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


i, surely necessity fer harn, very long title to
bill to express the different ects Of the bill, and n
will have the efcc: o. rad eng the bills 10 the length
OF the titles. shall be hSPp! TO be instrumental
IN producing such r,'Git, for venture TO say that
you take up our code Of laws aud ompars II With any
other code Of laws, our laws will be found to be iucon
paraby longer than the laws of any other State in the
Union.
once took occasion when was member of the le-
gisature Of Virginia TO compare law presented here
by most distinguished gentleman, Judge Nav (then
chairman ofthe judiciary committee on simple subject
nut which occupied SIX or seven pages Of fooscap pa
per- with law the same suhjectn the State of New
York. and the whole subject matter was there contain
cd in abou, yfour lines, and that fair Instance
Of tho difference between our system OF legislation and
the system in other States have particular prefer
cnce for this amendment, but think ;ha, Ii will be
found convenient and advantageous 10 have each object
embraced in a bill, expressed in.i!i title
Mr.. COOKE. l ,hinI: thai the object which the le-
gisatire committee have had in view In introducing
this section in most desirable one. My brief expert
in the legislative department. last winter accords
fully with that OF my friend from Logan, that bills hav.
ing small merit frequently passed by being tackled
to the some bill strong enough 10 carry beth through
and thus as has been very properly said by The gentle
man from Petersburg, hasty and improyden legislation
often take. place. But this system OF iogrolng gone
rally confined to bills having for their object the rails
ing or approprating of money, and ! think the whole
object IS met by amendment 10 mo amendment OF
the gentleman from IIenrico, which beg leave to Offers
propriating money shall embrace but one subject and
that shall be expressed IN The title
Mr. STROTHER There is passed every year what
is called the gcnca appropriation bill. II embraces
great many subiects-he judiciary, the civil list and
great many other disconnected subjects. You wouH
require necessarily by this provision that each section
of that bill should be separate bill. Now would
suggest to nv iicrd tia; his object IS to get at the
!eg-rolling system lout which have heard much.
he would obtain that OH ect by limiting his amend
Inen to bills approPratns money for Internal InPro7o-
ments.
Mr. Bolts: # the gentleman will allow NE to III
tcrr7l,t him, paper has just s moment tsel put IL
nv hands that may have bearing on this question
is this mornings Wig conlanins article which
mad not seen before, but which ! will read:
1.-The question of calling q convention 10 change ,hs
constitution OF /. sita,ed in that State Tho
preseni wa. adopted during the excitement q few
years since against Banks and Corporations and is so
stringent seriously 20 DISTRICT all efforts TO build rail-
roads and other Improvements ~ the State. II is de-
nounced being undemccrauc IN It's provisions and
imposing unnecessarily severe restrictions upon The
will of the sovereign people
Now it was in reference 10 this very sub cct Of inter.
nal improvements that heard complaints 1t is because
there hos hecn difficulty in the courts in reference to
the unconstituonaity o. internal Improvement bills.
because reference had been made in them 10 sme other
subject that they il. process OF calling con-
vcnton 10 revise the constitution.
Mr.. STROTHER. Ny experience IN legislation dn
iers somewhat from that which has been given by gen.
tlemen here. do not rccocct great many instances
in which there have been coulhined in the same bill
different projects Of internal Improvement Such cases
have occasionally occurred but not TO any very great
tent and then understood Tor the purpose of log
rolling, Of combining interests bat for convenience sake
to enable gentleman to &c; hi proposition before It's
house. Neither do consider that this IS 10 be
d. for rolling because, from what have heoTd OF
that SYSTEM it is no part OF II that The projects shall ba
all in bill but the understanding Is That gentlemen
thur's
when they come mp. 81 ,tat if you require SEPARATE
bills still In same understanding exist supposiag
il 10 have existed in the past and therefore cannot sec
that there is any such apne !!lportance Il :s amend
mcnt as proposed by The Legislative committee in
lhe amendment to that amendment.
