The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1854-03-07
"Bunkum'' Legislation.

very amusing report of the chairman of the
"commitlee on Bunkum' in the House of
Representatives, upon the bill to reduce the
pay of members of the Legislature, is the best
specimen of burlesque upon tie )" Bunkum"
legislation Of the day and particularly " OF the
present Legislature of Tennessee. The report
is subloned.
Report of the Special Committes on " Bunk
una" to achom uus referred q" Il bill 10 diminish
the compensation Of Members sf the Legisia
tue"
The special Committee on Bunkum, to whom
was referred House Bill No. -, have had the
bill under painful consideration and beg leave
to report that they would have no objection
in the world to reporting in favor OF the pas
sage of Il bill that diminishes the perdien OF
future members of the Legislature, but from
the fact that some few of said commi tee still
cling f,ndIy to the hope Of some day returning
rs members of this Honorable bod and feel
that seats in the Legislature, urinvested with
the charm of four dollars Il day, would be, IN
deed, bcggary account of empty benches
Those of your committee who took passage
in " The omnibus" feel that they have taken a
short yet sorrowtul trip to their political graves
martyrs to the future glory and grandeur OF
Tennessee; Of course, they feel no personal
interest in refus ng to retrench the rations OF
those upon whom their mant!es must fall here
after. Tender considerations for the financial
fortunes of those of the committee whose p"-
itical fortunes were not wrecked in 81 The ON.
nibus' alone conStr;lin your committee from
recommending the passage of the bill = and
while they do not recommend its passage, they
also do not recommend its rejection. Your
committee, then, as Vhol, would not he un-
derstood as reporting very strong on either side
of the question. Indeed, your Committee,
think it no part of their business to report ON
the subject matter Of any bill before them.
"No pent up Utica contracts the powers of
committee which, as its name indicates, is
compuspd of members who regard the rules
and practices and monotonous proceedings of
ordinary legislation, as shackes and feiters
which genus should scorn to wear in free
country. They therefore claim the privilege
of branching in whatever direction their incli
nation may lead-and under this clear and un-
d."h. -A Lrn"~Ain1 mower, thew nr---~t- -
liver themselves to this House, generally.
Upon the subject of internal improvement
your committee would remark, that while you
are running so many roads over the ground,
you should be very careful not to run the whole
thing into the ground. They are Of opinion
that in the selfish and sectional strife, that has
taken place upon this subject; the most impor.
ant lines of railroad have been entirel y over.
looked and omitted 1t is needless for them to
say that they allude with becoming reverence
TO The converging lines" The Importance of
these lines over every one embraced in " the
Omnibus" is too apparent to be eIucdatcd by
reason or strengthened by augmentation. As
far as divine things exceed those of mere human
origin, and in so far do the converging lines"
exceed in importance all the roads embraced in
"the Omnibus" Your committee therefore
recommend that ten thousand dollars per mile
he given to the line running upon the earth to
the point of intersection, with the one running
from above, at the millennium. Your commit.
tee cannot too strongly urge upon your con
sideration the Importance Of the connections
proposed by this route.
Upon the subject of education and common
schools, your committee, after the most labo-
rious research, and patient investigation, have
come to the conclusion, that education Is
right good thing, but that it is owing a!togeth'
er TO the way in which a child is raised, wheth-
cr it will agree with him or not. They think
our present system of common schools should
not be made any more common than they are
They recommend that all the poor children OF
good constitutions, be educated, and that the
capitol be rented out when the Legislature Is
not in session, to raise a fund for that purpose
On the subject of finance, Jour committee
would state. seriously, that they are ont OF
funds and rccum.ncnd an appropriation OF five
thousand dollars for their benefit, on which
they earnestly hope the House will not permit
the gentlemen from --, or the gentlemen
from -- to call the ayes and noes And
IN this connection your committee would SuS
rest, that in their opinion, the best way to wind
up the Bank of Tennessee, is to allow the mem
bers of the House who shall be in arrears to
the treasury, at the close of the session, to re-
main and board it out with the State.
On the subject of the Pentcntlory, your
committee recommend that the building be so
DESTROYED, that not one stone shall be lett upon
ano.her-that the couvicts be turned out, and
that whip be placed in every honest mechan'
ic's hand to lash the rascaIs naked through the
word-or else they recommend that every
stone in this proud edifice on which telons
hammer has fallen or fel"ns hand has been
laid he immediately taken out tied round the
fIon's neck. and both be cast into the Cum.
bcrland river.
On the subject Of the judiciary, your com
mil,cc recommend that law shall be made