Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1860-03-31
The Legislature.

tue b9BlSldJure'
The Legislature having determined to
adjourned finally ON the third ofApril says
the Patriot & Union of the 23d of March,
is now laboring to atone for time wasted in
the early part of the session, by crowding
all the important business into the few. days
yet remaining. Bills are rushed through
the forms of Legislation with hot haste and
little reflection, as if the safety of the COM
monwealth depended upon an early ad-
journment. This forced industry would be
highly commendable if it was safe and nec-
essary but it is both dangerous and unnec-
essary. There is no good reason why the
Legislature should not take time to trans
act the business before it decently and in
order. Little or nothing is saved to the
Treasury by short sessions, now that men,
bers are paid fixed salary, and incalcu-
liable harm may be done by stimulating leg
islation to such a degree that Objectionable
measures escape scrutiny and detection.
But the majority are of different opin-
ion. They think it will be quite a point to
show the people how very expeditions and
economical this Republican Legislature
has been. They mean to refer to it as an
evidence of the administrative capacity of
the Republican party, while they leave a
mass of untouched business as q legacy to
the next Democratic Legislature. Let us
see how the account stands at this time
Less than ten working days of the session
remain. The Appropriation Bill, inyolv-
ing several millions of dollars, was not
touched by the House until yesterday morn
ing, althou rules require it to be re-
ported from committee by the first of
March. ThilslDst important act of the
session is postponed to the last feverish
hours, while the time which should have
been devoted to its considerations was was
ted in discussing and passing an act to food
the State with small notes, and create an.
other commercial revulsion by expanding
and initiating the currency-for such would
be the appropriate title Of the Free Banking
Bill adopted by the house. 1t seems to
have been more important to earn the las
ting gratitude Of every association of indi-
viduals in the State ambitious of banking
and issuing paper currency, than to con-
slider the Appropriation Bill before the fl,
nal days of the session, when every men,
Der is urgent for the consideration of bills
specially committed to his charge. The
consequence is that the Senate will be for
ced to dispose of the Appropriation Bill as
hastily as the House, and also to determine
with little more consideration the fate of the
great paper money scheme,
The Sunbury and Eric bill, too, must
be disposed of in the general scramble and
confusion. Here again party policy steps
in to determine question purely financial
The Republican majority are disposed to
grant the company what they demand, but
are fearful ofthe consequences. 1freport,
are to be credited, the fate of this measure
is scaled, by the counsel Of the Republican
candidate for Governor adverse to its pass
age, while up to this time its friends have
been deluded with the plcasingid that NJ
obstruction would be placed in the way o
its impartial consideration,
Time and space would fail us to make
mention of the great number of importan
measures which have been unnecessarily
deferred to the closing week of the session
and all for no practical good. The grea
evil of precipitate adjournment is not S
T, much that a large number of bills will re
main untouched, as that hundreds will b
passed or deferred without proper and mel
tied consideration. And what is the com
pensating good for all this hasty and in
considerate action? Why nothing NOR
than that Republican members may CLAIM
credit for short session, and earn thoi
seven hundred dollars in the shortest pos
sible time. They are welcome to all tn
, party capital that can be made out of thi
kind of economy.
The Execution at Charlestown