The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1860-02-03
Publication Of the Laws.

newspapers. Should il finally pass the
House. our law. makers will havo gravcly
decided not to allow the people tho privilege
Of reading their onactmcnts. chope they
will stop short of this, however; for il would
Prove decision as unpopular as undemo
cratic.
We understand it to 10 tho duty Of the
w.making power. not only to enact rules
for the government Of tho people, but to
SEQ that thcy arc properly promulgated.
Every nation provides its own mode for so
doing. Tho laws of the froest nations are
promulgated in the mcst pubic manner
but dospotic nations choose to retain tho
knowledge of their laws in tho minds of the
few who enact aud execute them. One
tyrant is said to have posted bis laws, writ.
ton ia finu characters, on tho tops of high
| that no had not promulgated them, the peo-
pie could DO none tho wiser for their pro-
visions. Should Iho Senate Bill become n
law, the Legislature of OHIO will show oven
less "srcct for tho popular will. having
abolished tho ouly practicable means for
! circulating its acts among tho pooplO. We
should regret to have our Republican Legis.
Iaturo, at the vory beginning of it's career,
inaugura;e policy so anti Republican.
1t has been said that, whether tho laws are
published bv authority or not, thoir proyis.
ions will be made known through tho press.
II this bo truo, it is no reason why they
should not bo published. When our State
Government shall have hccomoso hoprlcssly
bankrupt as to depend upon tho favor OF
tho press to gyo its laws publicity, it will
be nearly ready to suspend operation.
Tho most plausible argument against the
publication of tho laws, is. that they arc
unintorcs;ing to the general reader. Biog-
raphy or romance may bo moro entertaining.
and, if the laws woro not published for tho
instruction rather than cdfcation If tho
people, this argument might be unanswera-
/ tile. Tho act authorizing their publication
like many other ncod!ul measures, is doubt.
loss liable to abuse; but would this be
rcncdted by rcsorting to the other extreme
of no publication Even MS matter OF
economy, tho policy OF such change may
TO doubted. Whilo tho people havo an
opportunity to read all tho laws rs they arc
enacted, and to thoroughly canvass their
merits, thoro 10 less likelihood that useless
and expensive laws will find their way into
tho statute book.
Ii the publication of tho laws be attended
with exponso, so is everything elso connuc.
ted with tho State Government. Tho ONLY
question is, Ought The tdcs 10 be published
And, upon tins question. it would suetn
there should no no difference of opinion
Somo Of our lawmakers, who object to tho
publication of tho laws, because, us thoy
sssert, it is measure for tho support OF
tho press, aro urging anather measure which
would benefit scarcely any clas, oIcopt the
lawyers, Though publishers of newspapers
should bo reasonably compensated for print.
lug the laws. as other classes arc paid for
services rendered tho State, VIC deny that
they AFRO printed for the exclusive benefit
Of tho press. The press neither asks nor
expects such gratultous assistance from tho
Snto Government. Tho money thus OK
pended is u comparatively small item, which
tho people pny for their own instruction. II
rhoy arc 20 10 compelled to obtain all ther
knowledge Of tho Laws which govern them,
from professional lawyers, aud to pay rcgu.
lar fees therefor, how much will they gain
by tho chaugo;
Tho expense of publication would be SEN
sibly diminished, ii fowcr now laws wcro en-.
acted, aud loss frcquont changes mnde in
thoso now existing. There is no necessity
for tho multitude of laws which burden tho
statute-book. Tbuy AFRO calculated only to
increase tho expense of legislation, and con-
fuse tho minds of the people and, if our
law makers arc really in earnest in their
professions Of II desire for retrenchmont they
should sock to remedy this growing OWL
Let tho laws bo AS few ond simple as posi-
bic, and givo tho pooplo ample opportunity
to become familiar with their provisions, and
there will DO less noed of retrenchmont.
! Ii is strange that, when mon are seized
with a suddou fit of economy, and begin to
curtail thor expenses. tho first efforts at re-
trenchment arc very apt to bo damaging tc
thoir ntoIccts-that thoy retain tho supor
iluiics. and dispense with tho essentials
Such false economy is too prevalent. Mer
who say thoy cannot afford to take thei
County paper, cheerfuliy expend three timo
the sum required for that purpose, I,
pander to soma depraved appetite, or som,
popular mania SO our legislators, who il
II tit OF economy, would suspend tho Sohoo
Library Tax, and dispense with tho pubIica
ton OF the laws, ind plenty of money fo
the entertainment of the dis snitarics of othu
Statcs-on object unproyided for in I'll,
Constitution, and of exceedingly doubtful
proprio,y.
Another Railroad Case.
The case OF Calender d Nurdge Us