and 34; article XI, sections 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7; article XII, sections and 5.) It will be seen that most of the sections of the constitution here referred to either forbid the enactment of special laws, or command the enactment of general laws, and thus the only way in which the legislature can deal with the questions referred to is to pass general laws concerning them. Our present constitution differs widely from the constitution of 1849 in this respect, as the former constitution permitted special legislation almost without limit. Many acts of the legislature before 1879 relate to particular streets, parks, and public improvements in particular cities; and to the imposition of special duties and burdens on particular counties. Through this power to pass special laws, the legislature often meddled, with unfortunate results, in the internal affairs of cities and counties, and for this reason the power was taken away.

3. The legislature is forbidden to do many things. For example, the provisions of article I operate as prohibitions on the legislature, because no laws may be passed which infringe upon these rights of the people. Article III forbids the legislature to exercise any judicial or executive functions. Other prohibitions are found in article IV, sections 26, 29, 30, 31, and 32; article IX, section 8; article XI, sections 12, and 13; article XII, sections 5, 7, and 10; and article XVI.

4. The legislature is subject to certain checks. Among these may be mentioned the governor's veto power; the initiative and referendum; and the fact that the legislature may meet in regular session only once in two years, and in special session only on the call of the governor to consider only such questions as the governor specifies in the call.

NOTE. It should be pointed out that our entire scheme of state government is founded on the "check and balance" plan. The governor holds the checks over the legislature above referred to, and he may set aside certain judgments of the courts by means of his pardoning power. All of our state courts, except the inferior courts, are established, and their jurisdiction is determined, by the constitution, rather than by state law. They are thus independent of the state legislature and of the governor. They may set aside such acts of the legislature as they deem unconstitutional; and may compel or enjoin the performance of special acts on the part of executive officers and boards. From these statements it may appear that the legislature is overshadowed by the other departments of the government; but such is not the case. The legislature appropriates all money used for the maintenance of every department of the government. It assigns to the governor and to all other executive officers and boards most of their powers and duties; and many of these officers and boards were created by it. Besides, all judges and all executive and administrative officers may exercise only such powers as are granted to them by the constitution and the law; but the legislature, subject to the commands, conditions, prohibitions, and checks above mentioned, may exercise any of the innumerable residuary powers of the state.

QUESTIONdward M. Hulme

I. What was the number of the last term of the legislature ? 2. Name two ways in which a bill may become a law without the signature of the governor. (See section 16, article IV, of the

constitution.)

4. What is meant by the statement that our state government is a government of "checks and balances"? Illustrate.

5. Why is it impossible to enumerate the powers of the legislature? 6. Why is the legislature forbidden to pass local and special laws? What limitation is imposed on the legislature in the formation of senatorial and assembly districts? Congressional districts? constitution, article IV, sections 6 and 7.)

7.

(See

8. Name the various ways in which the powers of the legislature are limited.

CHAPTER XII

THE STATE EXECUTIVE-ELECTIVE OFFICERS AND BOARDS

NOTE. Before this chapter is read, articles V, VII, VIII, and XII of the state constitution should be studied.

124. Introductory. We have seen that various public corporations, such as counties, cities, and school districts, have a large part in carrying into execution the laws of the state. We shall now consider the part played by the executive officers of the central state government. It will be observed that the constitution is very brief in respect to the duties of these officers. This means that the legislature must name their duties. Thus to find a complete statement of the duties of any officer, one must examine both the constitution and the state law, particularly that part of the law which is known as the Political Code.

125. Classification of State Executive Officers and Boards.

The executive officers and boards of the state may be classified as follows:

I. Elective.

1. The Governor.

2. The Lieutenant Governor.

3. The Secretary of State.

4. The State Board of Equalization.

5. The Controller.

6. The Treasurer.

7. The Superintendent of Public Instruction.

8. The Surveyor-General.

9. The Attorney-General.

II. Appointive.

The most important appointive executive officers and boards will be considered in the next chapter, except the adjutant general and the state board of control, whose duties are given in this chapter.

126. Terms of Office, Official Bonds, and Vacancies. The term of office of each elective officer above mentioned is four years, beginning in January, 1911, 1915, etc. The terms of appointive officers vary, but in most cases they are four years. State officers, the same as county officers, must furnish official bonds. The amount in each case is determined by law, except that in the case of some appointive officers, the amount is determined by the appointing power. All official bonds, whose amounts are determined by law, must be approved by the governor, and must all be filed in the office of the secretary of state, except the bond of the secretary, which must be filed in the office of the state treasurer. The governor and lieutenant governor are not required to furnish bonds.

Vacancies in the case of elective officers are filled by the governor, except that a vacancy in either house of the legislature is filled by an election called by the governor in the senatorial or assembly district affected. Appointive offices, when vacant, are filled by the appointing power.

127. The Governor.1 The legislature meets on the first Monday after the first day of January following the gubernatorial election, and at once provides for the inauguration of the governor. The governor's duties may be briefly summed up as follows:

I. He must

I. The Executive Duties of the Governor. see that all the state laws are enforced. To this end he is given power to supervise the official conduct of other exec

1 Political Code, § 380 seq.

utive officers, and may require a report from any officer or board at any time in addition to the regular biennial reports which many of them are required to make to him.1 Furthermore, he may direct the attorney-general, or any district attorney, to investigate the conduct of any individual or corporation and to prosecute those that break the law. He may offer rewards, not to exceed $1000 in each case, for the arrest of escaped convicts or persons charged with murder.

2. He represents the state in its dealings with the United States or with other states. For example, if a person charged with a crime in another state is arrested in California, the governor, on the demand of the executive of the state in question, orders the prisoner surrendered to the representative of that state; 2 and if a fugitive from justice in California is arrested in another state, the governor takes the necessary steps to have him returned.

1 As a matter of fact the authority which the governor may exercise over our elective executive officers is more theoretical than practical, as any officer who owes his position to the people is practically independent of the governor. This makes it impossible for the governor to be the responsible head of the entire state government in the sense that the President of the United States is the responsible head of the national government. All national executive officers and commissioners are appointed either directly or indirectly by the President, and any of them may be removed for cause by him. We shall never have a thoroughly efficient state government until its various executive and administrative departments are similarly centralized under one responsible head. The creation of the state board of control (§ 135) is a step in this direction, but as long as the people elect a group of state executive officers in addition to the governor, our state government must be a many-headed affair. A thorough application of the principle of the "short ballot," together with the adoption of the merit system in the appointment of public employees, would seem to offer a solution of the problem.

2 Section 2, article IV of the national Constitution states that the governor shall deliver up any fugitive from justice on the demand of the executive of the state from which he fled; but there is no way of compelling him to do this against his will. He might refuse in case he believed that the fugitive was wanted for prosecution for political reasons, or for some act that California does not consider a crime.