The record-union., 1899-01-21
IN THE ASSEMBLY.

IN THE ASSEMBLY.
Owing to Gastric Disturbance.
Green Does Not Appear.
Speaker Wright opened the Assembly
at 10 a. m. yesterday.
Pierce of Yolo was granted leave OF
absence by reason of sickness in his
family.
81 COMMITTEE REPORTS.
Judiciary-A. B. 1913, amending the
Political Code, that 1t be referred te
Committee on Education. So ordered
A. BIS 80, 132 and 149, that they dc
pass as amended in committee.
Federal Relations-A. C. R. 5 and A
C. r. 6, both relating to the Nicaragua
Canal, We're reported back without rec
ommendation; S. J. r. 6, for the pro-
motion of shipbuilding on the Pacific
Coast, favorably; A. ]. r. 3, for the
completion of the jetty in San Diego
Bay, favorably; A. j. R. 6, to make
a leper colony on the island of Mo-
lokai, favorably.
A MORNING BREEZE.
At the close of the reading of the
report Of the Judiciary Committee Mel
lick of the Committee on Investigation
rose and asked permission to make a
personal statement as member of the
committee for the investigation Of al
legged unlawful methods and bribery in
the matter of the election of United
States Senator Permission was
granted.
The Speaker here said that if Mellick
was going to refer to the investigation
he desired to call the Speaker Pro Tenn
to the Chair.
WON'T BE A BUFFER.
Anderson, according, took the Chair
and Mellick proceeded to say that, as
the investigations of the committee
had taken a wide scope he, personally,
speaking not for the other members,
but for himself, desired at least two
members added to the committee. one
to be a member now voting for U. S.
Grant and one to be a member now
voting for D. NJ. Burns. Mellick called
attention to the fact that since La
'Baree had changed his vote to BuDa
there were three Bulla men on the
committee. This, he claimed, resulted
in much unfair criticism and odium,
strued and misinterpreted. TT seems
to me unfair said Mellick, that we
should bear the brunt 1 am tired of
being the buffer between two cars on
this trip
On being asked if he desired to offer
resolution on the subject or make a
motion out of order, Mellick said he
preferred not to do that himself-he
wished some one else to do it.
COMMITTEE CRITICISED.
AT this point Conrey of Los Angeles
rose and introduced the following res
olution out of order:
Resolved, That the Committee on In
vestigation, appointed by resolution
adopted on the 10th day of January.
1899, be and the same is hereby in
etructed as to the order Of it's proceed
ure, as follows:
First-Said committee shall first CON-
plete and make final report to the AS
sembly concerning its Investigations OF
the matters directly and specifically in
volved in the original charges which
led to the appointment of the commit
tee
Second-The committee shall formu-
>
that shall have developed in the COURSE
of its investigation of said matters first
submitted to it, and which said COM
mittee shall deem worthy of further at
tention. and the committee shall there
upon call for the further orders of the
Assembly concerning the investigation
by it of such additional charges; and
be it further
Resolved, That said committee in its
Investigations shall not take into con.
sideration testimony in the nature Of
irresponsible rumor.
Speaking to his motion to adopt the
resolution, Conrey said he had no desire
to restrict the scope of the action of ths
committee, but merely to make it.
mode of procedure more orderly. If thai
committee continued, as at present, te
run down every shadowy rumor an6
call as witness every person who
claimed to have heard rumor concern.
ing any member or any candidate fol
the Senatorship they would be still sit
ting on the 31st of December, 1899
1--WE are here" he said, las members o.
the Assembly, to legislate and not t.
investigate, and our work is hinderet
seriously by this delay. Besides, ths
listening to every baseless rumor tina
affects the name of any member OF thi:
Assembly. smirches whoever is placed
s.nder suspicion, no matter how uprigh
he may be. I propose, If possible, tina
those of us who are entitled to goot
reputation shall have it and shall tak'
it home with us, and believe that IN
cludes the greater number of the mem
bsrs of this Legislature. l believe tn
majority are honest men. l move tns
adoption of the resolution"
JOHNSON HAS FAITH.
Johnson said he hoped the resolution
would not prevail. He had faith in th'
committee and so far as he had heart
they have not appeared here to ask To-
instructions from the House or for
limit to the scope of their investigation
Let them investigate every rumor ant
every charge, no matter who 1t migh
affect, and, if necessary, let them 81
ali the legislative session and right OF
after that The only hope OF TIL:
commonwealth" Johnson said, lis IN al
tncorruptible government, and If thi'
committee can discover who is to blame
in this matter / am for enlarg1n&
rather than for limiting their scope
works supported Johnson's view
valentine said he should vote asaans
ne resolutions as they stood, but ~