go up5S Tia same general principle as the gentle
man isn Greenbrcr (Mr PR!cE) does, that this teer
ING the hands Of those who TO after Us, is u
wise unless had capacity 10 seq all the future and
Comprehend all lis exgences 80 upon The same other
view that he Does that this convention not TO make
arrangement for all Legislation in all future times. but to
point out certain grand landmarks that are justly appi-
cable TO the future we'll 10 the present, and TO
leave the future al! minor matters Of exPsdiency and
policy not 10 cramp ant bind it down BY Wths and
bonds in the constitution where IS not necessary 80 TO
do 1t 10 IRON The propagation: uat haVs
been and before US that there seems TO be IN the
mind OF the Convention purpose TO save the future
from the results Of legislation as II we wore
endowed with power TO have all the future before US in
a its parts and ourselves comprehend lll tho future
rot knowing anything OF itself.
think therefore that this question can be well trusted
10 the future We hear every DAY ard have heard for
wears past that in the growth OF virtue and intel
Iigence This country Is YET n. It wereln the dawn OF
its knowledge the sreat principles that should govern
man. in its comprehension oil the great eienents moi
ONLY of poli ca science but Of tie moral virtues, and
we look 10 the future bear the fruits Of what tho
present is but the germ. That being the every day
concession the stump especially, think We ought
TO, Ia hesitate leave 10 the future some discretion
in egardto matters OF Inc KIM mat we are TO" conad
cring.
Mr. CONWAY. II seems to mo that tho gentleman
from Rappahannock (Nr SrRoTHER( End other gentle
man who maintain that this Convention; is disposed to
place restraints upon legislative acton' msconceFe Inc
very object which this Convention has IN view clha
whole legislative report now under consideration and
this whole constitution which we now framing, Is a
series of limitations upon the legislative department OF
tine government But the question for US TO determl ues
is whether each limitation suggested, proper anu
discreet limitation not.
Mr.. STROrHER. Wi my friend allow me to mako
one correction The objection that had was not TO
rlacc restrictions upon all Questions OF great principles,
but The restrictions upon mere matters OF eapedshnJ
and policy
Mr.. CONWAY. meant merely TO say that In
advocating the 18th section a. II without change OF
course did not mean 10 reflect in the slightest degree
anon the wisdom eli the legislative department OF the
government Perhaps they have been in the past and
NAV be in the all respects superior to this Con-
vention But in the excr"'so OF my duty ore, shali
endcavor to consider whether each Limitation suggested
proper and discreet limitation and according tot!s
best of my abilities Shall vote upon K. Now differ
from the gentleman: from Fin"aEHa lHlr CoeKr) IN Tia
suggestion lie has made 1t seems 10 he that wc ought
10 proven, this blending Of distinct AID separate mat
tiers in one bill AID conne the restriction to mo-
ncy matters but have it apply 10 ali subjects This
system If uniting separate an: distinct matters IN one
bill in the legislature Of til, commonwealth, has not
been confined to bills Of internal Improvement as has
hecn suggested by the gentleman from RaprahsnnocA
mir S1soTuER) even 10 ohc: appropriations Of mo
new But il has even been applied 70 uniting in the
same Till several OF divorce ] have been told
hy n friend who addressed the committee few mo-
ments ago that he had known in the senate four or i've
cases of divorces PIT into ono bill aud all Passe lno
title of the bill was then amended to rcad oiu
for granting divorce 20 '-aomrg the pc!aon' and
for other purposes" II then came back u the .cuse
cf delegates ard sustained. He also tells ire that
when bill for establishing banking company at or"
place had not strength 10 carry il through upon ii, o~u
nde pendent merits, nothing vas more common than 10
insert csusc establishing a. other place, aud
v inserting several provisions oftha kind, you gathered
sufficient strength 10 carry the bill; through So that ny
advocacy of this bill does not upon tho fact that
il will prevent the different appropriation bs from