The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1869-01-20
asMALENEss.
Attorney General West and His
4, y a,o, ~ Latest OPINION s---',.,.

Mr.. Attorney General West, lately got .
new idea into his head, and gsYe-a written
opinion 70 tha. Auditor zof s the State that
members of the Legislature are not entitled
TO compensation for services rendered while
that body is in session, and that any act or
resolution directing payment for extra servi1
ces of either members or officers, not pro-
eyided for by law prior to their term of of
tice is unconstitutional, and the Auditor
shall reject all suchiclRims. Only their ac-
tual expenses can be allowed. 1i.t .1s
av The .Cipcinnatis 0Itroniele, a Radical
sheet, in ability and IN fairness the9peer of
any Of its class in the State, says ,lil122i
be- SIT isa pity that this question had not
been raised by the Auditor at an earlier day
before Republican legislatures had met the
example. i As It is IL does not look well to
befcensuring the Democratic Legislature for
following = custom established by the Re
publican party, which is not right in itself,
but which has long been recognized Is prop
er., Services rendered in, special committees,
as in the case of the inquiry instituted into
the management; of the n Northern Lunatic
Asylum by: the very snrst Republican Legis-
latgre, is often laboFiops and imp ortant and
there Is more justice in refusing to pay the
members of the General Assembly for time
spent during Q recess, than there would be
during session of that body. Members of
the Legislature are not paid such, enormous
per diem that they can afford 70 throw in
their time when on special duty. The 9th
-er theory would compel the General Assem-
bly, to remain in session, at an, enormous ex-
pense, to the State, Hhen any special SinYes-
ldgatien was being Conducted. = 4 was un-
doubtedly on this account that the, custom
OF special committees was estahIiahed,. and;
having the question, of economy in ia Favor,
It ahomld be continued. 81 nc -s,,,,., /
: The Select committees of the two houses
of the Legislature, in session during the Re re-
cess, are performing duty that it would he
next to an impossibility to do well during
the. session Of the Legislature Messrs.
Seribner, Everett and Linn of the Senate,
are engaged ten or fifteen hours per day in
the endeavor TO codify,! and TO perfect the
mass of crude and conflicting legislation on
the subject matter of municipal corporations
and to compress the whole into single law.
The necessity of this is shown in the fact
that on oRe single subject, embraeed within
hssphere of their Sluiiesgt there areisome IF
teen different laws scattered through the
statutes and all of conflicting character.
The House investigating COMMITTEES which
examined ths frauds connected with the.
baiIding Of ths Deaf and Dumb Asylum;
are pushing the matter to the bottoms and
have already found that cover one hundred
Thousand dollars of tbs peoples money has
been squandsred or stolen by nose employ
sd1by the State and slrnoEt every step the
committee takes. develops nsWl IfraHdSi and
more pilfering. dI .5dGr1 sss .7R9n
Z The attention of thlsy committee being
called by the charges ofthe Cincinnati Com
nlerciaL and by others, to specify charges
of fraud and speculation in location, letting
of cohtfartss tSe., tol' the building of the
new Lpnatic Asylum at Athens an exsmi-
nation1is now being had into stheif truth,
with what result, howe yer, has not yetitrans-
pired. ----@-=----=-=.-==---
(, Tho Sai,,aE ~ fI,e t,., tSo1,ses tn