The Kansas herald of freedom., 1859-08-06
A Useless Senate.

He WlSuOm Vi Tue w ydnuOLb OOnVtH'
ton is shown in the 18th section of the
article on Legislative Department. 1t
reads "All bills shall originate in the
House of Representatives, and be subject
to amendment or rejection by the Sen.
ate."
The Senate is not made coordinate
branch of the Legislature, but mere re-
visory body. The members must wait
till the House, unaccustomed to legisla-
ton, fairly gets the harness on, and have
passed bills, before the Senate can do
anything but hear prayers from the chap
lain, and pass resolutions. The very body
of men whose experience best qualities
them to draft bills aud mature them for
passage, are tied hand and foot by this
silly provision.
Special legislation is prohibited, and
general legislation required. In such a
case, every law requires a careful re-
vision, to adapt it to the wants of every
Fart of the State, and to have it in har.
mony with the Constitution. The bills
must, except in cases of emergency, be
read three times in full before final pas
sage. Very likely one hundred bills will
be introduced and read first time, before
one will reach its third reading. The first
month Of the session will be spent in pass
ing resolutions, introducing bills, discuss
ing them in Committee, reporting them
back, and recommitting to the Judiciary
Committee, before they will reach a final
passage. The legislation of other States
confirms this view. So does the legisla-
ton of Kansas. The House Of Repre-
sentatives passed one general law bill the
first week of the session (; one special law
bill the second week three general and
one special law bill the third week four
teen general and sixteen special law bills
the fourth week. Had the Council been
tied, as the new Senate now is, its ses-
sions would have been almost useless the
first three weeks.
1t is well known that fully two-thirds
of the bills passed by Legislatures, have
their third reading within the last ten
days of the session. The consideration
of the most important bills is postponed
to this period generally. If such be the
case under the new Constitution, then the
Senate will find it impossible to pass the
bills originated in the House, through
their three readings, even if not word
of discussion is had upon them, or sim
gle reference made to Committees. The
Senate will be compelled to confne itself
to summary rejection or adoption of the
mass of bills presented by the House.
Such is the burlesque on legislation pre-
sented by the Wyandott Convention.
How shall this defect be remedied ?
S. o. Thacher replies, ave have made
very liberal provisions for amendment Of
the Constitution" True, two-thirds
vote of the Legislature in favor of an
amendment, if Endorsed by the people at
the next general election, can change the
Constitution. But this gives the House,
which is too apt to be jealous of CO. or.
dinate branch of the government, the
power to negative the proposition of the
Senate for equality of legislative power.
1t is but little recommendation for 8
Constitution to say that it can easily b.
amended. Frequent change in legisla'
ton is undesirable, and Constitution, a.
the highest form of law, should be formed
with the utmost deliberation, and wher
adopted have guaranty of permanence
Legislatures are controlled to too grea
an extent by partisans, and facility fol
partisan Constitution making should b
guarded against, to secure the people il
the possession of justice and government
tai protection