Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-07-29

,..:oh,o sec+;on NAV be thrown into a bill and the
neope in the country not know anything OF It's existence
at all 1t may be thrown IN to cover ne ooect com
netsiv in the mas, Of Legislation without finger board
o;nting 70 it in the index It is that which would
,t ,ton To- It is that which am prepared to put
.ton TO- and will 20 with my friends on the subject
and if we are strong enough hope We VIII at once
adopt it ,H.1T II not rise to talk about loo.
rolling or ANYTHING Of that kind. have done little
Of it at home, but never IN the legislature. believe
tbot svstem vas introduced since have had the honor
Of being in the house of delegates or In the
Rt il seems to me that gentlemen confound the word
/" sub;.ct with the word "object" Now take it, a
hill NAV have one or subjects, or it may have
q hundred and vet have but one object. Suppose a
hill is introduced into the house of delegates providing
m rho construction of railroads from Richmond to Pc
itersburg and from Richmond to Fredericksburg, and
also from Richmond to Lynchburg, aud my friend from
Appopattox comes into the hall of the house and
inc IN to me asks what is the object of that bill I"
Ny answer would be clearly 1t Is bill TINT has for its
object the construction OF three railroads.. There
would be three subjects and yet but object. 1t
NAV be 80 in regard to tax bill In forming your tax
bill YOU may have hundred hundred and fifty
subj ects of taxation in that BILL aud Yet II would have
but one object and that ect would be the raising of
revenue To ms mind objects would be double where
provisions of the bill incongruous. For in.
stance bill providing for the construction of railroad
and upon that an amendment ensrafted providing for
the incorporation of mining company. There the
| Mr.. BLUE Both would be for development
! Mr. McCAMANT Still the objects would be diff
c-rent 1t does seem to me that the objection raised
here this section reported by the Legislative
mittee il not well founded think gcntleman
will perceive the subject in its proper light and will
not confouni the object with the subject.
The CHAIR The language of tho proposition is
subject"
Mr.. McCAMANT Do I understand it proposes that
every Till shall contain but one subject md not one OBJ
! ject.
The CHAIR. Certainly, as will be perceived by re-
! ference TO the proposition.
| The question was then taken upon the amendment
offered by Mr.. CoaKE to the amendment and it re.
jscted
! The question then required upon striking out the
fifteenth section. division of the question having
been previously called the committee refused strike
outs count being had-ayes 81, noes Sc.
Mr.. JANNEY. lmove to amend the report OF the
committee By striking that clause and inserting the
following:
No Jill shall contain an appropriation of money for
more than one object except general appropriation
ILLS for the ordinary expenses of the government"
! The question then TAKEN division of it being
demanded and the committee refused to strike out
"a count bsing had-ayes SO, noes SIS.
Mr. FERGUSON 1t strikes me that there is anoth-
er srubiect more Important than the one which We
have just been considering aud which ought to be-
uecte with ii. /, therefore, move Us an independent
section the following: No law shall I've revised nr
amended BY reference to its title but in such the
subject revised amended shall be enacted and pub
sed length" 1t strikes that there is greater
inconvenience growing Of the legislation Of the
country than the proposed to be remedied by the
section here proposed Every will acknowle.l ie
w important it is that you should put those concerned
in the administration of Justice in possession of what
law reilly il Justices of the peace plain. practical
OF men, who have 10 execute the laws. find 1t exceed
iugv difficult get at the real meaning of the lcgs-
latrre, who may have amended any law MS in amend,
ing they may perhaps have referred to some have dozen
acts Ii appears 10 me that it would be matter Of
great convenience To all persons, that you Shoul
nublish al length the whole Of an amended law oil
this pro position not matter Of personal interest IL
myself! but n. being more important measure than the
section which has been Just ADOPTED.
! Mr.. PRICE II seems 70 me the gentleman from
Logan Mr. FERGCsoS) hns taken time to prrp,r.
hi amendment. 1t strikes the object of the gentle.
man will not be attained BY the amendment he has
offered. shall vote against it.
Mr. FERGUSON. | will submit 10 The gentleman
from G-eenb.er, (Mr. PRICE this state of thina. You
publishing from time 10 time the acts of tie ri
.ra assembly and YOU put them in the hands Ut every
body concerned in the admin. trAton of Justice The
go ont into the country, and must necessarily 90
into the hands of justices and every body else. Thu
legislature amend act passed ten years agc and it
goes nut into the country. half Of the Justices who
have the administration of justice in their hand. will
not hav" the ACT that ia amended and they will not
know what the law really is unless they hIzs il jp.
AS 10 not preparing the amendment with dine consar
alton. will state to the gentleman that it Is
copy of section in the Louisiana constitution. 1
have been surprised from the start that the legislative
commute had not adopted the section which offer.
It. always struck ri the most important qlcs
lions connected with the legislation nf the country.
that every law should be complete Jaw oftsef Now,
ii there is thing above all Others that destroys
the value of the code OF Virginia it this continual
reference from section TO section End title to title 1t
is confusion confounded.-' The truth i, the
lawyers themselves at great LOSE To ascertain
what the law is i'll many INSTANCES. ] wish that every
law should be complete in itself desire if law is
amended that the whole shall De published as amended
that when the act come into the possession Of thse
concerned i'll the Of JUSTICE ;hey will have
the whole law "a amended and can ascertain easily
for themselves what the law really is.
Mr.. HILL. I wish to know whether the scope of
that amendment would require, the OF any Of
those large corporations for instance the James River
and Kama wha company, any railroad charter that
zach of the acts of tht general assembly in relation
such company f!ir.a be incorporated That would be
thu eFec. of the amendment az it stands appre
bend.
Mr.. FERGUSON presume the effect Of the pro-
position will be tbis: If the mandatory act applied
to the whole subject if it was Il corporation act
YOU would publish the whole act. If you wished
to amend section, or two sections of an act You
would re-enaet the sections you propose to amend
That s the effect of it. If YOU desired to change the
whole la@ why not re-enact the whole and repeal the
old one And then YOU will have tie whole in perfect
form hefore you
The question was then taken upon Mr. FERGusoys
amendment, and it Vas adoped-n count being had
ayes IL. noes "a
Mr. CEAMBLls,S I move to strike out the first
paragraph after that portion inserted previous to the
amendment OF the gentleman from Logan, (Mr. FER
GrsoS.) and insert the following
''Nn local or private BILL bill appropriating money
TO any internal improvement, shall embrace more than
one subject and that shall be expressed in the title
The CHAIR. The Chair will remark that the
amendment OF the gentleman from Logan (Nlr. FEgcr
SOM was inserted independent section. The
Chair will STILL however unless objaction BE- made
entertain the motion to strike out and nser: the fl
teenth section.
Mr.. Bolts. ] am reluctant to rise to question Of
order but see end to labors if this course
pursued be:,i not say that am very n,rch opposed
!" having the ft+eath section retained Two distinct
mo;ious have been made and two distinct votes have
beer t. Ken upon striking out the fifteenth section AMI
the hUIse have upon these two several refused
strike out Now, beg leave To rend the rule from the
ual which has direct relation TO this subject.
t'Orif it is proposed to amend by striking par
:4sraph the friends of the paragraph first to make