The San Francisco call., 1899-01-03
Gagged the Members and Tried to
Make Them Take The
Medicine.
They We're Saved From Being Talked to Death by tie
Firm Stand Of Grove johnson, Who Refused
TO Stay Muzzied.

! said: IN Behalf and in the name of the
officers concerned. the following tempo
Fary appointments are now announced:
BY Sergeant at Arms w. o. Banks, w. H.
by Chief Clerk S. J. Duck wort to be
postmaster, w: T: Hamilton; TO be gate
keepers Daniel MCFARLAND, w. S. Rey-
lander. W. ". Benchly, 6. w. McConder
u will now call the roll of members
elected, as certified by the Secretary Of
State. AS each member is called he will
please respond if he be present"
After rollcall Mr.. Duckworth said:
Gentlemen, there being. more than
quorum present and the hour having ar
rived for the members to be sworn in, a
motion would now be in order as to the
manner Z15.t in which we are going about it
~by the Secretary of State The question
now is the manner in which the members
will come up TO the desk TO have the oath
OF Office administered to them
Mr.. Dibble-I move that ten members at
a time be called and be sworn by the Su
periOr Judge in attendance.
Motion seconded and carried.
Mr.. Duckworth-I beg leave to announce
that Superior Judge +. c. H,rt Of the
county of Sacramento has been invited to
administer the oath of office to the mem
bers-elect.
Then in punches Of ten they lined up be-
fore the desk of the Speaker and the Sac
ramentO jurist administered the oath.
Then came the DuckwOrth opportunity.
Critically sizing up the sea of faces before
him as though to- find Just how far he
would be allowed 10 proceed with the eX-
preston Of the penI-up bitterness he has
so carefully nuTsed these last two years,
he began a speech from the Speaker
chair that for bald audacitv and Well-En-
eliShed cOntumely has fts emily parallel in
that other harangue of his that marked
the last session.
settled order of things began Duck
worth, I desire as your temporary pre-.
siding officer to address a'few words OF
I araI ,1or ~ i0r7 tn a Ia
people of this State represented by you
upon this floor. AS chief clerk of the As
scmbly which adjourned March 16 1925,
| presided at the opening OF the Assembly
two years ago. performing for that dis
tinCUished body the same service l am
performing now for this House My duties
then. as now. began at u o'clock, noon,
and ended at O'clock in the afternoon
of January 4, 1897. at which hour I ad-
ministered to Frank l. COombs. Speaker
of the ASsembly-elect, the constitutional
cath Of office. whereupOn he entered
upon the discharge of his duties as pre-
siding officer of the Assembly. At the
request Of many members of the House
l had handed in and read from the desk
n list Of attaches numbering 1l2 to trans
act the business Of temporary Organiza-
tion as set forth at page of the Assem-
Belshaw of Contra Costa-Mr. Chief
Clerk. n question of information.
Mr.. uckworth-Gentleman from Con-
ira Costa
Belshaw-I would like to know if it is
within the province of the chief clerk to
deliver a lecture TO this Assembly, or
whether it is his province to organize the
House as speedily as possible?
Mr.. Duckworth-In reply to the gentle
man the clerk will state that according
TO law up to 1897 it was the province of
the clerk merely to preside at the OPEN
ing of the Assembly. According to the
rules laid down by the body OF two years
ago it also becomes the duty of the chief
clerk, especially when he has been a
member Of the House before, 10 give to
the newly elected members the benefit
of a few words Of advice. and l am en-
deaVorinE to comply with that.
MclclI of Pasadena-Mr. Chief Clerk
Mr.. Duckworth-Mr. Melck.
Mr.. Mclick-l move that we do now pro-
coed to organize this House.
Mr.. DuckwOrth-Come to order Moth
ing is in order while the chair is address
ing the House upon this question.
Mr.. MeliCl5-Mr. Clerk, | appeal from
the decision of the chair
Mr.. Duckworth-Your appeal will not be
sustained. Gentlemen of the Assembly.
during the first two weeks of that session
the public prints teemed with criticisms
of the Assembly for the extravaganza
committed in the temporary organization.
On January II there was introduced a res
olution calling for information relative to