Semi-weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1852-1853, 1853-04-20
LEGISLATION.

The Legislature of Virginia has adjourned after
a session of some nine a half months duration
having passed aboutsix hundred bills There is
legislation for you by the ton.
"The world is governed too much laws are
enacted about almost every thing but if they were
consistent with each other and clearly DRAWN there
would be less reason for complaint. The Assem-
bIies of North Carolina which biennial, usually
continue for ten or twelve weeks and it is frequent
ly remarked among the people, that no objection
would be made if they were to sit three InonCnS'
provided they perfected the business de'ol'eu upon
them Nearly every measure, with us IS crowded
into the last days of the session; and the conse-
ouonce is the laws are marked by errors and mis-
+akes on the part of the Clerks, Enrolling Com
nittees. and on the part, sometimes, OF the Houses
themselves which are more or less material, and
which mar, whether material or not, the public
statute-books.
In the earlier portions of the States history the
Engrossing Clerks were appointed, not as a matter
of favor, but they were selected from among the
best scribes, as the enrolled bills in the public ar
chives will show and the Committees on Enrolled
Bills were not only men in every respect ca
pable of correcting mistakes, but they attended to
the duties assigned them with much care. A good
scribe is one who not only writes fair hand, but
who knows how to spell and punctuate. Such an
officer if not interrupted in his duties, and if de-
voted to them, will seldom make mistakes but
with us it so happens that the Engrosspg Clerks
room is almost public place as the halls of the
two Houses-persons are constantly going in and
out, especially towards the close of the session,
when the pressure Of their labors is greatest; and
in addition to this, general rule, some half
dozen assistants are picked up week before the
session terminates to bring up not to perfect the
business, for perfected it is not. And then the
Committees on Enrolled Bills get together as they
can with members around them, to compare bills,
which they do, sometimes with very Babel about
their ears. And then the bills are laid before the
Speakers to be ratified and after this form is COM
Piled with they are deli vered to the Secretary Of
State, who hands them over to the printer; and of
course neither of them change single word,
no matter how palpable the defect may be.
We make no complaints against the Engrossing
Clerks; they do as we'll, perhaps, as ought to be
expected under the circumstances. The objection
is to the system or order of business, by which
nearly every thing is crowded into the last hours
of the session. The character of State is judged
of by its laws-not merely by their substance and
tone, but by the manner in which they are framed
If its laws are plain, direct and consistent with
each other, dramatically written, and printed cor
rectly and in good style, the inference that the
people who caused them to be framed are intelli-
gent, and properly informed as to their rights and
their obligations one to another; but if confused,
inconsistent, incorrectly drawn, and issued on bad
paper with old type, and in a rough form, another
and quite different conclusion is inevitable. We
hope future Assemblies will bestow some thought
upon these things, and apply the remedy.