Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1858-02-17

result much TO the public economy Of the 81 ate TO
change the meetings of the Legislature, FROM once
in every two, TO once in every four years. BY re-
ference to official reports 1t will be seen that the
actual and incidental expenses attaching 10 the
sessions Of the Legislature heretofore have amounted
to about one hundred and twenty thousand ollars
per session. Then, sir, we spend more than one
hundred thousand dollars Liennially for what laws
are made or altered as the case may be, every Two
years. By adopting the amendment proposed, We
will save to the tax payers of the State At least nifty
thousand dollars per annum: and at the same time
meet ali the interests necessities which require
legislative enactment. We meet too often. The
people do not have time to understand the laws that
we pass Even the courts and the lawyers do not
keen M with the Legislature; much less the in
dustrious hard working yeomany Of the country,
whose occupations do call them to daily inVesti
CATION of law books and legislative proceedings.
The iustiees of the peace throughout the State who
pass upon half the litigation Of the country, and
whose offices do not Justify them in shutting them
selves up in law Office, but who only get to exam
inc the laws during intervals Of recreation or repair
from their labors have less than two years to in
| form themselves and understand the laws which
/ they are 10 administer between their nelghbors-
The Peep have still less time and opportunity 10
look into the Of their State, AMI they are
called upon by the candidates to instruct them for
or against the repeal of a law enacted from to Il
months previous 10 the said candidacy For instance
laws enacted at this session, will not be printed IN
/ all probability before the first Of next October.
And about the first Of the month of June following,
the candidates for the next Legislature will be IN
the field proposing various amendments TO, as well
as reoeaIs of laws enacted at this session. Then
the people having according to the foregoing ealcu
/ lation INT eigbt months tr consider of the laws
and having no experience by which to test the JUS
tce or the policy of the law are dependent entire
ly upon the cold theories and empty defamation OF
The candidates in making up their minds as to the
correctness or incorectness of any act of the pre-
| ceding Legislature. Hence the impermanenee and
unsettled condition of our laws, as well as the pro-
lixity and ambguityO Of the same. The consequence
! is that our Laws not being well matured, and not
being sufficiently permanent, are not well settled
by the courts The people not having sufficient OPP
poFtunity learn them are to great extent, lgno-
rant of them, and therefore do not observe them
and hence the excessive and extravagant itg alton
| which burdens courts. Even the courts them
selves when they travel back through the vOlubity
of various and numerous statutes upon the same
point of law are lost in the ambiguity of super
| iuous Legislation, and cannot at all times deter
mine as to the true intent and meaning of the Leg
Eislaure in their various and successive enactments
upon one and the same principle Of law.
Laws not observed or administered are worse
than no laws at all; and if the people do not IN
derstand the laws, how can we expect them to
observe them? But sir, change the meetings OF the
Legislatures to uuad1 ennial sessions will under
stand the laws, or at least know that they exist
| before they are repealed. We can then keep up
with the statutes-keep pace with the Legislatures
and will not be reduced to the necessity Of refer
ring our statutes to committees Of revisal, as we
have necessarily done at this session. The revlsal
of the statutes now under consideration and which
has heightened our present session materially, and
! incurred considerable expense, IS principally at
| tributable to the causes TO which have alluded
Why need the Legislature Of this State meet
oftener than every four years? Now, Congress
should annually from the fact that public poll
CIV requires it. They have tariff to regulate so as
to meet the various changes Of commercial inter
course between this and other nations. They have
territories to organize and admit into the Union.
They have vast domain to control, and to regulate
the disposition of the public lands in various re-
spects They have frontiers to guard by reinforce
ment of the standing armies, &c. But this State
has no such or responsibilities resting or de-
yolving upon it; but only has the care Of the do
nestle concerns of her own limits, which are well
secured and guarded by series Of legislation ex-
tending back nearly to the revolution 1t might
have been, and probably was, important that the
Legislature should have metfrequently in the earlier
career of this State for she then had resources to
develop; she had unsettled lands, minerals, and
a variety of interests, experiments, and enterprises
which were living dormant until they we're awakened
into life and use by legislative energy. But, at
the present time, this State has not single re-
source either natural OF acquired, which has not
reached the zenith Of its enhancement in value, and
legislative enactment could give facility to or in
any manner effect its development. Every subject
matter of legislation in this State has been duly
considered-every resource has already found a
constituent part of the great and glorious deyelo-
ment of our proud State, and nothing scarcely Is
left Misunderstanding remains to engage the at
tenton Of legislators but to modify and make few
trivial changes from time to time, our necessities
may demand which can be amply provided by
meeting every four years 1 hope the amendment
will be made.
