Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-06-04
CONDITIONAL LEGISLATION.

The practice unknown till recently of passing con-
dtona law to go into operation only in the event of its
receiving the sanction Of majority of the constituency
is voluntary act of legislative sefstultifcation and
manifest cowardice. Our business is now not with it's
constutionality which Is at least questionable but we
aude to discredtable testimony once Of the ten
dency of the times and the gnobe and subservent spirit
of those who pretend to be leaders and instructors when
they are only the slaves of the people We about
to ask whether Legislature has right to halfmake
law and then leave to be finished by the pubc but
whether they do not feel ashamed of such open
sson either of their incompetence or want Of
He who has not sufficient confidence in himself to pass
defnitiyely upon the enactment of law is fit to be
legislator In truth he is not by his confess
sion, any more than man is baker who merely kneads
the dough, and gets another to bake it, and make
it into bread
Perhaps this crnging to the power of numbers win be
said to be not much owing to the of selconcet
in those who do it, Of which they supposed have
plenty and to spare Of their of daring
for is generally thought they reckless enough when
1T is for their interest to be They dare
times to do all that may become man, and more too
Mo- this conduct when probes it to its motives is
not ridiculous, timid, and selfstufying it may
seem when examinedt to the bottom those who practice
1t will be found keen, crafty, and hardy enough they
not to be justly twitted for want of these The
trouble is there is too much Of them These people are
not chargeable with want of opinions of their own and
obstinate ones too but Of determined purpose of i'm
Difference to the popular WILL STOPPING to conquer it,
are among the political arts called legislative. 1t
was similar vile sycophancy which induced the Demo-
cratic party in the State of Maine fifteen years ago
order by Legislative act its share of the famous surplus
fund to be paid to the people Of that Commonwealth 1t
was not returned to the pockets Of the citizens pretend
ed because it was never taken at all from some and from
in the same proportion it was given to him.
But the farce had its effect at the time and doubt has
left its consequences, for good but evil behind it,
Where this mongre legislation just coming into fashion
would have ended had it not been for the check admins
tered by Judge PRATT, of New York. venture
to guess But these checks and then to>great
rents of opinion which always setting pretty strong
one way another is at least useful flip to reflection
and REORGANIZATION of the grounds of this curious n.y.
brid legislation one-haf by the representative half
by the constituent An authority for it is certainly
found totden rerbis in any constitution recommended
by the precedent Of much respectable usage Should it
become prevalent, the reference of law to the final
Judgment of the popular voice for its validity will help
break down the NOBLE independent manhood of legsla
lures and convenient door for the easy escape Of
mean-spirited tmeserving, subservent member from
the proper responsibility annexed to his Office which
alone gives it any dignity. Without this, he is but
poorinstrument and worthless tool-Newark Daily Adv.