Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-02-19
when will the Legislature Adjourn,


This question is asked from all parts of the
State. All resolutions that have been offered
to fix the end of the session, have been laid on
the table, or modified and killed. That body
don't seem inclined to answer the question.
From the lights before us, we should say the
adjournment will take place between the goth
March and the LIST of April. The session will
have been an unusually long one, and its ex-
penses unusually large. We cannot say
that its acts, at least in this respect,
will be particularly gratifying to the
people The members have bad prolonged
dance, but when the people come to pay the
fiddler, we presume the fun viii not be very
agreeable. We think that there has been a
great deal of dancing and carousal, which
were unnecessary to the public veal, and
which might have been dispensed with. 1t is
indeed becoming an abuse of the public pa
thence. But if the people of Tennessee sowed
an unusual quantity of wild oats last August,
they ought certainly to come up to the work
of the harvest without grumbling. If they
have been guilty of folly, let them wear its
fruits with a cheerful face. Let by-gones be
by-gones. Tribulations are said to be the
proof of the christian spirit. Let the democ-
racy, therefore, bow down in sack-cloth and
ashes for their accumulated sins, and let the
Americans never cease to pray for speedy
deliverance. And since Dor populi, cor Del est,
let the omnipotent people speedily grant the
prayer.
There is a systematic attempt being made to
relieve the dominant and responsible party of
the odium which will inevitably attach to the
unnecessary length of the session. 1t is said
that the Revised Code of the State is the great
consumer of time; and behind it the demo-
crazy are -skulking, already, for protection.
The people well know, however, that this is
but poor shield. 1t is well known that for
several years, the State has had under pay able
nnd competent Revisors. The RevisOrs have
performed their duty, and reported the code
at near the beginning of the session rs ready
for Legislative action. The two Houses ap-
pointed joint committee to examine the same,
and see that it is faithful codiiication Of ex-
listing laws. This committee has performed
its duties with singular assiduity and fideli-
ty, thus relieving the Legislature of the great
labor incident to that work and the latter
has had nothing to do but to hear thread three
several times. This necessarily occupies
from three quarters to an hour and half each
day, much less time than is spent each day in
windy discussions, points of order, &c. The
waste of time can not be saddled on the code
We think the code might have been adopted
in o much shorter way than by three several
readings, and that some other course should
have been pursued, by which the time neces-
sary to its separate readings might have been
more appropriately and usefully bestowed;
but as it is, but small portion of each day
is spent in its consideration. 1t rarely elicits
discussion, and is generally passed as matter
of course, and without one half the members
knowing or caring what it contains. 1t is
meant to be digest of the laws of the State
as they now exist, and as such, it is received
and passed. We would suggest that the peo-
pie take care hereafter to have no more SEES
sons extending through almost half the year.
1t ought not, and we believe, will not be toll
Grated.