118 



CALIFORNIA. 



must be filed for all expenditures except in the 

 case of sums under five dollars. Any candidate 

 who shall fail to file such a statement, or who 

 shall make a false statement, shall, in addition 

 to the other penalties prescribed by law, forfeit 

 any office to which he may have been elected at 

 the election mentioned in the statement, and 

 also any State office of which he was already the 

 incumbent. Neither the candidate nor the com- 

 mittee shall pay any money or incur any expense 

 to promote his election, except for holding pub- 

 lic meetings for the discussion of public ques- 

 tions, for printing and circulating specimen 

 ballots, handbills, cards, and other papers, for 

 advertising, postage, expressage, telegraphing 

 and telephoning, for supervising the registration 

 of voters, and watching the polling or counting 

 of votes cast at the election, for salaries of per- 

 sons employed at office or headquarters, and 

 necessary expenses of maintaining the same, for 

 rent of rooms necessary for the transaction of 

 business of the candidate or committee, and for 

 necessary incidental expenses not exceeding 

 $100, if expended by the candidate, or $1,000, if 

 expended by the committee. The total amount 

 that any candidate or committee may expend is 

 also limited to a fixed percentage of the salary 

 of the office that the candidate seeks. Any can- 

 didate who makes any payment contrary to the 

 provisions of the act shall forfeit the office to 

 which he is elected, and any other State office 

 which he may then hold. Any person may bring 

 suit against any candidate to have his right to 

 any office forfeited for violation of this act. 

 Numerous other stringent regulations are made, 

 and numerous offenses against the fair conduct 

 of elections are defined and punished. 



Another act provides for the reassessment of 

 property for all taxes made after 1879 wherein 

 the original assessment has been declared invalid 

 or may hereafter be so declared. In recent years 

 the State has found great difficulty in collecting 

 taxes from some of the railroad corporations, its 

 assessments, after long litigation, being often 

 declared invalid by the courts. By this act the 

 State attempts to recover the amounts so lost, 

 and to prevent future litigation. 



The term of office of the Supreme Court Com- 

 missioners was extended for another period of 

 four years, the regular docket of this court be- 

 ing still too large for the judges to dispose of 

 without great delay to litigants. The office of 

 Commissioner of Public Works was established 

 for the term of four years, its incumbent being 

 required to perform such duties as the Governor 

 shall direct in the examination of lands subject 

 to overflow by flood waters and in the prepara- 

 tion of plans and estimates for constructing 

 works to control such flood waters. The sum 

 of $30,000 was appropriated for his use in this 

 work. 



State officers and employees were forbidden to 

 create any deficiency in excess of any appropri- 

 ation made by law, except in case of actual 

 necessity, and then only upon written authority 

 of the Governor, Secretary of State, and At- 

 torney-General. The State will not be liable for 

 any indebtedness incurred contrary to this regu- 

 lation. 



Employers were forbidden to require from 

 their employees more than six days' work in 



seven. Subject to the approval of the electors 

 residing therein, the county of Riverside was 

 created out of the southwest part of San Ber- 

 nardino County and the northern part of San 

 Diego County ; the county of Madera out of the 

 northern part of Fresno County ; and the county 

 of Kings out of the western part of Tulare 

 County. 



Constitutional amendments were proposed for 

 submission to the people at the next general 

 election, changing the State capital from Sacra- 

 mento to San Jose, provided the State shall re- 

 ceive a gift of 10 acres as a site for the Capitol, 

 and a gift of $1,000,000 as a building fund 

 therefor ; authorizing the Legislature to provide 

 by general law for the establishment of new 

 counties ; establishing an educational qualifica- 

 tion for voters ; exempting from taxation young 

 fruit and nut-bearing trees and grapevines, and 

 the property of free public libraries and free 

 museums ; making the President and Professor 

 of Pedagogics of the State University members 

 of the State Board of Education ; and fixing the 

 compensation of legislators at $1,000 and mile- 

 age, instead of the present per diem allowance. 



Legislation respecting the State debt, the State 

 series of school text-books, and hydraulic min- 

 ing is elsewhere considered. 



Resolutions were adopted favoring the annex- 

 ation of the Hawaiian Islands. 



Other acts of the session were as follow : 



To abolish all fees or commissions paid by the 

 State to any officers for services in the assessment, 

 equalization, auditing, and collection of ad valorem 

 taxes. 



To prevent combinations to obstruct the sale of 

 live stock. 



Bequiring all street-railroad companies hereafter 

 granted franchises in public streets to allow mail car- 

 riers in discharge of their duty to ride free. 



Authorizing suits against the State and regulating 

 the procedure therein. 



Establishing a naval battalion, to be attached to 

 the National Guard of the State. 



Making prize fighting a felony punishable by a 

 fine of not less than $1,000 nor more than $5,000, and 

 by imprisonment not less than one year nor more 

 than three years. 



Kevising the law governing the State militia. 



Creating a commission for investigating and report- 

 ing upon the Torrens Land-Transfer act of Australia. 



To provide for the planting, maintenance, and care 

 of shade trees upon streets, lanes, alleys, courts, and 

 places within municipalities, and of hedges upon the 

 lines thereof, and for the eradiction of certain weeds 

 within city limits. 



To compel savings banks to publish every two 

 years a sworn statement of all unclaimed deposits. 



Making the ninth day of September and the first 

 Monday of October legal holidays. 



Establishing a tax on collateral inheritances, be- 

 quests, and devises. 



Making it unlawful to refuse admission to places of 

 amusement. 



Abolishing the State Board of Forestry. 



Establishing a board of commissioners of building 

 and loan associations. 



Eequiring the State Board of Prison Directors to 

 fix from time to time the price of jute goods manu- 

 factured at the State Penitentiary, and forbidding 

 sales of such goods to any but consumers. [This law, 

 being^ in restraint of trade, is probably unconstitu- 

 tional.] 



Appropriating $98,000 for the erection of an addi- 

 tional wing to the main building of the California 

 Home for the Care and Training of Feeble-Minded 



