Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1869-08-26


Legislature in connection with thu
St,te finances. | said;
Under provisions whichg con
template one legislative session il
two years they held two sessions il
the same year, and three sessions
in their term of two years. They
were in session two hundred and
sixty days-longer than was ever
before known in Ohio, and at an
expense of $3.50, 0,6241G-more than
double that of their Republican
predecessors y
This statement Is not denied or
explained, nor even alluded to-
Aud vet all men having experience
in legislation, must acknowledge
that long sessions are the fruitful
source of all sorts of abuses. The
increased expense is an important
item, but it is comparatively a small
evil. Too much legislation; com
binations between the friends Of
bad measures, or the opponents of
good ones all schemes to influence
legislation by what is termed "log-
rolling" and by "rings," are abus-
es which thrive best when legisla.
tive sessions are like those of the
last Legislature, of extraordinary
length.
The Democratic press seems to
regard over-legislation as no evil,
and even boasts of the bulk of the
volumes of the laws passed by the
last legislature and of the number
Of the bills and resolutions intro
duced and acted on! The Ohio
Statesman a few days ago, made a
parade of the fact that the late
Democratic Legislature had before
it twelve hundred and forty-siX
bills and seven hundred and ninety
seven resolutions, and that the
''aws of the two sessions embraced
in the published volumes far exceed
those of any other General Assem-.
bly," And the fact is undoubtedly
so. Almost eight hundred pages
Of laws were enacted by that body
But sound policy condemns all
this. Laws ought to be as few and
simple and brief as possible In
the time Of General Jackson the
Democratic party had for it's
notices "the world is governed
too much," and "that Government
is best which governs least" But
the Democratic press make it a
merit that their Legislature enacted
two such ponderous volumes of
laws. The voice of experience is
that the longer the session of a
legislative body, the larger will be
the burden of unwise expenditure,
oppressive taxation and unnecessa.
ry debt which the people will be
compelled to bear. AS to this great
abuse my friend Mr., Leete is judi
ciously silent.
The first statement in my remarks
which he notices is In regard to the
creation Of new offices by the last
Legislature. He says;
You state that "they 1.-THE Gener-
al Assembly )created between thirty
and forty new offices, at a cost to
the people for salaries, fees, and
expenses Of at least $75, 900 per
annum, They dill not create any
such number Of offices as you state,
nor at any such cost, They did
create five additional iudgeships,
three of which were in Republican,
and two in Democratic Districts. -
They also provided for an inspect
or Of steam boilers, whose salary
should be $4,000 a year"
He then speaks of the creation
of the Geological corps which | !
recommended, and adds: ~ know
OF nd4bther Offices created by the
Fifty eighth General Assembly than
those above mentioned" Instead
Of only .fre new judgeships, which
would cost the State $l2, 500 year,
the last Legislature created eIeUea
new judgeships which will cost the
State 1927, 500 a year.
How necessary these new Judge
ships were a few facts will enable
you to Judge. The Constitution Of
1851 provided for twenty-seven
Common Pleas Judges ia the State.
In sixteen years prior to the assem-
bling Of the last Legislature, six
additional judgcships bad been
less than one new
Judge to every General Assembly
The last Legislature made an addi-
ton Of one. third to the number OF
in the State Itincreas.
ed the number almost twice as
much as the eight preceding Legis
Iatures.
Again, Mr.. Loete says; "They
provided foron Inspector of Steam
Boilers, at a salary of $4,000, -
The law in fact provides for enc
Chief Inspector, and also for
Deputy Inspector In each of the
Districts in the State,
who shall receive certain fees for
Inspections to the amount Of not
more than $4,000 for each Deputy,
and "the sums as compensation
shall be charged upon the county
IN which the boiler inspected shall
be situated" " Thus we see treRtg +,
new Offices were created instead of Il
one, as Dir Leete supposes. /
must therefore respectfully say to
Mr.. Leete that as TO the new offices ,
created by the last Legislature, Of
which he was a leading member, he
aas not been well informed
Mr. Leetenext proceeds to Justify /,
The extraordiharypowers conferred ID
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