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

imagine, if the per d1em is kept as IL Is,
that gentlemen will have very little induce
ment in protracting their stay in Richmond.
! trust the proposition will not be adopted
and that the section will be left as it is.
The mileage incident to extra sessions, which
result from this restriction, more thar coun'
terbalances the saving Of one session in every
two years, as heretofore.
Mr.. HAYNoND- Il think that the experience
of Virginia is, that the General Assembly die
not sit longer under the old Constitution thar
it did under ths,n ew. There seems to be
kind of idea that under tho Limitation Of ninety
DAYS they are bound to sit that length of time
no matter whether they get through the bust
ness before the expiration Of that limitation o.
not: and the result is, that the transaction o
business is postponed until near the close 0
the ninety days, when It Is rushed tnrougi
without proper consideration.
Sir, I an not willing to vote for any mai
for the House Of Delegates or any other house
in whom l have not confidence; and, sir, If n
betrays tho trust which repose in him, l vii
take care at tho next election to apply a cor
receive. But I would ask gentlemen Of sg'
and experience here to remember how it wa:
in our old Legislature. How much longer hal
it ever sat than our Legislature under tht
present Constitution, with The Limitation o
ninety days upon it? Why, sir, whenever i
chooses, it can extend its session by 8 vote o
three 6fths, and if it does not choose to do so
the Governor, if need be, can issue his procla-
nation converting them. =.
l hope, sir, that we will show to the worlc
that we have confidence in ourselves for SELF
government, and that We have no restriction
whatever upon the General Assembly. Why,
sir, by continuing these restrictions we are dis
trusting ourselves. We m.y have reason tc
distrust ourselves in many particulars; but
presume, in a matter Of this character, in-
v~olVing considerations Of patriotism, we ough'
not 10 distrust ourselves.
Let US leave this clause as it has been report
ed by the Committee, and place no Limitation
as to time upon the Legislature. This, in my
opinion, is tho best policy, and We ought tc
adopt it.
Mr. YouEG.-I call Tor the yeas aud nays
The call was sustained, and the vote being
taken, resulted-yeas 40, nays Gas follows
Yris-Te.su. Aston, Baylor, Dorst, Brooke, Carter
CONF, Q. D. Conrad, Cooper, Cre.ap, cuS:is, Dor,nan, On
lazy, Gln.s"!e; Graham, Grave,y, Gray' aosti'w; cyru'
shall, MAsir, Moore. eblet', O.tu!n, PARKS: rugh' HT,s,
Saunders. shsrp, SteE.y, slti'r eton, spu:lcck, Robert 4.
Turner. Waller, Whitfield, Youpc-40.
: NAIs-Messrs.M Montague (pre.!d' nt) Amber, Armstrong
Ferl'u, Piah.y. Blow, Dou!dIn, Boyd, Bra,eh grawn'r,
Brent. Is, rec, CabrlL, Chamber. chHmbli,.: r. !. Conrad.
Gsrlsad, Halo, Addison Hall, L. 5. hnll, Harvle, Raymond,
Hen rem, llocoaoe. lIoinday. Jarney. =. G.: Johnston,
Kent, k'n'red, Mcclure, Ma:furlard, Charles X. Mallory,
jana, Marshal, Martin, Msrye, Masters, Miller, Menet:,
Marrls, Morgan, Nelson. PsodI ton, Pres, Geo. W.. RaT-
doph, Robert f. scna, ~slsughtcr, speed, sstple., Alex
II Il. Stuart, su hn:li', Taylac, Thornton, T~rrdSay, !. 7.
Turner, White, Woods, Wysor-oL
So the amendment offered by Mr. DoSHAN
was rejected.
Mr.. BoRsr.-l move to amend the 9th Sec
ton by inserting after the word "Cons.ltu
ton" in the I'd line, the following: land
such meeting shall be on the first Monday in
January, unless otherwise provided by law"
so that that part OF the section, if amended,
will read: The General Assembly shall meet
once in every year and not o%ftener, unless con.
by the Governor, in the manner pre-.
scribed in this Constitution, and such meeting
shall be on the FIRST Monday In January, IN
less other~is provided by law"
Mr.. BoKsr.-It strikes me, sir, that this
if adopted, will accomplish very
much the same result. as the proposition sub
by the gentleman from Rickbrldge,
(-h[. DohnASJ nuISu Lag JuS' oeei y"
upon.
The Legislature heretofore has met in De.
and that month, in nv opinion, has
been 4 dead loss to the State Of Virginia, mas.
much as no business Of any consequence WIS
By meeting, however, on tho first Monday
in January, there is very little probability Of
their remaining in session for q longer period
90 days, for any extension Of the session
beyond that would bring them into a period
when their engagements ut home will render
very difficult If not impossible for ;hen to alb.
sent themselves.
Some may suppose that We have no right to
fix the period Of meeting for the Legislature.
If VIC refer TO the Constitution OF the Conied-
crate States, we will find fixed in it the time
of meeting Of Congress. It says: 1.-THE Con.
gress shall assemble at least once 10 every
year; and such meeting shall be on the FIRST
in December until they shall BY Law
a different day"
I take it, sir, thut it is competent for the
Convention 10 FIX q day Of meeting for the
and | trust that day will be the
first Monday 10 January.
Mr.. STUART.-1 will remark, in reply to the
argument Of the gentleman from Page, (Mr.
BoKsT) that | think he is in error in sup
posing that the month OF December is gene.
rally G month that is lost TO the public, 60
far as regards legislative proceedings. 1t
is true that very little business is matured
and acted upon by the two Houses in
the month of December. My experience
q long legislative career has been,
that tho most important portion Of the
business is done during the month Of Deccm-
Der. Committees are engaged during that
in preparing business for tho action OF
the two Houses, and the business is ready for
action about the commencement Of the month
of January. I would call the attention Of gen
tlemen to the fact that that experiment was
oncc made in 1887, when | was a member OF
the General Assembly. The argument made
BY the gentleman from Page (Mr. BoRsT) to.
day was then urged in the General Assembly,
md they agreed to meet on the FIRST Monday in
The result vas, that the condition
Of the roads was such that it vas almost i'm
to procure q quorum CT the two
members being prevented, from this
cause, from reaching the Capital in due timc.-
r~eco)lect that ono or more members died from
The exposure they incurred coming from their
homes at that season. think the gentlemen
rom the West would fnd it to he a very diff
icult matter to reach here within any reason.
lbIe time after the meeting Of the Legislature.
recollect that the member from Caoell, at
ne period to which l refer, reached here, after
oag detention on the way and ~encountering
! great deal Of exposure, which resulted in
;:rious~ indispcsition and death. He was unable
Turing his stay here to attend the sessions Of
The Legislature, and l have nc doubt such
would be the case, in many instances, again,
f the time Of meeting is changed to the month
# January. as proposed By the amendment
rhe month Of January is the season when the
DADS in the West ale in the worst condition
II fact, almost inpassable-and if you fx upsn
ne first Monday III that month for the meeting
If the Legislature, I am satisfied you will have
very slim attendance Of the members from
he North.west
] think the better way would be to leave
dis matter 10 the General Assembly. If we
seTe 10 fix any time, I would prefer the Hrst