Volcano weekly ledger., 1856-01-05
Mr. Henry s. Byam,
Meeting Of the Legislature.

blymen Will take the oath OF oflice prescribed
by the constitution, and at once enter upon
the discharge of the important duties de-
volved upon them A new Chief Magis-
trate, and new State officers throughout, will
also take their appointed places at the helm.
All the State officers and a majority Of the
members of the Legislature have been elected
under new party organization. This is
certainly an epoch in the political history of
California; and as such must create in the
minds of the people greater degree of in
terest than is usually produced by the assem-
bling Of Legislative body, or the incoming
of new State officers.
It is not for us to offer advice as to what
should be the organized action of any partc-
ular party or faction in the Legislature. 1t
would no doubt be considered as entirely
gratuitous, no matter which division we
might select as the one upon which to inhict
lecture But it is proper for us, and for all
other public journalists, to speak and speak
freely of the legislative or law-making power
as an entirety We know the Legislature
only as Legislature; we know it as the
source from which must emanate the laws to
which we as good citizens are bound to yield
obedience; we ascribe to it dignity much
higher than that which should be awarded an
assemblage for mere partizan purposes. 1t
frequently happens that Legislatures are in
reality nothing more than party conventions;
no man who heeds passing events can have
failed to notice this humiliating truth as oc-
curing in the different States of the Union
and also in the Federal Congress. 1t is
libel on our free institutions, and should be
henceforth and forever discountenanced-
Men are elected to Legislatures to serve first
the people, for which they are paid; if they
make it their business to secure first their
party, and the people afterwards, the latter
universally come out of the small end of the
horn!
The Legislature to convene on Monday
will have important business before it. The
assembled wisdom will have their hands
full In the first place, it seems to be con-
ceded by common consent that there is to be
general overhauling OF the affairs of our
State government from the beginning. This
is right; investigation cannot injure any man
who has been an honest and faithful officer;
and if any have been dishonest and unfaith-
full, they should be exposed. A member of
the United States Senate is to be elected
He should be a man who will represent us in
that august body ably, industriously and hon
estly; one who will assume and maintain an
influence as nearly as possible commensurate
with the wants of our young and vigorous
commonwealth. We want Senator who
possesses the capacity and the energy to repre-
sent this the newest and brightest star in the
constellation of States, according as her posi-
ton, her Importance, and her wants dictate
that she should be represented. We have
the material, that is settled; will the Legis-
lature make judicious selections!
But we have no intention of ennumerating
all the particular business the Legislature
will be called upon to transact 1t may be
well, however, to call the especial attention
Of the law-making power to one thing more
to wit, that measures should be taken to Sc
cure complete revision of our civil and
criminal practice in courts of Justice. In
many civil cases that arise, our laws are such
that they amount to virtual denial of JUS
tce; and then also crimes that, with little
shrewd management on the part of perpetra-
tors, may be committed with impunity-
These things we have gathered from personal
observations, confirmed by the expressed
opinions of those learned in the law
Here, certainly, is wide and important field
of operations for the Legislature. Some
have expressed an opinion that it would be
Judcious to appoint commission to
thoroughly revise our civil and criminal prac-
tlce and submit the result of their labors for
approval to future Legislature
we would say to our legislators, finally.
See that you labor to perform the business
you have been elected to transact. Remem-
Der that yoa are the SERVANTS, and that
'os the people are the sovEREIeNs. You
should keep this important distinction con-
etantly in view. 1t is too much the custom