The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-02-07
WAYS AND MEANS.
Several Measures Discussed In
COMMITTEES Last NIGHT.


preparation of $4,000 for the relief of
the daughters of Ida NJ Smith was
before the Ways and Means Commit
tee. and several gentlemen appeared in
the interest of the bill
The first one was AssembIyman Grove
L. Johnson who introduced the meas
ure. Mr.. Johnson made a statement
before the committee of his present
connection with the bill and of the &C.
casion for its Introduction. He said
that some ten days or two weeks ago
he had received a letter from George
w. Johnson of San Francisco asking
him if he would introduce the bill-one
which had failed in the Legislature of
'95-and the writer referred him to AS
sembly1nan Huber of Los Angeles, VINO
knew the history of the bill. Assembly
man Johnson said he made it rule to
introduce bills at the request of any
respectable citizen; it did not commit
him to their support. He had a talk
with Huber, who introduced the meas
ure in 80. Then" said Johnson, It
introduced the bill and for the first
time in my life the newspapers abused
me for introducing bill"
Certain papers, Johnson said, claim
ed that he had defended the man.
Smith, on his trial for murder, that he
had deserted the case when there was
no more money in it, and that he was
now expecting to get part Of the
$1,000 asked for in the bill.
Johnson denied that he was an at
torney for Smith on his trial for muir
der, but admitted that he had defend
ed him in a previous trial for robbery,
out of which the trial for murder grew.
He said he never received any money
for his services, but, on the contrary,
had loaned the widow sums of money
aggregating some $50 or $50. He
claimed no special goodness for this,
but thought it his duty as a Knight OF
Pythias, to which order Smith belong
ed, and because the widow was needy.
Giving the history of the bill, which
he substantiated by quotations from
various records, Johnson said it was
introduced into the Assembly in 1895
by Huber, referred to the Committee
on Claims, recommended to passage by
that committee, then to the Ways and
Means, where the appropriation was
cut down from $4,000 to $500, re-
ported back with recommendation to
pass as amended, and the House in
Committee of the Whole also recon-
| mended it to pass as amended. On
final passage the vote was ayes 3D. noes
81. In the Senate the Committee on
Claims recommended it to passage, but
| it died on the files. At that time,
Johnson claimed the newspapers knew
and spoke Of the bill, but not one word
was said against it.
Asked what he thought concerning
| the merits of the BILL Johnson said he
| believed the man Smith to have been
| unjustly convicted; that he was con-
victed, sentenced to be hanged and sent
| to the County Jail in Sacramento pend
| ing an appeal to the Supreme Court;
| that he was incarcerated some two
| years, when his health so failed that
he was taken to the County Hospital,
where the decision of the Supreme
| Court reached him shortly before he
died. This decision reversed that of
the lower court, and acquitted the man.
To a question as to what the claim
for money for the heirs was based on,
Johnson explained that it was on the
case of George Nelson, who was I'M
justly convicted of robbery and for
whom money was appropriated by the
Legislature.
johnson again disclaimed all connec-
ton financially with the case, and con-
Guided by saying that Sin this case as
in everything else where a newspaper.
has said anything against me it has
lied"
Valentine chairman questioned
johnson very closely as to whether he
expected or had a promise of any con-
tingent fee or any share in the $4,000
asked for, but Johnson stoutly adhered
to his statement that there was no I'M
derstanding of the sort and that he
would not take money for supporting
bill if he lived to be a million.
Belshaw of the committee asked why
the present bill called for $4,000,
when the former one had been cut down
to $3.7GO. Johnson replied because it