DIVISION THREE — BRAINS. 247 



member of the State convention which framed the present constitution ot 

 California. He said there was no doubt as to the city's right, under Article 

 II, Sec. II of the constitution, to abolish saloons or any other evil thing, by 

 a proper exercise of the city's police power ; but as he could not take time 

 then to prepare a brief on the questions of law submitted, he recommended 

 Williams & McKinley, who he said, were the best posted on that subject 

 of any law firm in California. Dr. Reid then went to them, got points of 

 instruction, and engaged them to prepare a full professional brief on the five 

 inquiries submitted. These things he reported at the second mass meeting 

 in Williams Hall. The next historic step in the case will best be seen by 

 the following extract from the Pasadeyia Union' s report as published at the 

 time : 



"At a very large meeting in the new Methodist Church on Sunday night, 

 January 30, a committee was appointed to take measures for bringing the 

 saloon question before our city trustees in the best way possible to secure 

 their prompt action. Monday morning the chairman of the committee went 

 to I^os Angeles and prepared under advise of good legal counsel a form of 

 petition which covered only such ground as is within the recognized and 

 established police powers of municipal incorpoiations. At 2 p. m. the com- 

 mittee met, and by 9 o'clock Tuesday morning the petition headings were in 

 the hands of canvassers to solicit names. 



"Saturday morning, February 5, the committee waited on the City 

 Fathers with the following documents : 



To the City Board of Trustees of Pasadena, i7i regular session, February ^ , iSSy: 



Gentlemen : — We appear before you as a committee duly appointed 

 at a mass meeting of citizens of Pasadena, and bearing a petition properly 

 signed by over 500 adult male citizens or taxpayers of this city. We also 

 present herewith the legal opinion, with full citation of cases, court rulings, 

 standard legal authorities, constitutional powers and' statute law upon which 

 our petition is based. And we respectfully request that you refer the matter 

 of this petition, together with the legal opinion and authorities accompany- 

 ing it, to your city attorney, with instructions to prepare an ordinance in 

 accordance with the prayer of petitioners and lawful procedure in the case, 

 and report the same at your next regular meeting. 



H. A. Reid, A. W. Bunker, ^ 



Wm. Converse, G. A. Swartwout, > Committee. 



Chas. M. Parker, S. Townsend, ) 



" The list of petitioners made a roll measuring fourteen and a half feet 

 in length, mostly with double column of names as signed. At the head ot 

 the roll was a paper containing twenty or thirty names which had been 

 taken from a canvasser by a saloon man and torn into shreds. It looked 

 like a reliquary battle-flag of the G. A. R." 



The list of 540 signatures was all printed in double column alphabetical 

 order, so that everj' man stood up to be counted. The petition was received, 

 placed on file, and Saturday, February 12, at 9 o'clock, set for a further 

 hearing. Meanwhile a subscription paper pledging funds to meet litigation 



