The record-union., 1899-02-11
GOVERNORS OPINION.
OF Newspaper Claims for Advertise
ing Amendments.

The last event of yesterdays session
of-the Assembly was the reception and
reading of a message from the Gov
ernor conveying to the Assembly his
opinion concerning the claims Of va
rious newspapers of the State for the
advertising of the Constitutional
amendments, prior to the last general
election.
The full text of the message follows:
Executive Department, State OF can
fornia. Sacramento. Feb. 10, 1899.
To the Assembly of the State of Cal
ffornia: / have the honor to state 10
your honorable body that claims nave
been presented to the Board of Exam
liners by numerous newspapers for var1-
Gus sums of money for the publication
of the Constitutional amendments, sub
mitted to the people of California at the
last general election, some of which are
as follows:
San Francisco Call" $4,000; "Ex-
aminer," 81, ,1704S; Chronicle" S3,4oO;
california Democrat" S2,5OO; Herald
Publishing Co., San Jose, Sl,l6O san
Diego vidette Publishing Co.. $1,000;
sL'Italia,' 50. 100; San Francisco RE
port" 50. 500: Argus Publishing Co.,
Alameda, S1O00; Mercury Publishing
and Printing Co.. San Jose, Sl.OUU; sac
ramento Bee 81, 164.63; Tribune Pub
fishing Co, Oakland, $3.50; San Fran
cisco sAbend-Post." $1,000; San Fran
cisco Evening Post" $500, and other
newspaper claims in different sums, in
all aggregating upwards OF S69,ooo
Those claims have all been disallowed
by the Board of Examiners because,
among other reasons, in the opinion or
the board. they were not authorized py
any existing law.
Many of these claims are for publ
cations made without any authorization
therefor these claimants relying upon
the generosity of the State to pay for
the publication made. The other
claimants rely upon the fact that my
distinguished predecessor authorized
the publication. The authorizations
were made apparently under the stat
ute entitled "An Act to provide for the
submission of proposed amendments to
the Constitution of the State of Cali
fornia to the qualified electors for their
approval" approved March Z, 1883
(Statutes of 1888. page 53)
The law at the time Of the alleged arr
rangements between my predecessor
and some Of the claimants does not
seem to warrant the action taken in
that behalf.
The Act approved March Z, 1888. de-
clares 1t shall be the duty of the Gov
ernor to advertise such proposed
amendments in at least four newspa-
pers of general circulation in this State
for three months next preceding the
general election, when mo other mode
is provided by law
A he fiy,al my
ed under the Act of 1888, there was
another mode provided by law name
~ by Sections 1894 and 1895 of the
Political Code OF California, which are
as follows:
ssSection 1194-At least fifteen days
before an election to fill any public Of
fee. the County Clerk of each county
shall cause to be sent to the Chairman
of the County Committee of each or
ganized political party of each county
the nominations to Office certified to
him by the Secretary of State, and
also all those filed with the County
Clerk In all counties where a new
registration shall take place preced-
ing the next ensuing election, the Coun-
ty Clerk shall cause the name of each
voter, as enrolled, to be addressed upon
an envelope, and also the number of
the residence of said voter, or the cor
rect Postoffice address of said voter,
as the same is written on said register,
and which name and address shall be
written on the envelope at the time that
each voter is duly registered thereon
All of said envelopes shall be securely
kept by the said County Clerk, and, ten
days before election to fill any public
office, he shall cause to be folded and
placed in said envelope. for mailing,
sample ballots containing the nomina-
tions to office certified to him by the
Secretary of State, and also all those
filed with the County Clerk, each of
which shall be inclosed in said envelope.
and cause the same to be mailed in the
United States Postoffice as printed
matter. for delivery to each of said
voters. The mailing of all Of said en-
velopes containing sample ballots, as
aforesaid, shall commence at least ten
days before the time of election to fill
any public office, as aforesaid, and
continue SO that all of said envelopes
containing said sample ballots shall
have been- mailed at least three whole
days. before the day of election to I'LL
any5public office, as above provided. If
a new registration does not take place
in any county preceding the next en-
suing election, the County Clerk shall
cause envelopes to be addressed to each
voter, together with the number of the
residence OF said voter. or correct POST
Office address, as the same appears upon