Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1865-01-30
The legislature.

- - %<Ata ~ 80 .
IL says that business in the Honse. of which the
editor Of that print aspires to the position Of lead
er. moves slouly-vcry slowly. About the only
measure Of Importance which has been enacted.
10 What is called the interest bill-a bill to REIN
burse wIssrow. LAsrER 4 Co. tor their advao
ces In the payment Of the interest upon the
funded debt OF The state, and to pay the interest
upon their advances at the rate Of per cent
per snnuu. making some $4,000. As usual, a
large number of bills have been introduced. read
and referred, but . very little practical legislation
to advance the public interests has been either
proposed or digested. The session occupies but
sixty one days. Sundays included. and this is the
twenty sixth day, more than q third and nearly q
half. Who Is responsible for this delayf l. IL
not the ~msjority. who control the legislation
The minority have offered no obstruction what
ever to legitimate business. and none will be by
them. The Journal charges the failure Of eIPe
ditious legislation to the constitution Of the
state. II thus states the case:
"OIe PROVISION Of the constitution provides
that every act shall embrace bu, one subject
and matters and things connected herewith.
Another requires each bill to be read by sections
on turtf etFefAl uaYs III efCh I1Ou-tp uuico tuc
rules are suspended BY a two thirds vote, which
must be taken By yeas and %nsys-that il. by
calling the name Of each member and recording
his vote. Then, unless the rules are so sns-
pended. no bill can pass through both houses IN
less than SIX days
The object in view 10 adopting these provis-
ions of the constitution WAS to prevent hasty and
inconsiderate legislation. This evil demanded a
remedy. The State had suffered from this cause
10 such an extent that the trainers Of this organic
lawfeit that some safeguards in that direction
were necessary. Is il not right that every act
should embrace but one subject, and let that sub
ject stand or fall upon its merits, and not foreei t
through by Incorporating i. With measures not
Objectionable. as had been done heretoforer And
we alec inquire iii Is not eminen,ly proper that
bills should be read. section by section. upon
three several days, il it is required. so that the
measures may be fairly brought to the attention
of the members, and no snap judgment taken, -
under the old rulef
Bat then The Journal does not justly account
for the delay 10 legislation The difficulty is at
tributable to the fact, which must be apparent to
all who read the legislative proceedings, that the
dominant party in the legislature are intensely
partisan. Much, if not most Of the time, is con
vssmed in partisan legislation and partisan discus
siops. One BRAsHAM. who assumes to be the
leader Of tho administration side. occupies the
attention of the House in mean, malignant parti-
san speeches-which have no Justification what
ever-to make himself notorious. The speech
of this member on Friday last Is an illustration
in point. It was an effort to excuse the boiling
OF himself and his oonlederates at the last SEES
sion of the legislature, by an irAlmmatory de
nunciation Of the motive s aud purposes Of the
majority of the House. His accusations in that
regard we're untrue. hence his arguments had 10
basis ; but he attempted TO supply this defcien-
cy by yituperatioD,
The Journal names another drawback to leg.
islation-"the facility the railroads offer for carry
ing the Legislators to their homes" 1t adds:
The most of the members can reach nome by
railroad in a few hours. and they are naturally
anxious to spend Sunday. at least, with their
families" For this reason it says but little leg
~islation Is accomplished on Saturdays and Mon
days. The Journal Legislator proposes no RENE
DIV Tor this difficulty. We know of none unless
either the railroads or the families of the mem
bcrs are abolished. Perhaps if the legislature
was composed exclusively of bachelors the in
ducements to return home once a week would be
obviated. But the court organ is of the opinion
thar the people have no treason to complain OF
this so long as the pay of a legislator il not more
than . moderately industrious wood-sawyer can
make This plea is not. however. OF much
force, when the members accept the position
with q full knowledge of the compensation.
We doubt not. however. as our n~eighbor in-
siuuates. that that Industrious and useful class 10
community. the wood sawyers, would make more
responsible legislators than many who have ar
rived at that distinction. The Journal has
another excuse for dilatory legislation. IL says
II the pay was ) great deal better. it would
scarcely justify a man in penning himself up for
six days in the week, in the close, unventilsted
and unhealthy bake ovens. called by a strange
MISSIONER. the Halls OF the Senate and House of
Representative" Now the Journal man kne"
all about this " bake-oven" before he SOLICITED
his party constituents to return him to the lower
house, and why thus complain nov He SAYS
he wishes " the business could be done by depu-
ty.' And In that case he " would employ some
healthy robust man who was willing to brave
the worst. and cheerfully give bin the whole OF
eur per diem for setting half the time in our
place" We agree with our member that the
business could DE done better b. deputy. and
without any labor to find a substitute. but We
notice that be is very careful TO, 10 surrender bis
place or allow a iarthing Of his per dism to re
main unsolicited. His patriotism. as the history
of the past four years has demonstrated, is all
talk. He couldn', he Induced TO surrender his
place in the " bake-oven unless the considers-
tion was a higher eiUil position.
These excuses for dila.ory legislation are all
sosh There is no legislative ability in the dom
insnt party in either branch Of the legislature
With scarcely an exception they are mere bigot-
ed p~artisans. They canno, comprehend even
the idea OF craftsmanship. ard they are at as
much loss in regard TO the measures necessary
TO advance the true interests of tic people Of the
state. ss a ship at sea without compass, chart or
rsdder. to guide her course. They can abuse
and villify their political opponents and when
that is done, they entertain The idea that the