Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1863-02-27


The following counties are to elect one
each Barbour, BOOue, Bra1lOu, Brooke,
CAbell DOddrIdRe, Fayette, Hancock,
jackson, Lewis, Logan, Mercer Mason, Put
nam, Ritchie, RORue, Taylor, Tyler, upshur,
waynt WetEsI, Writ, PsudletOn, Hardy
and Morgan.
The following Two each: Harrison, Ka.
uawhs, Marion, Marshall. NOnongallar
PrestOn aud Hampshire. Ohio county is
to elecl three delegates
The whole population of the new State
being 1874, 1921, House of ffy.two would
be oue member for every G,44O whites. As
1t would be impossible to observe this ratio
exactly, without Lisrrgntding tue present
county lines, the altenp: has been made,
aud we believe successfully, to make the
nearest approach to equality possible
The largest fraction Loaf by any county is
less than bali tho ratio which entities to IA
delegate, and but elk or seven counties
have an uurepresented fraction Of one
thousand. The smaller counties, where
the population does not amount to half
the ratio, elect jointly with sOme adjacent
county. While, on the One band, no
county has an unrCpreseu,ed fraction equal
to half the ratio, on the other hand, no
county has a delegate allowed to her for
less than 3,72S white population, md but
Eve counties for less than 5000.
The Constitution proceeds, it must be
confessed, upon the suppOsltion tina. our
State Legislatures are 100 proud to pro.
long their sessions unnecessarily and to
enact more laws than the public welfare
requires, The sessions of the Legislature
after the first, are therefore limited to for.
ty FIVE days. But ifany emergency occurs,
three. fourihs of the members may extend
the session; or the Governor may call a
special session. It was the remark Of a
very wise man that "ths world is governed
over much" IncOnsiderate aud hAsly leg.
isIatiOn 10 one of the objections often made
to the syItOm of democratic Institutions
The attempt, at least. bias been made by
the constitution to check this tendency, by
the provision that mo bill shall become
a law until II has been fully and distinctly
read on three different days 10 each branch
of the Legislature; unless 10 cases of ur-
gency, three. ioarths Of the members pres.
ent dispense with this rule" aud that "no
bill shall be passed by either branch With.
out the affirmative vOts OF majority of the
members elected thereto" Another pro.
vision, ofperhaps even greater importance,
will operate to promote tue same object
We refer 10 the ilth section OF Article Il,
which prohibitsthe Legislature from grant.
ing special charter, to any joint stock COM
pauy, except hanks OF circulation, aud
companies having In view the construction
OF some work OF internal improvement use.
tul to the public. Other companies may
be incorporated, but 1t must be uuder gen.
tral laws, and the privileges conferred upon
them will be extended alike on the same
terms, to al who ale disposed to embark
In similar undertakings. In fact there are
many other parts of the constitution in.
tended to check the supposed or real tsu.
dency Of Legislative bodies to special legIs.
ton. We may refer to the second, third
aud fourth sections Of Article II, The
eighth section OF Article III, &c.
Another provision which will have ten.
deucy bothto prevent unnecessary legIsla.
ton aud extravaganza expense for what il
done, is that fixing the pay Of members al
50 per. DAY. At present they get 81, ant
theSpeaker of the House and President o.
the Senate get So each. Under the new
Constitution these will get but 50 per DAY
additional to the regular per diem.
The Legislature ls to have power under
thi, Constitution to regulate or prohibit
the traffic in Intoxicating liquors. The
couSIitutionAIity OF such laws has offer
been questioned in other States, but tha
question is put at rest here by express dec,
Inration, (see art. ., sec.)
Upon tbs whole, we doubt Il in any
other part Of the Constitution more ability
has been displayed lhnn in it, Legislative,
chapter, and those who simply read 1t Ovrr
are likely to have but little conception o.
tue amount OF labor and research 1t cost
or how admirably 1t is adapted to every
possible ca" or contingency.
ISDuSrRY OF GENERAL BASxS.-A New
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