The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1854-02-03
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON
BUNKUM."


The following strikes US as being the best
Legislative paper that has appeared during
the present session. 1t appears in the Nash
Vile Wing as the report Of special CON-
mittee to whom was referred "a Bill to di-
minish the compensation of Members of the
Legislature"
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 passage Of a bill that diminishes the per
diem of future members of the Legislature,
but for the fact that some few Of said com.
mittee still cling fondly to the hope OF some
day returning as members of this honorable
body-and they feel that seats in the Legis-
lature, uninvested with the charm of four dol
lars day, would be, indeed, "a beggarly nc
count of empty benches"
Those of your committee who took passage
in "the Omnibus" feetthat they have taken
short, vet sorrowful trip to their pofrteal
graves-martvrs to the future glory and
grandeur Of Tennessee; of course, they feel
no personal interest in refusing to retrench
the rations Of those upon whom their man.
ties must fall hereafter. Tender considera-
tions for the financial fortunes of those Of
the committee whose political fortunes were
not wrecked in "the Omnibus" alone constrain
your committee from recommending the pas
sage of the bill-and while they do not re-
commend its passage, they also do not re-
commend its rejection. Your committee,
then, as whole, would not be understood MS
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 a
committee which, MS its name indlcntes, Is
composed of members who regard the rules
and practices and mon otOnous proceedings OF
ordinary Legislation, as shackles and fetters
which genius should scOrn to wear in a free
country. They therefore claim the privilege
of branching in whatever direction their IN
c,ination NAV lead-and under this clear and
undoubted branching power, they proceed to
deliver 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 important lines of railroad have been
entirely overlooked and omitted. 1t is need
less for them to say that they allude with
becoming reverence to the "convcrging lines"
The Importance of these lines over every one
embraced in 'the Omnibus" is too apparent
to be elucidated by reason or strengthened
by RECOMMENDATION. AS far as divine things
exceed those of mere human origin and aim,
so far do the "converging lines" exceed in
importance all the roads embraced in "the
Omnibus" Your committee therefore re-
commend that ten thousand dollars per mile
be given to the line running upon earth to
the point of intersection with the one running
from above, ut the millennium. Your CON-
mittee cannot too strongly urge upon your
consideration the importance OF the connec-
tions proposed by this route.
Upon the subject of Education and COM
mon Schools, your committee, after the most
laborious research and patient investigation,
have come to the conclusion, that education
is right good thing, but that it is owing al
together to the way in which child is raised,
whether il 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 poor
children of good constitutions, be educated,
and that the capitol be rented out, when the
Legislature is not in session, to raise iund
for this purpose.
On the subject of Finance, your committee
would state, seriously, that they are out of
funds and, recommend an appropriation of
five thousand dollars for their benefit, on
which they earnestly hope the House VIII not
permit the gentleman from 49, or the
gentleman from - to call the ayes ana
noes. And in this connection your commit
tee would suggest, that in their opinion, the
best way 10 wind up the Bank of Tennessee,
is to allow all the members of the House
who shall be in arrears to the treasury, at the
close of the session, to remain and board II
out with the State.
On the subject of the Penitentiary, your
committee recommend that the building be
so destroyed, that not ono stone shall be leit
upon another-that the conyicts be turned
out and that whip be placed in every hon.
est mechanics hand to lash the rascals naked
through the word-or else they recommend
that every stone in this proud editice on
which n felon's hammer has fallen or felon's
hand has been laid, be immediate y taken ont,
tied round the felon's neck, and both be cast
into Cumberland river.
On the subject of the Judiciary, your COM
mittee recommend that law shall be maze
equity and that equity shall be made law IN
such manner that hereafter we shall have
neither law nor equity in this State, and that
all LAWYERS be absolu utely abolished for the
peace Of society and the prosperity OF the
world.
On the subject of military affairs, your
committee feel perfectly at home. They re-
commend general war in Europe as the best
means of affording us an opportunity TO take
Cuba, and should the auspicious hour arrive,
they most strenuously urge the Importance
of a fiIIibustering expedition to "the Queen
of the Antilles" that she may be enabled,
Vcnus-like, to rise from the Ocean, clad III
the robes and adorned with the jewels OF
freedom. They recommend the building OF
the Pacific Railroad, and as n safety valve to
those who arc troubled with constitutional
scruples, they recommend that it be built as
\ military road, and that from its Eastern
terminus suspension bridge be thrown to
the Sandwich Islands, in order that those Is
lands may be annexed to us. We are pro-
n few more years, we shall have
annexed to us the Western hemisphere, and
unless suspension bridges or some other
means are adopted to connect us with points
within and over the ocean, it is obvious that
our manifest destiny must be defeated, and
the area of freedom circumscribed. This your
committee would regard as great calamity.
For they recommend that the American eagle
be permitted to fly, horizontally, to "earth's
loniiest bound and oceans widest shore"