The San Francisco call., 1903-01-07

Legislature was received this
~ morning. 1t is a voluminous
document and embraces refer
/ ences to almost everything that occurred
/ during the retiring Governors admins
trarion. with recommendatio in the line
Of things considered necessary and eX-
pedient for the commonwealth progress
and prosperity. He says in an introduc-
4 tory paragraph:
During my administration allowed al
proper appropriations TO meet the current eN-
penses OF government and provided. without
stint for every State institution and sta e
need, but 1 curtailed eXtravagance by vetoing
excessive ana ineXpedient appropriations so
that the State is now on business basis anu
able 20 pay its demands without either a dis
count OF its warrants or the exhaustion or
its general fund In disallowing appropria-
tiOns / have not evaded any law which re-
Quired their payment nor any state eNlgency
which was required 10 be- sooner OF later
faced
Believing that the farming and stock raising
industries of the State would be best promoted
by advancing the interests of the several eN-
isting agricultural associations established by
law L approved liberal but not lavish appro-
priations for their support.
There IS reference to the opening of the
State Printing Office, which had been
closed during his predecessors term, and
then a criticism Of the evil of overlegisla-
ton On this subject he says:
The zeal of legislators sometimes makes them
forget that a new law is generally a dsplaCe
ment OF 4 previously existing right and that
the judicial branch of the Government will
probably pass upon the legislative enactment
process Of adjusting the new law to the eN-
listing relations A State is less liable TO
suffer from paucity than from redundanee
OF laws.
GOVERNOR NEEDS TIME.
It is recommended in the message that
70 oA I arrfcl clat
bills should be extended and a careful
revision of the election laws is urged.
The Governor makes extended reference
TO his veto Of the celebrated Senate Bill
No. :, which related to irrigation. He de-
clares II TO have been far from a useful
measure.
The subject Of forestry has considerable
part In the message and the Governor
says he heartily favOrs measures for the
conservation Of waters and the preserva-
ton Of trees.
The crime Of libel is the subject of one
section of the message. There is a long
historical review of early statutes the
conditions that made them imperative and
the results they accomplished. The pres
ent conditions are described thus:
Howsoever we >may cherish our regulations
and publicly ana privately condemn libel we
have not. a practical people, given force to
our opinions nor have We sufficiently in
the passage OF laws melting out penalties, com
mensurate with the gravity Of this
nagrant and obnoxious crime 1t is made a
felony b. our criminal Law TO steal from the
person Of another the merest trihe of his per-
sonal property, or even. unsuccessfully to make
the attempt. It IS made a felony creep
secretly int6 snother's barn outhouse with
intent 10 steal the smallest article OF value.
But il is only a misdemeanor for one malic-
iously and deliberately 10 rob a man or woman
Of cherished reputation and destroy the honor
which years Of virtue and honest life have
maintained. foully to invade the privacy of
a household and unbosom and distort its fam
lily secrets through the dark innuendoes Of a
cowardly libel
It is by our law made a felony to steal BIZ
cycle, horse mare, geldiug COW. steer. bull,
calf. mule. jack or jenny. and the convicted
offender may wear the stripes Of the peniten-
tiary for a period extending from a minimum
of year 10 maximum of ten years. Still
the other hand. the penalty for the crime
committed by the convicted destroyer of mans
or a womans reputation is only q maximum
fine of $1,000 with a nominal sum as a mini
mum. Imprisonment in a county Jail for a
Ximum o. year with a fractional part
Of day minimum. the determination of
the penalty, within those limits, resting on
judicial discretion.
With such insufficient penalties imposed up