Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1849-02-20
&c sIOIND VA
monaay Morning, February 10, ls4o.
TILE EXTRA SESSION.

: THE EXTRA SESSION.
: Some OF The papers oil The State, among then
The Fredericksburg Recorder and The Charlotte:
vile Jefersonian, Object 10 lie EStIa Session d
c The % May, Tor The revision Of the Civil Cod
: The latter paper thinks al would be better for tn
: present Legislature 10 continue in session uni
they can accomplish the object desired. The LIE
sisanre would not be in session month onee
than il is usually in session. TLis course wou,
1ave money 10 The Sale, and we doubt not wou,
meet with The appreciation OF The people OF h
Commonwealth, who certainly desire thai ihei
, public servants should husband tie resources o
the Stale. Rather than call IN extra session, lie
the Legislature continue 10 sit throughout lht
month Of April, and rospose the time Of the Stat,
Elections 10 The 4h Thursday in August"
: After careful examination Of opposite view.
on This question, we are satisfied that The Leeis
lature has adopted The best, probably the only
plan - secure the proper execution oil The impor.
tan! object in view, and, moreover in such man.
ner as more certainly TO husband The resources
Of The State" Had the attempt been made 10
finish the revisal at this session, The Legislature
would as the editor Of The Petersburg lnelgen-
Ger writes home,
"Iave been compelled 10 remain here until
nearly The Isl Of May, ADD The revlsal would have
been passed upon when The minds CT members
were distracted 10y other business. Al The ad-
journed session we shall be able 10 finish in a
month, and every member will be able 10 devote
his attention exclusively 10 the business Of the
Tevisal. In his way money will lie saved, and
The revsal will be more maluTely and deliberate.
y adopted than al an ordinary session.
We had designed exposing The reasons which
induced US 10 advocate The measure; bul the task
is so clearly and concusiveIYdoue by Mr.. Mon
cure in his letter % Senator Deneale, which will
be found below, lial mel one additional word is
necessary.
Our friend Of the Jelfclsonan goes on 10 say
thar,
IF, htcsrcr, an extra session in May should be
| deemed necessary, Charlottesville, will be very
J good place for The Legislature TO assemble. The
! Senate could sill in lhe'Lyc.um or Free Masons'
| ial, and The House in one Of our Churches,
which VIC doubt not will be cheTluliy rendered.
The members ot tie Legislature will find good
quarters in he place and least upon the lat Of The
good things and the hospitality Of lis cilizrns:-
Al that season oil the year tie weather is dellshI
| iul and inyi2uiates Inc constitution OF every one.
With good wa cr, good living, and good accom-
moiations among hoSpiIable and enlightened
| p.oplc the Legislature il it is 10 hold an extra
session, cannot do better Than adjourn 10 meet in
Charlottesville"
AS M. Clay said in regard 10 the annexation
alt,,m hlv M oh
ton" 10 spending month in Charlottesville al
an Extra Session. We should be delighted 10 re-
ysi, the noble University and IFS beautiful envi-
rons, The scenps Of our College cxperience-and
nhac anew the spirit Of constitutional princi-
pies al The tomb Of Jefferson. But as public men,
we are satisfied that the srsa, objec, before the
Legislature must be carried oul al Inc CAPITAL
Here are the archives Of State, The public Off
cers Library, &c.,-and here alone can The &C.
neral Assembly complete the work. which in
exert beneficial influence, not only upon indi-
yiduals buI upon future Stale legislation. AL
speculation however, is a. an end. The time
and The place are fixed. The Legislature Will
doubtless take care that heir most important bu-
siness shall be promptly acted on, 50 as to secure
The termination OF The session early in March
tsay The 18th al iarthesI.) The Extra Session
will MOI, probably, consume more imam month
and thus bul iillc If any ihiag will lie added
10 The regular annual sessions, and vast deal
Of additional important work executed. But Mr..
Mopcures letter is perfectly conclusive, and We
again call attention 10 il:
RICHMOND, February 10, lS49.
Dear Sir Yours Of yesterday was handed 10
me during the session Of The joint committee OF
revision. and lave not found leisure enough to
answer it until the present moment. ! will now
briefly answer your enquiries in the order IN
which they are propounded. You enquire whe-
Their il is my opinion,
lst, That the proposed Extra Session of the
Legislature is necessary to speedy reVlsai OF
the Civil, Code.
odly That the business can be better done by
having \ session exclusively devoted 10 the sub
jcct-and 80
3dly. That the proposed Extra Session will
he n saving to The State, in pecuniary point OF
view.
To YOUR first enquiry answer, without hesi-
tation. i'm the affirmative. II is now plainly nc
mons,rated that. without an extra session, Inc
revision cannot be completed during tie present
wear. The rcvisors. hlessrs. Patton and 10
binson. cannot conclude their labors earlier than
The first Of April; and it would then take inc
whole OF April for the joint committee oil re'ls
ion and the Legislature TO act upon the SUBJECT
Indeed, ! think it would take longer The LIE
pislalure could hardly be kept together until NC
work could be competed; aud thus, alter nav
ing long session, might at last ADJOURN wilhou
eHectipg any thing. At the next session al
| LEI
la,urc cannut at this session act upon part, and
n, the mex. upon the residue OF the work. Ire
whole code, as written by The rcyisoIs, IS 10 DC
one unbroken act. The parts are Dependent
nnon each other, and cannot be separately
enacted without producing great oeralsen'"'
of the plan which has been adopted
| tn your second enquiry give The same an
NOR and with like confidence. That the busi
. ,,ess can be better done at an extra session, ex
cus;vely devoted to it, must | think, be the
opnon of all who have any acquaintance WIN
the subject During an ordinary session OF The
LEGISLATURE, each member has the local int
rests of his constituents to attend TO, and all
the members are, more or less, engaged IN mat
lcrs of general legislation. 1t Is Impossible
therefore, that so important subject az the re
!, vision of the whole code can, al such session
receive that undivided and devoted atlentlCI
which is absolutely necessary TO lis proper exc
E cr,ion. No subject of more Importance ha
ever been before the Legislature Of Virginia
None can be more worthy Of their deliberate
consideration; and if a special session OF the LIE
: risla,ure ever wcro jusl6able, think it is o.
c such an occasion as this.
!. To your third and last enquiry also return
an affirmative answer-that is, il We save all IN
$ time and money we can, and ought TO save, !
consequence Of The extra session, and the wor
i which will be then accomplished. If we ad
iourn, as hope we will, early in March, W
will adjourn, at least a month and hall eat
lier than we would, were we to continue 10 Sc:
sion till the revision is completed; and thus W
n will save more than enough to defray the eXpens
Of The extra session, be.des having the advaf
h tagc which an extra session has over an ordlnar
j one for the execution Of such work. BY com