The weekly North-Carolina standard., 1869-03-24
The General Assembly.

1t is about to become chronic habit with
certain persons and opposition papers to
raise great hue and cry about the time
spent by each successive General Assembly
in the performance of their duties. The less
idea such persons have of the Importance
and difficulty of the work to be done, and
the more intensely partizan the papers are,
the more incorrect and vehement their cries
about adjournment. until they reach the
silly and contemplate cxcamations of a
recent number of the Sentinel.
When We say this, we know that it is an
imperative duty of the General Assembly to
leglslate ON every matter that the public
interest demands, to do il carefully and
properly, and TO do it without any unncces-
sary delay. There is, as all well informed
persons are aware, an unusual amount of the
most important legislation before the present
General Assembly. The necessity to con-
form all legislation to the new Constitution,
and to adapt it to a new judicial system
necessarily demands unwonted time.
The present General Assembly has done an
immense amount of business already. There
is complaint of the number of private bills
passed, and it seems to be forgotten that
there was no way to avoid this unless at the
expense of the best interests of the State,
and injury of private enterprise. The pres
ent general law is imperative, and all
private bills were pressed upon the Assem-
bly,. 1t was, perhaps, an error IN the Assem-
bly, not to have passed general law of in
corporation as one of their first acts, but the
work is so difficult that there seems to be a
shrinking from its being undertaken. There
is a cry about Railroad charters, and yet he
demand for them came from every Sec
tion of the State, and common fairness de-
manded THAT every part should be heard. or
none. The demands had equal Importance
and the pleas equal validity.
We think the General Assembly has erred,
and that time has been wasted by the inor.
dinate amount of windy speeches they have
Republican members especially in the Sen
ate, are men of few words, but they have
been forced, under the senseless cry of gag
lao, to allow the inflction of hours of plati-
tudes, and thus wasted most precious time
We believe the majority have been, in this
matter, derelict, and should have, with
promptitude, cut off these Democratic
speeches for buncombe, that were, in many
cases but rehash of old stump speeches.
| Another evil that we notice is the insensate
ambition of certain parties to appear on the
| Journal, who seem to make motions and offer
amendments only that they may figure on
each days record. This may he long ses-
sion, but that of 1858 and 80 was of ninety
five or six days duration in ordinary times.
That of 1860 and '61 was about the same
length of time, and that of 1866 and 81
was We know not how much longer, and
why single out this Republican Assembly
for abuse under this view ?
We do not intend TO apologize for the
| General Assembly. We insist tnat the delay
to pass & revenue bill is great wrong done
the States credit. and that those who delay
it should be held accountable There must
be no further wasted time, and the penplt
demand immediate action. We speak to1
the people to their servants.