The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-03-11

law all these years and it would seem
to be wise and humane and justified
| by human experience. The amendment
proposed was that if the officer takes
up and cares for such animal it being
abandoned, suffering, sick and feeble
from neglect and unfit for labor. or If
it is being cruelty treated. and is not
in the custody of it's owner, then a. lien
| is imposed upon the animal for its care
and the expense incurred in treating it
and caring for it. 1t is also provided
by the amendment, that whoever per-
mits am animal to suffer for want of
proper care within an inclosure, as well
as ON the highway, shall be deemed an
offender against the law. The law as
it Is. is construed to permit relief to
| be given only when the crippled, sick
and suffering animal is abandoned upon
the public highway.
The objection Of the Governor to an
other section of the amendment pro-
posed is that it requires the killing Of
animals unfit by reason "of physical
condition" for usual use, because that
might apply to race and breeding
horses who have outlived their capacity
as such. True, the section might have
been more happily framed, but clearly
the intention was to provide for the
putting out Of their misery of animals
| unfit for work because of disability
from suffering, age and crippled con-
dition, and because the section has a
proviso that 1t shall not apply to IAN
| owner who keeps an old or diseased
animal belonging to him on his own
premises with proper care
Section % is objected to on the
ground that in providing for the sale
OF an animal taken under the law, and
against which lien has accrued for
its care and treatment, to satisfy lien
costs. it is worded that after the notice
required 1.-The property shall be sold,
| cor so much thereof" as is necessary
| to satisfy the lien, etc. This, it is sug-
gested, might puzzle court or Sheriff,
since it might mean selling part of a
horse, and since docking and tail snort
ening are forbidden, might refer to ex-
clusion or inclusion of the TAIL
| The words, "or so much thereof"
might well have been omitted by who
! ever drew up the amendment; at worst,
they are surplusage. The law never
imposes an impossibility or an absurd
| ity. But there might be, as the section
recites, animals held under the lien
as we'll as one animal, in which case
the words referring to the property
and objected to, do not become sur
plusage. Or with the animals might
be taken fittings, as bride, harness,
saddle. For it often happens that
abandoned or neglected animals are
taken with other property upon them,
for recovery of which the owner never
discloses himself However, as stated.
at worst the words dwelt upon by the
Governor would be surplusage. He
even SO suggests, as he indicates that
they may be "disregarded as trivial"
The final objection CT the Governor
is a repetition in part of an earlier OBJ
lection. He expresses the belief that
the bill seeks to impose all thu ex-
lenses Of trials and proceedings upon
the several counties, and to permit the
humane societies to reap the benefits
of the fines imposed without the ex-
penditure of a single dollar"
| We are informed and convinced of
the fact that no such purpose has
ever been in mind; that the fines and
forfeitures do not meet the expenses
incurred by the societies in their work,
| though careful practice of close econ
omy is the rule with them; that all
in the name of the People, being Grim
| inal cases; and finally that the socie-
ties, as is by their title and the law ex-
pressed, seek to prevent cruelty rather
than prosecute criminal cases, and that
where they have to apply punishment
| in one case they have a dozen in which
by interference, persuasion, warning and
kindly direction, feeding and sheltering
and instruction, humane treatment OF
animals is secured and the spirit of
mercy among the people promoted.
| In this county the records show that
| the fines paid to the local society
have not averaged over 500 a year,
while single cases of travel, treatment
and rescue often cost the society from
SO to $50, and in the nine years Of
| its existence it has treated over 1000
cases. Clearly, the objections of the
Governor are open to far more of criti-
cism than are the measures to which
he objects.
| The story comes from Washington
that the Russian Minister has deliv-
cred at the State Department an Off
ciaI note setting forth that. Russia
views with distrust and alarm the
growth of good feeling between Amer
lea and England, and looks upon it as
drift toward close alliance, which
Russia would consider unfriendly to
her. 1t is added that Russia proposes
very soon to give the United States
opportunity to prove the sincerity of
the longtime friendship between the
two-Russia and America We place
l.