Arkansas true Democrat., 1859-09-14
T'OT'OTOT.
Written for the '" True Democrat" MR. EDITOR-

lO1OI LII.
 Written for the H True Democrat
 MR. EDlroR-
 Your paper, of the 18th inst, contains at full length the amount of money drawn by each member, during the recess of the last legislature; as well as the proceedings of the House upon the highly-lauded lief fiery resolutions, together with an occasional comment from your pen upon the same
 While you have taken no little pains, & undergone considerable labor, to show the C inquity of the per diem" proceedings, d1 how the '' deor people," have thereby been most unwarrantablv outraged; it really seems to me that you have omitted to no- tice, in your estimabIe journal, theproceed- ingS of the last legislature upon one Ques- tion, which is certainly of as much interest to the people, as any that has, as yet, l claimed your attention. It is question, for the strict investigation of which. every means should be afforded them: one upon which they should at all events be inform ed. < it is that of the Recess
 The question of tho per dicn, took its | origin exclusively from tho recess: it grew from 1t, as did nearly every other measure, traught with injury to the people. This hiatus of three weeks in the legislative pro- ceedings of the State, was utterly uncaled tor-no occasion required it, & it is pre- cedent which deserves the hearty condem- nation of every journal in the land, which has her interests at heart
 The Governor was willing, that the mem bers should receive mileage for returning to & from home during the recess This. by all those who opposed the taking of per diem, was conceded to be allowable. Now. admit this precedent established, think you the deor people" would for moment bear the idea of each sucressive legislature henceforth adjourning for three weeks. leav- Ing Its business some of 1t, to sleep the sleep of death. for the sole purpose of its members going to their respective homes to enjoy a Christmas festivitv, < their expenses in returning back & forth, to be borne by their constituents,-th tax payers of the land?
 Therefore since this much-mooted per diem outrage originated exclusively from the recess, & since the taking of recesses henccforth is calculated to entail q serious additional expense upon the State. and other manifold evils and since number of members of the last legislature opposed this measure with a Spartan zeal, l ask vou is 1t not reasonable. nay, does not justice re- quire that the entire proceedings upon this matter from the intro lucton of the first q .F Il every vote upon the samc as well as the names of those who asked Jv obtained leave of absence, (thereby reducing the House below the constitutional number for the transactinG of business, & thereby creating the necessity for the recess should be made public.
 You publish the names of several inli- viduals, who, received neither per d.em nor mileage Now if it should be ascertained, upon farther examination, that these gen tlemen, or any of them, were the instru- ments ill encouraging & bringing about the recess, then it would be no longer q matter of surprise, that they shouli refuse pay for respite in the public labols. when they had so anXiously sought, 50 ob- stinatelv contcn lel for this hoylav at such papable risk of the public wea If on the contrary it should be ascertamed. that any of them resisted by their repatcd ef- | forts this baneful measure, dl have not withstanding refused to receive par of any amount, for recess which, (to l>e vour own expression upon the Je.fery reolutions) ) was forced upon them by specie of ''par- iamentarv tactics, they are certainly enti- tied to all the praise in the gift of.heir con- stituents. They are worthy of heir trust in any position of life. So reeal their names, that they may he embl1oned in golden characters upon the archFes of our State-that they may be indelibl7 register ed upon the hearts & memorie of their constituents, & thus preserved tell pos terity that there were a .tew stars of unex- tinguiShable lustre, in the murky egislative galaxy of '5S, & '59
 Perhaps your answer may Dc that the facts desired will appearupon tl journals, x this may be deemed sufficier. In re- sponse, l will say, so will the Jeflerv re- solutions appear upon the jounals: but deeming them of great imporance. you have given them, at some lengt 6 addi- tlonal publication in your pape, with oc- raSional comments. And 1t reav appears upon examination, that the reso5tions cer tainly fail to serve the purpose rhich vou intended, while your comments night DOS sibiy be construed into lack ofairness 6y jmpa,tality. Might not any on with per feet proprietv. S consistency bve voted against those resolutions? Wat part of the legislative proceedings are te facts de- manded by them, that they shuld appear upon the journals 10 render thel the more cumbersome & expensive? Tare was no possible chance for the facts seght to be revealed by them, to he kept lck if the people desired the informatil. They have at last received more notortv through the columns of your paper, tina they could have received. if published il ten times the amount of our journals. To prove that this view of those resoltions was identical with that of many. hers, who were utterly unbiased; who mle the mo- ton to table those resolutions nmediately upon their reading? Gen. Sa. Mitchell of Arkansas county-a gentle an of long, established political, moral & ocial stand ing, and one who upon this Ger memora- ble occasion stood firmly oprsed to the recess, & refused pay of any description for the time. Again l woul ask. what motion effectually killed theresolutionsq That of Levin D. Hill of per county to postpone untii day hxed fothe adjourn ment. And while i" the rididous amend ments" (of which you spes as having thrown odium upon & therel killed the resolutions were offered, son of them. by gentlemen who received no aount of mo- ney during the recess, & oths bv gentle , | voav ho rooaivad %bo,r ,,;L