
this formal motion to fit the case-that
any Senator may substitute one of his
own bills on the same file, provided how
ever, that the bill so substituted cannot
be passed to a vote on the same day with
out the unanimous consent of the Senate
Senator Smith had all along been trying
to catch the eye and recognition of the
chair, and just there he got his opportu-
nifty.
system of rules in force in this Senate"
he said. II object to this jumping of bills
forward on the file, and | object to the
consideration of this motion. 1t should be
all have important work to do here which
often takes us away from our seats in
the Senate, and we must have some as
surance that while we were away some one
has not jumped a bill forward on the file
and we have been deprived of the chance
to vote for or against it. l make the point
of order that TINS motion effects a change
in the rules of the Senate, and therefore
should go to the Committee on Rules be-
fore being considered here
The point of order was declared to be
well taken.
Then Senator Leavitt moved to suspend
the rules and pass Senator Boyce's mo-
ton. Davis supported the motion to sus-
pend. Suppose you had a good bill be-
it has been delayed, there ought to be
some way. to bring 1t forward for early
consideration"
Gillette thought the motion ought to go
to the committee, and then, by vote of
II ayes and % noes. Leavitts motion to
suspend the rules was lost and Boyce's
motion on substitution went to the Com
mittee on Rules.
1t will probably be fixed up to allow of
substitution. but not immediate consider
alton, and will then be reported upon fa-
yorably.
Senator Wolfe submitted two bills on
the Pacific Coast Exposition in the Senate
this afternoon, one to create a commits
sion to have charge of the exposition and