The Placer herald., 1869-11-20
LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION.


Col. G. A. Tweed, has been drawing from
his legislative experience some new ideas
on the subject Of preparing work for legisla
tive bodies or, perhaps we should not say new
ideas, but an idea of supplauing the duties
of existing authorities, by creating new ones
without getting rid Of The old officials. The
Col. has drawn up bill 1--WE have DOT yet
seen it) and gives, in an article in the
Stripes, its general purposes as follows:
The bill proposes to organize a Board OF Leg
islativc Commissioners consisting, say of three
or five persons, and supplying TO the Board at
the Capital, or San Francisco, rs may seem best
an Office, and authorizing the Board 10 appoint
clerk at salary TO be fixed by the bill. To make
it the duty of the Board to hold sittings at sta ted
times, to note all the defects in the laws, and
all amendments required TO make them harmo
nious, to invite from the public generally, and
especially from members of the bar and public
officers, suggestions as to existing defects, and
the changes necessary for their removal, aud to
consider and act upon all proposed legislation
suggested by individual members of the Board,
other persons; to publish at stated perods a
brief synopsis oil all changes in the laws, and all
new laws proposed by or to the Board, and the
action Of the Board thereon, if approved by q
majority OF the Board. or otherwise and whether
approved by such majority or not, the names Of
the members Of the Board for and against the
proposition. and at a period. say thirty days. be-
fore the commenceme Mt of each session of the
Legislature to publish a Synopsis of all proposed
Legislation to be presented at such session by the
Board.
We do not propose now TO either combat
or approve the ideas suggested by the Sena-
h,,t ,,i,t "a, a. a.
may be well enough for the Col to consider
while engaged 10 perfecting his bill. These
duties proposed to be conferred upon the
commissioners are all now imposed upon
the executive officers Of he State, Of whom
the Governor is chief. The Governor, Treas
urer, Controller, Secretary Of State, Auor-
ney General, Surveyor General aud Adju-
tant General are'all called upon in the exc
cution of their various duties, and in their
official relations with the county officers to
become familiar with the workings Of the
laws and their defects, and it is made their
especial duty to communicate all this infor-
nation through the Governor to the Legisla'
ture. 1t would seem that these officers, who
combinedly do execute and observe the
workings Of every law in the statute book
would reach, and should communicate all
the information that it would be possible for
the commission to furnish.
True, these executive officers are not au-
tborzed to publish their intended laws, re-
commendalions, ETC., thirty days before
the session but they could be author.
lied to do SO. And this question gives
rise to the thought as 10 how this pubIica-
ton is to be made and what it would cost
To give the entire public chance to be iu-
formed upon the report so they could peti-
ton for or against such laws as they ap
proved of or objected 70, it should be print.
ed in every paper in the State, and that
might prove expensive. And then again, the
report might be so volnmnious as TO make
this impracticabs. We may beary hint
TO the Col. that the measure squints at dis
loyalty "to the powers that be-" or looks
Ike an attack upon the ability or efficiency
of our present executive officers. Should
this view Of the measure take possession OF
the brains OF the heads Of the various State
departments, our Senator might have all
their fingers in his frosted locks the next
day after the introduction of the bill. This
would be a great obstacle in the way Of the
& ,b b,c
veto being equal 10 onesixth Of both houses
Of the Legislature. That many men get n-
to the Legislature who need The assistance Of
such commission, there cannot be doubt;
indeed few men in the Legislature gen.
orally have to do all the work, the larger
portion being more ornamental than use.
iu. If the State printer gets the printing
Of the reports of the commission, We may
run for State printer, but if it goes to the
newspapers we will raise the price on the
HERALD.
Experience is a wonderful teacher, and
the Col. is an apt scholar. When he first
entered the State Senate he elaborated
proposition 10 codify the laws OF the State
through and by legislative committees but
it would seem that one session was sufficient
to disburss bis mind Of the compe ,ency and,
laborious characteristics of Legislators
and now We fod him at he other extreme,
searching for commission to furnish brains
and work for the Legislature to ralify. As
we said above, We are not opposing or ap
proving the proposed bill, but simply throw.
ing out few thoughts that have hastily
ed thamsal uas IN our min
ILLINOIS DEMOCRATIC. The latest news shows
that the Democracy have carried Illinois, elect
ing majority of the delegates to the Constiu-
tional Convention. Last year it was so 900 Re-
nnl,lican 10 .day IL Is Demncraiic Thus yyn 90