Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-11-28
The Tennessee Legislature.

The eighth week OF the session end on
Saturday. We have nothing of great inter
est to chronicle a. accomplished, of which
eur readers are not already advised. The
Senate keeps well up with its business, and
clears its calendar from day tn day, in about
half the time occupied by the House IN It's
sessions. 1t is consequently able to adjourn
each day at about the usual dining hour IN
Gil the next morning. The House l. much
more dilatory in its aclion. Its business
has been accommodating from day to day ir6m
the beginning, and its calendar is now full Of
business The number of bills Introduced
into the House now reaches about 325, OF
which but few have been disposed of fiual-
w. We cannot attribute this tardinCss 10
the presiding officer Of the House. who i
active, quick, thoroughly acquainted with
parliamentary rules, and prompt in annouuc-
ing and enforcing the rules. There are
faults. however, with the House itself which
should be corrected without delay. One Of
these is the habit it has acquired, OF making
" special orders thus postpouing measures,
and interrupting the regular progress of
business. Another is the habit Of
pending the rules on the most trivial occasions
and for the most unimportant purposes.
A little reflection should convince members
that &C onomy, both of time aud labor, would
be best secured by adhering to the eftab-
lished rules. and proce, ding regularly in the
dispatch of the public business. Still another
serious drawback is the fancied notion that
the interests and welfare of all the good
people of the commonwealth of Tennessee
are directly dependent on the calling OF The
yeas and nays, on questions Of the least sig
nificance Especially does it seem Of the
greatest magnitude that the yeas and nays
should be taken on motions for adjournment
from time to time. 1t appears to be esteemed
. religious duty on The part of some to have
the record ample and minute on this jet.
Not only is the time thus unnecessarily con-
sumed, but the extent to which it swells the
journals, and consequently the cost Of their
printing. il entirely overlooked. Nobody
ever thinks or cares about these petty de-
tails. The people send their Representatives
here for a different purpose, and that Is TO
attend TO the public business and to dIsl ose
of ID az quickly as due regard to its proper
consideration and its thorough investigation.
will admit Of Come, gentlemen. leave of
your squabbIes over minor matters, and ad
dress yourselves to the weightier things ap-
pertaining to the common veal of the State.
The Harper's Ferry Resolutions were dis
cussed in she House on Friday and Saturday.
We regard them very much in the light of a
party mannuvrc which would he very well as
illustrative of di gladiat0rial skill and ingcnui
" on the stump; but there is nothing IN
them that we can see which comes within the
regular line of the duties of the Legislator.
II is desired by their supporters that they
should operate as instructions 10 our mem
b rs of the House Of Repres natives in Con
guess on the suhj ct organizing that body.
OF course this IL all bosh stuff, Nonsense
1t implies a distrust on the part OF the Leg
islature Of the integrity aud fidelity Of the
Representatives whom the Propi" MemsTires
have chosen to send to Congress. IL is an
indirect reflection on the capacity of the
people to select their agents, and il
scarcely less than All insult to the Reprcscn
tatives. The Opposition have introduced
resolutions in lieu. expressing their sense Of
the Harper Ferry toray. which were voted
down. In this they have but done their
duty, and there they will rest their record.