The Kansas herald of freedom. [volume] (Wakarusa, Kan. Territory) 1854-1860, 1859-02-19
The Legislature.

The Legislature.
The Legislature closed its session at IL
O'Clock on the night of the 18th inst. 1t
has dispatched large amount Of business.
and soon its labors will be before the pub
lie for approval or condemnation. We are
not prepared to pass judgment upon it,
neither are the people. Most Of those Acts
we have read, we heartily endorse. THE
Constitutional Convention Act, which we
published last week, is fair and impartial
in every part and is just such law as the
people wanted. 1t gives ample time to
the framing of Constitution, and it will
meet with universal appreciation. -
The law for the relief of sufferers is an
act of justice to the early settlers, and the
people will everywhere approve it. 1t
was somewhat impaired by several men,
beers getting weakened, and attempting
to shrink the responsibility of their most
righteous act, by supplementary law,
but we believe enough of the original law
remains to secure the rights of sufferers,
and the timidity of the Legislature in the
premises will be the act which will crush
the members, not their vote for the ORR
ginal bill.
The apportionment law is good one,
as is the census act. The highway law,
which we publish this week, will also be
generally approved by the resident tax
payer after the principles Of the act are
generally understood.
The only abortive legislation which has
come under our observation, was that in
regard to extending the Jurisdiction of the
District Court of Douglas county over the
southern counties, and then passing gen.
eral amnesty bill. That matter will never
bear Investigation, and it will bring dis
grace and political damnation upon the
parties concerned in it. The difficulties
along our southern border are too deep to
be settled by general amnesty bills. Those
who have been shooting down Free State
men and Pro-Slsvery men, and robbing
them of their property, should have been
brought to justice. Hamilton and Brock
ct are abroad with their crimes upon them,
and Others alike guilty are among u.s.
The "wiping out and beginning anew" is
too much like the sale of criminal indul.
gences, in Catholic countries, in former
age, and we greatly apprehend that it
will be followed with similar results. If
law does not punish crime, injured parties
will band together, and each party will
interpret or make the law according to his
own caprice, and execute the same.
A few months more and another gen.
eral amnesty law will be demanded, and
thus on from year to year, until the end is
seen in revolution, and an determination
or expulsion of the weaker party from
the Territory follows.
We understand the laws of 1855 and
ST were repealed, and the code of 1858,
and most of the laws of that session, were
repealed, modified or amended and that
again, for several months, the courts, ie-
gal profession and litigants generally are
thrown loose from their moorings, and are
compelled to drift, uncertain of their des-
tination, or point of compass. The end
Of these things will come, but not until
we have passed the chrysalis, or formation
condition, and have assumed our position
as State in the Union.
Both branches of the Legislature have
passed away, and in October next new
one vii! be elected. From present indi-
cations the battle will be fought on par
tisan grounds, and the most numerous will
be the victors. It is probable we shall
never be cursed again with Legislature
made up almost wholly of one party
As oxygen and hydrogen are each essen
tial to sustain animal life, so two par
ties. and those nearly equally balanced,
are essential to the preservation of good
society and good government. The fool
ish, wicked, and fraudulent legislation of
1855 and '57, BY the Pro.Slavery party,
has only been counterbalanced by the
legislation of SO and SO by the Free
State party. Each sought to exclude all
opposition BY overriding the forms of law,
and each will have to suffer the conse-
quences which have followed. and are yet
to follow.