The Nevada journal., 1852-01-29
Thursday NJ Orning, Jan. 99.
Our Legislature. What are they doing?

since the assembling together of our
Legislature. From the fact that they
were under obligation first to assem-
bic in Vallejo, we had reason to anti
cipate some delay on that account
Another legitimate source of delay has
been that of contested seats. The for.
mer OF these evils was disposed of in
reasonable time. But the tedious and
equ vocating manner in which other
matters are disposed Of, or rather kept
on hand, gives us reason to believe
that even this instance of dispatch was
TO some extent the result of selfish
ness.
Legislators sho"ld NOT of course
hurry through the passage of impor-
tant laws in such manner as to make
them incomplete and indefinite. But
when weeks are spent in reports, re-
commitments, and long debates ON
such subjects as contested elections,
the relative merits of the United
States Mails and Private Expresses,
the number of newspapers they should
! vote themselves at the public expense,
!, the time and mode of electing a Uni.
ted States Senator, ard above all, the
! contemplate farce Of discussing, day
after day, the legality of an act passed
by former Legislative body fixing
! the pay of the present Legislature and
its otlicers-a matter of which the
present body evidently have no legal
cognizance--and when, after all, there
is no prospect Of these questions ever
being settled, we have right to think
they are not doing their duty. They
are sent there to enact laws for the
good of the State and the advancement
,of our interests. Matters of seconda.
'ry Importance may justly claim their
action; but in most cases these are
easily understood and adjusted, and
should be acted upon promptly, and
without absorbing an undue amount Of
that time claimed by more extended,
lmore general, and more weighty in
terests Of the state. The law has al.
ready fixed the compensation to which
they were entitled for their services,
and though they were to discuss the
matter of its propriety until the day
after the expiration of their term
of service, they could not change enc
syllable of it. W. dare say there is
not a man Of common intelligence in
either branch of our Legislature who
does not know this. Let il be re-
membered that no Legislative body is
allowed to alter the laws fixing the
rate Of their compensation SO as to in
crease that rate. lfthey could, where,
in this age Of avarice would they stop !?
When they assembled, we could make
-. - calculation Of what the cost of their
session would amount to, for they
could as easily vote TO themselves
thousands as hundreds - millions as
thousands. Ii illegality exists in the
manner of consummating the act of
the last Legislature fixing the pay of
members, it must be determined and
settled by the Supreme Court, and to
that source must they look for Its adj
justmcnt, let them bubble and squan-
der time as much as they may. If
the court decides that act illegal, then
it is void, and the former act remains
unrepealed. But of this let the prop
er tribunal decide.
We do not wish TO make ourselves
the champions Of "retrenchment and
reform" Much less do we wish to
stand silently by and see a profigate
waste Of public means, by those whose
duty it is to guard, protect and
strengthen the yet weak and made
quate financial resources of the State.
They should have a just compensation
for their time and services. They
should have no more. Moreover, we
do contend that the people have a
49,