The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1862-01-27
Ritt.aunA gispattt.
MONDAY MON MING.
The Military Bills and the Legislature.


MONDAY MOkNXEa........J JAN. =. its3
The Military Bills and the Legislature.
The 1T ention Of the Legislature has beer
for some tina occupied with the subject o.
en!is.uaents, but the progress made in matur.
Jog tire proper bills has not been equal to the
demands OF the emergency. 1t is "a subject fer
though: End action; it ia cmrhatically sub
jecs, no: meet for tedious and windy debate
The present Legislature should be character
ised by great attention to and dispatch Of bus
ness. We fear it Is in fair way Of equal
ling ito predecessors in loQnacity, thai most
ill-timed Of all indulgence. These are tunes
for earnest work; they are not the enes Tor
idle and tedious discussion, even OF tho mo-"
important subjects No man who has an idea
worth presenting to deliberative body, but
saa state il, conversationally, in Eve minutes;
Il 10 only those who wish to air their oratory
shat require to speak longer.
Orssory is At best faculty Of secondary
importance; for the man Of real ideas and
purpose can generally impress them upon a
deliberative body without the aid of declama-
ton To declaim is generally to consume time;
and there Arc very few who possess the gin
Of sioquenee. A great many attempt the per
formanes without the warrant of genius, and
their constant effort TO soar upon the wings of
orstory ia a constant struggle with nature
Lake tho effort Of fowls in the barn yard, it is
amere Tapping of wings, ard beating of the air,
accompanied by loud noises, but they never
get their feet OF the ground.
The Legislature should not be converted
.ato school of defamation; and prosy har.
rangue 1t the present session at least, should
be coughsd down without mercy. The mill.
tary bills ought to have been perfected and
enacted into laws long before this. The
Legislature has been two months in session,
and no step has yet been taken towards en-
listing an army in the Spring for the service
Of the war.
That army ought now to DO enlisted, and
In process Of Organization for service by the
first months Of spring. 1t ought to smell the
first gnnpowder that is burned, and become
veterans in some degree before the twelve
months men are disbanded 1t is ell known
that all troops have to pass through period of
disease on first going into camp; and our now
leviss should be enlisted in time to 90.
through with this process before active ser
VICE In the field Ia required Of them.
Bat why dwell upon these considerations.
70 obvious to all, aad SO painfully impressed
upon the universal convicnOn2 There should
be NO further delay in the passage of laws
looking to the recruiting Of our armies. De-
SnnntH ho amt d.,,., 70, f.x,a 1
the bills should be- Ia ken up in business like
way, ma.ured and enacted with the least de
lay. The counsels of aii should be freely invited
every idea should be presented that occprs
to MEMBERS but 1t is very poor and diluted
Idea that cannot be stated in five minutes
Set speeches should be eschewed and cut
short, for they restrain debate and gag FREQ
discussion more than any possible rules limit
ing the length OF speeches could do. IL is
absurd 10 hear man whose habit of speak
ing enables him to spread single common
place idea over a two houN speech, dsnounc-
ing i've or ton minutes rule as abridgin9 the
liberty of speech and the freedom of discus
sion. Sensible men could have presented two
dozen ideas, much more worthy of conside
ration to the Legislature in five minutes con
versation each. while the declaimer is iterat;nu
his one thought in hundred different forms
through a two hours harangue.
Long speeches pu. free discussion out of
countenance and drive debate from the public
halls. The presence Of one light head and
restless tongue will silence a whole council
OF sages. The military bills now before our
Legislature are measures peculiarly demand
Ing the largest array Of counsel and advice
Every man should be encouraged and invited
to express his views upon them; and yet, if
the long winded speakers who are 80 charmed
with the sound Of their own voices as never
70 be satisfied when they are silent, are per-
mitted TO engross the time of the Assembly,
the very smallest stock of ideas possible Will
have been evoked upon the bills To make
the time of holding the floor 80 short that the
member MP is compelled to converse and fore
stalled from launching forth into vapid ha-
rnngue, is to ensure hearing to all, and 70
elicit the largest amount possible of counsel
aud ruggestion on the subject in hand
We trust that the present week will not
close without seeing syste m of enistments
mstured which viii ensure tho presence of An
efficient army in the field by the opening Of
spring.