Amador ledger., 1903-02-13
SACRAMENTO LETTER.

the unexpected happens, there will
be no scandals in this legislature
unless the over appoin tment of at
taches might be called a scandal.
In fact it is conceded on all sides
that this is beyond question the
most decent, respectable, and dull
legislature this town has ever seen.
The hotels are never crowded, the
lobby is conspicuous by its absence,
except the game aud fish lobby,
which consists of one man; there is
no heavy drinking, no talk of wine
suppers and other things which
would furnish Zola with a chapter
for a new novel if he were alive, and
no array of fast women occupying
the arm chairs on the floor. One
member, who has been considerable
of a sport in past sessions, remarked
in my hearing the other day that he
would have to go to the poor farm
when he got back if things contin-
ued as they have been. Even the
much discussed iunketing trips have
been few and inexpensive as com
pared to other years. There has
been no attempt at sensational legis-
lation, no bills connected with which
there was well defined. whisper of
a sack, aud while no doubt some
bills may have been introduced with
''cinch" motives, they have died
aborning.
The Investigations so far include
the effort to discover what has be-
come of the so-called Jessup fund at
the Home of the Feeble Minded, the
fund being money placed with the
home to defray the expenses of one
of the patients. The investigation
has developed that the money was
spent on the home, and while there
may be some criticism of the ex-
penditure, there is no question that
it was really spent on the institu
ton. In another matter the charge
by San Francisco paper that it
would swear that the pilot COM
missioners, or ore of them, asked
money for a pilot commission, the
joint committees on commerce and
navigation of the senate and as
sembly are going to investigate
them, and what the result will be
no one knows, except that it may
lead to the abolishment of the COM
mission as useless piece of ma
chinery. The tendancy to get rid of
commissions is very marked and de-
cided in this legislature, and although
there is going to be new bank COM
mission, that undoubtedly will be
the only case where a new body of
that character will replace an old
one
The Capitol removal question is
also agitating a number of persons
at San Jose and Sacramento, and at
one time it looked as though the
constitutional amendment might go
by default so far as Sacramento was
concerned, but the citizens here have
held a number of meetings, passed
resolutions, and taken steps to op-
pose the ambition of the Garden
City, with the result that they un-
doubtedly have votes enough to kill
the amendment, although there may
be majority for it in both houses.
1t takes a two third vote to pass
constitutional amendment however,
and Sacramento has undoubtedly
secured more than one third of the
votes in both houses in opposition.
A number of members who announced
that they were for removal, now say
that they will not vote for it until
they see the money that San Jose
offers put up. They think that if
the amendment was submitted to the
people and carried, aud San Jose did
not put the money up, or could not,
and a million dollars is a good deal
for a town like San Jose to raise,
even in these days of immense wealth,
there would be very serious compli-
cations, and lots of trouble, so they
have about agreed to let the matter
drop or rather have concluded to
vote against the amendment if it
comes to vote.
The bills for the Preston school
are on the third reading file of the
Assembly and Assemblyman McKen-
ney thinks that they will pass in a
few days. 1t is doubtful however,
if the Governor will agree to sign
them all when they reach him. AS
before explained in this correspond
ence, the condition of the treasury
is not at all satisfactory, and the
Governor desires to keep down ex-
penditures. To do that all The in
stitutions will have to come down
some in their demands, and although
he is Native Son he has insisted