The principle by which medical experts are forced to attend in courts of law is manifestly _unjust_, and demands immediate alteration by our next Legislature. The forced attendance of medical experts in courts of justice at a rate of compensation arbitrarily fixed, or withheld, is an abuse of power that finds no excuse in justice or necessity. The citizen is thus virtually deprived of an inalienable right, for the security of which our forefathers yielded up their fortunes and their lives. Let the medical profession of the State of California see to it that the next Legislature pass an act empowering District Judges to allow extra compensation to medical experts summoned in criminal cases. The same provision can be made for the compensation of medical experts by the Legislature as provided in Section 271 of the Civil Code for the payment of short-hand reporters in criminal cases, which is as follows, to-wit: "In criminal cases, where the testimony has been taken down upon the order of the court, the compensation of the reporter must be fixed by the court, and paid out of the treasury of the county in which the case is tried, upon the order of, the court." I now pass to the second part of my subject, relating to the trial of persons accused of insanity. Section 1763 of the "Code of Civil Procedure" of the State of California declares that "a person of unsound mind may be placed in an asylum for such persons, upon the order of the County Judge of the county in which he resides, as follows: First--The Judge must be satisfied by the oath of two respectable physicians that such person is of unsound mind, and unfit to be at large. Second--Before granting the order the Judge must examine the person himself, or if that be impracticable, cause him to be examined by an impartial person. Third--After the order is granted, the person alleged to be of unsound mind, his or her husband or wife, or relative to the third degree may demand an investigation before a jury, which must be conducted in all respects as under an inquisition of lunacy." Section 1766 declares "That any person who has been declared insane, or the guardian, or any relative of such person, within the third degree, or any friend, may apply by petition to the Probate Judge of the county in which he was declared insane, to have the fact of his restoration to capacity judicially determined. The petition shall be verified, and shall state such person is then sane. Upon receiving the petition the Judge must appoint a day for hearing, and, if the petitioner request it, shall order an investigation before a jury, which shall be summoned and impaneled in the same manner as juries are summoned and impaneled in other cases in the Probate Court. On trial the guardian or relative of the petitioner, and, in the discretion of the Judge, any other person may contest the right of the petitioner to the relief demanded. If it be found that the petitioner be of sound mind and capable of taking care of