Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-12-06


NV rafercnco TO it's titla, but the &C! rep!sec or
section amended shall be ro'oDscted and puo-
| l.shed ct length" -
I of.r that amendment with O view to carry
cut the idea suggested BY the gentleman HULL
Rockbridge. .a
Mr.. Scorr, of Fsuquier.-I move to sInena
The amendment By striking ons all al'er Tie
VOID title -.
The question was put CO the MOTION 10
strike our, and it Was {, ciasa j" the amfna-
! ;lvn-aycs 45, roes 81. +,
The question then required on TIC or's'l"i
amendment.
MIR. HArMoNp.-Is it competent to move 70
strike cut the section:
The PREs,pESr.-Yes, sir, after 1t psriec!-
81. -
IL. MCFARLAND i should Ike 70 EHo"
| Row; a statute is to be amended without "
| ierencc 70 its title? in Glncr WoTtS, "!iAt 10
the NOS: compendiors and succlnct Gsscr'p'
| ;ion of the uct intended to 5c ametided:
TIE question having been put on the arnenu'
ment offered hy Mr.. TURNER, 1t was decicee ID
the negative.
Mr.. HArMoSo.-I move to strike OUT tho
whole section.
Every member Of this bady who served in
the Legislature, l have no doubt, II aware o!
the difficulties arising from tuis practlSs' 1
have myself encountered great sEsl;uites gu
ring my service in the House Of Delegates 'fofo
tins question. ! am willing to ci'iruss Inc
whole subject to the General Assembly: IL
may occur that a question might arise oe'orca
cour: in respect to the consiiiutlona'ity Of an
important lay upon the ground o! having
more than one Object; and should 1t turn out
70 have more tnan ono object, then It is de-
c,ercd unconstitutional should this clause oe
retained in the Constitution. You viii nave
questions arising before your courts upon the
action Of the General Assembly which ought
nevor to arise, aad it may be that yHn VII! 're
Queutly have important Laws mult'P''ta py 4
small oversight in arranging lis title:
! am willing, sir, 10 ensrust this "hcie unat'
ter 10 The Ga:,e'al Assembly, where, | 1ra sat
;s;sA, patriotism enough wiil always exiS: to
DO what is best for the interests oil The Com
~r,onnea!,h. l do not believe that all the pa
~rio;is.n and wisdom Of the Commonwealth is
concentrated in this body. IT you retain
this clause, Questions will arise IT. respect to
s;,uQst every act IS to whether it embraces
morY than one object, aud thus you will have
endlcss litigation upon unimp9rtans points.
| trus, il will be tho pleasure Of the Cen.
yentian 10 strike out the section, and lcaTe to
tie General Assembly the power TO l'ame its
own laws as best il Gun.
Mr.. STUART This ciaiso was retained by
the committee for Tho purpose Of guarding
against fraud, which is sometimes Tract:ced by
giving 2 fictitious tile to e. bill. l think ] have
heard Of an Instance in which m attempt wss
m.dc-whe!her successfully or not, !! do nor
now rcmember-to pass, naGec tho title offs bill
to charter all insurance company, z bill to
charter an important railroad company. We
all knoT tina: & bill which is pparently o mere
private bill, does not very often attract the
attention @! members, and they DO net examine
il, ssk:ng iur granted that it is in accordance
with its title. l lave heard uf descriptions Of
this kird being prac:iccd in the Congress OF
the late United States, which cftrcd s5un-
dant procf OF the necessity and Importance Of
some safe guard Of this charectc. against
frauds. This is lie best plan, | think, we
could devise 10 that snd, and / trust it will be
! the pleasure of the Convention 70 adopt it.
Mr.. MacfARLASp.-I think the object OF the
chairman Of the committee (Mr. SruAgT,j may
oe attained without the risk Of producing the
embarrassmen.s which may result from the
adoption Of the proposition in It's present form.
If there DO . provision in tho Constitution
| requiring that toe object Of every bill shall oc
expressed in it t;;!e, then lha geAt!e,nans
ohjcc. will Gc o:;ainc3: for nc 5l! could havc
passed without ia7irS tire ATTENTION OF the
Legislature distinctly challenged to one Or all
.: lis rro1:Si02s. Iint # Inc provision DC
r~e,aiari IN is present form, | can we'll under.
stand 'h2: r3ttiag can be more difficult than
to Geia anime wha. is the concurrent object Oh q
bill. For example. there is 5!i! for approp-l-
itins money. which is but one object, and set
sc have numerous examples Of bills CT this
character, eInoodying provisions to raise
m0neg ; so that in the same bill provision Is
made for raising end appropriating money. l
do not sty that it mag not be held that the
appropriation ard tho raising OF tho money
was one obj :ci; end yet | can readily Under
stand that many uIinds might differ upon that
proposition. / put this only BY way of e%
ample. Nanoraus instances in which this
d ncrity NIGH; arise vii occur 10 the mind oil
every gentleman, and in order to meet this
difficulty, ! beg leave to suhini: the following
as o substitute for line whole section:
Ever? lGw shall declare in Is title lis ob.
jcct CT affects"
Mr. IuuAG.-i cope it VII no. DC the pleR-
| s!Gs % the Convention 20 adobt the amend,
neat cf tho gentleman from Richmond. |
;hil,k it is L very important thing that the %
ct OF a hi! should be expressed clearly in la
tiiia, ard iEl: that obj=c. should be distinctly
and uasquivoc=!lY confined to one purpose ss
lar as possible. Granting that that cannot 5t
lone absolutely, yet BY carefully drawing the
b;i! it can &C very nearly done. / think There
] - ~ -rA,tnr .,,rnL,oS tI,1 r.. L.
stmh!y TO be an omnibus, SIS it were, with five
or SIX objects expressed in its title, so that 10
ascertain the rea. otj:ct OF tho bill you vii!
hsTc ID wade through it carefully.
I Think NY friends criticism Is 6 mere yer.
bal enc, tina. is not founded upon say just
distinction. 1 do Lcpc il will lie the pleasure
OF the CONVENTION 10 adopt the section So il
has been reported by TIE committee.
Mr.. CONRAD, of Frederick il in order te
move to amend by adding to the sectionf
The PREsiDEHT.-Yes, s!7.
sir. CONRAD Il move to add the folioEi1r,
And every act reviving or amending g former
lsw shall, upon its face, express the subjects
Of such former laws"
iIr. MAcrARLaND.-I wil withdraw my
amendment Tor the present
Mr. ~STuAKC.-It occurs to nc That the pro-
position @! tic gentleman from Frederick
(,Mr. CONRAD is substantially the same az tina,
rpon which the judgmens Of the House h.s beer
already pronounced. That proposition would
in ny opinion, open The deer 10 vast abuses
and might give what appeared to he the sub
iec.s OF the former bill. ~licn il point CT fac;
it was not
would suggest the point Of order, whether
ate. the judgment of Lhe Hoase has been rem
dered in opposition TO the clause in tho old Con
stitu!ion, "hich was proposed 10 be inserted, il
is in order &c Ino7o that which is substantially
;ha S.Inc?
Dir. CosRAp.-I am FREQ TO admit that ny
object in proposing Tho amendment is, 70 attsin
Substantially the same end with the amend
ment proposed by the gentleman from Jack
SOD, (Mr. TURNER)
Mr.. WrsoR-WM the gentlcman permit nut
-.H n