PETITIONS.

To the Honorable the Members of the Senate and Assembly of the State of California:

The undersigned, salmon fishermen of the waters of Suisun Bay and the rivers affluent thereto, do most respectfully petition, and thus will ever pray:

That the laws for the protection of salmon be so amended as to prohibit the taking, catching, or possession of them from the fifteenth day of August to the fifteenth day of September in each year, and from the noon of each and every Saturday to the setting of the sun on the Sunday next succeeding throughout the year; provided, that salmon caught at other times may be held in possession at any time.

Your petitioners represent that, from practical knowledge and observation of the habits of this fish, they are convinced, and conscientiously believe, that the thorough enforcement of such prohibition would insure the perpetuation of his kind in our waters in great and undiminished abundance. (Signed by)

SAM'L. N. NORTON,
A. RYAN,

S. C. EDWARDS,
P. J. FLYNN,

And many others.

To the Honorable the Members of the Senate and Assembly of the State of California:

The undersigned, salmon fishermen of the waters of Suisun Bay and the rivers affluent thereto, do most respectfully petition, and thus will ever pray:

That the laws for the protection of salmon be so amended as to prohibit the taking, catching, or possession of them from the fif teenth day of August to the fifteenth day of September in each year, and the taking or catching from the noon of each and every Saturday to the setting of the sun on the next succeeding Sunday throughout the year.

Your petitioners represent that, from practical knowledge and

observation of the habits of this fish, they are convinced, and conscientiously believe, that the thorough enforcement of such prohibition would insure the perpetuation of his kind in our waters in great and undiminished abundance.

PREAMBLE AND RESOLUTIONS.

WHEREAS, We, the people of Sacramento, have upon a former occasion denounced the proposed policy and the insane language of certain men in the City of San Francisco, who claimed to lead the labor movement; and whereas, the policy before denounced we now denounce, and if any persons in the City of San Francisco have violated the proprieties of speech and the law of the land, we are willing they should be punished as the law provides, without the aid of special enactments or Star Chamber fiats; therefore, be it Resolved, That we denounce the so-called agitation bill as a disguised attack upon the liberties of Americans; and be it further Resolved, That the Legislature be respectfully requested to make a careful examination into the Act to add section four hundred and twenty to the Penal Code, and to determine whether its provisions might not bear a construction which would be inimical to the great right of free speech, and that if there is any doubt about the construction, to modify its provisions in favor of that sacred right, or repeal the entire Act on the ground that it is un-American, unnecessary, and in itself incendiary, and consequently dangerous; and be it further

Resolved, That the Hon. Creed Haymond be presented with this copy, and that copies be sent to all our Representatives, with a request that they lay it before the Legislature.

.

REPORT OF SENATE COMMITTEE

ON

PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS.

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REPORT.

MR. PRESIDENT: Your Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds, in the discharge of the duties imposed upon them, have visited the public buildings of the State except those devoted to prison purposes. We have made a thorough investigation into all matters connected with the buildings and grounds of the several institutions, and would report as follows:

CALIFORNIA INSTITUTION FOR THE INSTRUCTION OF THE DEAF, DUMB, AND BLIND,

At the last session of the Legislature an appropriation of one hundred and ten thousand dollars was made for the commencement of a series of buildings to replace those destroyed by fire; this sum, however, was intended only to provide immediate accommodation for dormitories and living-rooms of the inmates—no provision having been made either for educational establishments or refectories, kitchen, laundry, or boiler-house. The committee were met at the institution at Berkeley by the following named Directors, Messrs. Mora Moss, Crane, Shattuck, and Stanley, and in company with them, they closely examined the new buildings, and the tunnel for the water-works. They found the buildings to be first class specimens of building work, supplied with every improvement suggested by modern science to secure the safety and health of the inmates, and to be admirably adapted for the purpose intended, viz., the dormitories and living-rooms for the pupils. The cost of the buildings ready for occupancy is ninety thousand three hundred and twenty-five dollars, leaving a balance unexpended of nineteen thousand six hundred and seventy-five dollars. The buildings have been completed at a very low cost to the State. The clause in the contract requiring a forfeiture of one hundred and forty-two dollars per day, for every day that the buildings remained unfinished after the first day of November, the Directors asked for permission to remit, as the delay arose from no fault of the contractor, but from being compelled by virtue of his contract to use hollow bricks for the interior walls, which material it was found at the last minute to be very difficult to obtain. Inasmuch as the contractor had carried out all the balance of his contract in perfect good faith, and as the delay arose from causes over which he had no possible control, and at the earnest request of the entire Board of Directors, we recommended the passage of an Act authorizing the Board of Directors to remit the penalty for delay in the completion of the structure, if in their opinion the contract had in all other respects been complied