The vote resulted-yeas 81, nays 22--as follow;
Teas-Messrs. Algee, Anderson, Bate, Beale,
Bentley, Brazelton, Bullock, CantTell, Carter OF
Carter, Carter of Hardin, Copeland, Davie, Fulton,
Griffith, Hamilton, Holmes, johnson, Kendriek,
Keeney, Lackey, Lamb, Lloyd, Randolph Roulston,
RenshaW, Rose, Saunders, Senter, Smartt, Stanton,
Stoval Summers, Taylor, Turner Of Roane, White
of Knox Wood, and Speaker DonelsOn-37.
Nays-Messrs. Bayless, Blackburn, Cooper, Da-
wilson, Dunlap, Estes, Ewing Frazer, Cannon,
Ivie, King, Low, Nancy, Maris, Mickey, Roberts, |
Schmittou Shrewsbury, Thompson, Wilson, White !
Of Hamilton, and Vsughn-22.
So, q majority Of all the members not voting IN |
the affirmative, the resolution failed.
Mr. RICHARDSON Mr. BENTON, and Mr. Ma !
NEY had leave of temporary absence.
NIGHT SESSIONS.
Mr. GRIFFITHS resolution for regular night |
sessions coming up
Mr. GRIFFITH said:
PRODUCTION of this resolution may by some be /
ascribed to Bumcombe; but have felt it to be |
duty that we owe to ourselves and to our constitu
ents, to introduce and adopt this proposition. |
Some Of US, for our living, are dependent upon /
agricultural pursuits and it behOOves such to use
every lawful means in theirpOwer to bring this pro-
tracted session to a close at as early day as
possible
Now, sir, I desire to call the attention of this
House to the condition of our business, as appears
frem the Calendar on our tables. You see there
are near two hundred bills on their second reading
mostly of a general character upon which no action
whatever has been had, except the mere formal j
passage upon their introduction, and as yet, be-
lieve no measure introduced in this House has been
perfected, with the exception Of few bills taken
up out of the regular order, through the courtesy
of members Of this body; nor have we, as yet been
able to get regularly half through our Calendar.
Again, Mr.. Speaker, within the last day or two
several very important bills have been introduced.
alude to measures intended 20 relieve the people
from the embarrassments that now hang over them; !
for as yet, in my humble opinion, no relief meas
ure has been adopted by this Legislature. The
people demand and expect-Or at least they have
demanded and expeoted-this at our hands. Now,
sir, they are beginning to rnur, and are giving
up in despair. The country papers are advising us
to throw up our hand and 60 home. In the face Of
all these facts it be possible that members upon
this floor will refuse TO meet here and hold night
sessions in order to transact and dispose Of bust
ness now before them. Sir, unless we 60 to
work in the right spirit, you will find that when we
do finally adjourn the major part of the business
before US will remain unfinished
am aware, sir, that some entertain the idea that
there is in hurrying through business, be-
cause they say, we will get through before the
v1sing committee can perfect the code. To such
would say the true policy is for US to go ahead and
perfect all propositions of general character, so
that they may be incorporated in reVisal And
nothing would tend to hasten the completion of the
Code so much as for it to be known that we are up
with our other business.
We have a full corps of competent clerks, who are
able, and hope willing to do their whole duty in
assisting to bring this session to a speedy close
and l call upon members in this House. who have
any regard for the wishes or interests of their
stituents, to support this resolution
Mr. CANTRELL proposed a resolution in lieu,
prescribing night sessions for Mondays, Wednesdays,
md Fridays.
After debate ,
On motion by Mr.. GRIFFITH, the resolution in
lieu was laid on the table.
Mr.. GRIFFITH then proposed to amend the resO-
luton, by making it an order for three night ses