Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1865-01-16
THE Law MAKRns AND THE
GOVERNOR

| - ~~SN~S%@ ~ s@A~
might at any day end in "blow-"p' =
That august body has been IN ses ss.n.
thirty-fOur days, this being the 1nli' n =.
and the record Of all the business 'na' 'nes
, have transacted in that time could be
written upon a small piece ofpaPer' They
80 ,ono tune in getting fairly started
= Ior;.I.t;op, and had scarcely commenced
tho q final passage" of bills, before Cover
80, R,asdel was down on them with his
veto. His Excellency has deemed it pro-
per to exercise that prerogatiye in quite a
number of instances; in nearly all Of
which he has stated clearly, fully, and a,
considerable length, his reasons for his act
of disapproval. There seems to be the
widest discrepancy in the views taken of
the Constitution by the Executive and
the Legislative departments of our new
State. The Governor seems to jealousy
guard that instrument, and to be deter
mined that, so far as in him lies, the Legis-
lature shall not infringe upon its provi-
sions and prohibitions. We are not pre-
pared to say that the Legislature hold that
sacred instrument in light esteem, or will
fully disregard the oaths which bind them
to its preservation but we must say that
while the Governor, in his veto messages,
points out in many instances very clearly
that the Constitution has been violated by
the laws which he has disapproved, the
Legislature, in arguing the point, have
talked much more about expediency than
about the Constitution. A most impor-
tant veto" was pronounced by the Gov
ernor on Wednesday last and as the bill
was one that most directly affected the
legislators individually, the wrath of the
latter was most intense, and threatened to
result in the abrupt adjournment of the
Legislature sine die. The bill was emit.
tied, IAN Act creating State Legisla'
tive Fund" The character of the bill i:
to be at once learned from the first two
sections, which read as follows:
"Section /. The sum of ninety thousand
dollars is hereby appropriated and set apart
out of the first moneys not otherwise special.
" appropriated, that shall come into the
State Treasury, to create State Legislative
Fund.
"Sec. 2. This fund shall be expended in
payment Of the mileage of the. members o.
the Senate and Assembly, the per diem Of the
members and attaches Of the Senate and As
sembly, and all contingent expenses, In
GLIDING stationery, postage and copying o.
both Houses of the Legislature, and for nc
other purpose"
The Governor, in his message vetoing
the bill, very truly observes that the Legs
lature by this act constitute themselves
and the attaches of the respective Houses,
"preferred creditors" to the exclusion Of
all other State liabilities. He refers them
to the fact that heavy sums fall due
on the first day of February next; being
the principal and interest then to become
due on the Territorial Debt, which is,
by our Constitution, assumed by the
State, and for the due payment of
which "tas faith Of Nsrada is sOlensnly
pledged" The Governor says that "no
Iar can Be created which will defeat this
pledge" and we, not being in the condi-
ton of Hat-broke legislator, say that the
GovRRSoR IS RIGHT This bill calls for
the setting aside of ninety thousand dol
lars of the first money coming into the
Treasury for the payment of members and
attaches of the Legislature "and for no
other purpose" The Governor says 1--WE
quote the words of the MESSAGE:
"The first of February is near at hand, and the
time appointed for the second payment is not far
/ distant vet you now propose that "of the first
/ moneys coming into the Treasur," ninety thou
sand dollars shall be set apart, no portion of
which, under the operation Of the Bill, can be
used toward the liquidation Of the principal or
interest Of our State debt, so soon maturing. 1t
| may be, and with reasonable probability we can
conclude that the amount Of ninety thousand dol
lars, up to these periods Of payment, will fully
| absorb the funds coming into the state Treasury.
The result, then, if this Bill IL permitted to be-
4
obligations which our State has assumed, when
| succeeding the Territorial Government. We ap.
/ propriate revenue levied, and In some measure
collected under Territorial laws, and refuse to pay
| indebtedness contracted on the faith of those
! revenues. This is result, having a proper re-
gard to the responsibilities imposed on US in the
conduct of public relations, which can but be alb
horrent to our sense OF duty. and ought not for q
moment TO be sanctioned"
In terms not a whit too severe, the
Governor condemns this proposed disre-
gard of the solemn pledges of Nevada, "to
subserve the interests of few, rather than
the many of the creditors of the State"
1t may be very announcement, it no
doubt is, excessively so, for our law
makers to work on, week after week, as
laboriously as they do [sarkasml without
their regular per diem. We have heard
that several Of the members were poor.
We should MT wonder. 1t has been the
rule from remotest antiquity, that genius
and virtue have been clad in shoddy and
dined on crusts. The genius and virtue
of our Legislators are admitted, and we
fear that the poverty qualification attaches
also. This is bad, and one is disposed to
regret those of the members whose pow
erty is such that it compels them to disre-
gard the plighted faith of their constitu-
ents had not remained at home and
pursued those avocations which furnish
regularly the means of purchasing food
and raiment. It would be comfortable
thing, and very satisfactory to all parties
concerned, If the State Of Nevada were in
a condition to pay her servants their law
full dues upon demand; but the poverty
of the State, and the delay and difficulty
| which would inevitably surround its