The San Francisco call., 1905-02-24

SACRAMENTO, Feb. 23.-The great
Yosemite Valley and the Incompatible
Mariposa big tree grove will be re-
ceded to the Federal Government.
After debate lasting the greater part
of the day, the Senate finally passed
Ralston's bill providing the recession
the vote being q to 49, The vote on
the question was as follows:
Ayes-Anderson, Bauer, BeishaW,
Broughton, Carter, Coggins, Greenwich,
Hahn, Hoskins, Irish, Leeke, Markey'
Mattos, Mckee, Pendleton. Rowell,
Savage, Shortridge. Simpson. Ward
and Woodward.
Noes-Curtin, Diggs, French, Keane,
Leavitt, Lukens, Lynch, Nelson, Raj
ston. Sanford WEIGH, Wolfe ana
Wright.
The question came up as special
order for reconsideration this morning
The first to take the floor in support OF
the bill was Senator Ward OF Chula
Vista.
Senator Ward spoke in favor of the
bill He said it was a wise trust Call
fornia accepted when it took the fo-
semitic many years ago, but now tndl
the President of the United States has
said that the burden of the care of the
-
Federal Government, he believed 1t
should be- The millions of people of
this land, he continued, now have equal
interest in the valley and it would be
an act of wisdom to enable all to con-
tribute to the valleys support and pay
for it's development as a pleasure land.
He pointed to the improvements
that have been installed in Yellow
stone Park by the National Govern
ment. He said its streams had been
stocked with the choicest fish, its
forests stocked with game and its
accommodations brought up TO the
standard of the finest resorts in the
world. All of this, he said in conclu-
sion would be done for Yosemite by
the United States should California
surrender its trust, which it should
do, acting on broad principles of
patriotism to the nation and to the
State, which will be greatly bene-
fitted should recession be authorized.
Senator Ralston said the question
of recession was one that should be
decided by all the people of the State
and not the Legislature.
There is now before this body"
he said, "a proposed constitutional
amendment that will place this ques-
tion fairly before the people and en-
able them to decide the question for
themselves. Let us proceed on this
plan and we can make no mistake
Sanford spoke bitterly against the
bill
II have listened with considerable
patience he said, Ito the declaration
here that the proper thing to do is
to give away the grand, sublime Yo-
semitic. But out of all of this song
/ find but one refrain, and that is that
California is too poor to keep the
valley. This l deny, and l ask You to
'vOtp down the hill -
When Sanford concluded his remarks
a recess was taken till 2 o'clock p. m.
This afternoon the opposition was
broken when Senator Charles NJ Short
ridge took the floor in favor of the bill.
He announced that he had yielded to
the pressure of his constituents which
was so strong that ne could not in
justice to them follow his own views
on the question and that in conse-
quence he would vote for the bill.
Curtin spoke at length against tie
bill, raising the same points. legal ana
sentimental, he did when the bill first
came up. Rowell next spoke in favor
of the bill and the debate was closed
by Belshaw, it's. author, and the vote
was called.
The bill will be signed immediately
by Governor Pardee, who has strong
ly favored the measure from the brsin-
ming, and the United States can then
enter into possession at it's pleasure.