The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1872-04-18
THE REvIsORY POWER.

A novel feature Of the new ConstItu-
ton and one that will strongly commend
il to the people of the State is the check
put upon hasty and illy-consdered
legislation 10y the Governor 8 authority
10 require a reconsideration OF any
measure that fails to meet his approval.
The absence of any supervision over
legislative acts is apt to lead, as 1t has
already done in several instances in
this State, 10 the hasty passage OF
measures which would have failed TO
receive the assent OF majority OF the
members OF either House il their defects
had been pointed out. Toward the
close Of the recent session OF the Lesls-
lature special act was passed by both
Houses and became law, without
having been read at all by more than
TWO or three members, and, to the
establishment OF many of the Senators
and Delegates who had voted for it. IT
vas found, few minutes after its pass
age, TO contain an appropriation OF One
Thousand Dollars which the State
Treasury will be required 10 pay. Had
the Governor been authorized TO send
that act back for reconsideration, it
would not have received the assent OF
majority in either House.
This is but one instance out Of many
that might be cited to show the ad-
vantage of giving to some officer or per-
son in the State authority to call atten.
lion 10 the defects or objectionable
features OF any proposed law.
We believe that the plan embodied i'll
the new Constitution differs from that
in every other State, IN that, even after
the Governor has interposed his ohjec-
ton, a simple majority is all that is
requisite to secure the final passage of
bill. The Governor has no veto
power" neither absolute nor limited, but
may simply require the reconsideration
OF such measures as he may think have
been originally passed without proper
investigation. ln most Of the States
where the Governor ia required to sign
the bills passed by the Legislature, his
objection can only be over-ridden by
two-thirds OF the members OF each
House The plan here proposed IL, in
our opinion, an improvement upon any
heretofore tried in any Of the States. 1t
secures all the good results that have
ever been claimed tor the veto power,
and it avoids the evil of investing the
Chief Executive with power TO defeat
the will OF majority Of the Les'ssa.
ture.
The authority that is given TO the
Governor to approve OF \ portion OF
the items OF an appropriation bill aud
require the reconsideration OF others,
will also prove very valuable in prsc-
tice. 1t is nearly always the case that
one appropriation is made for the pur~
pose of securing another. Item after
item that would not meet with approval
if compelled to stand upon its own
merits, is tackled upon a general appro-
priation bill and the bill passed "a
whole.
The new Constitution will give the
Governor authority to pick out these
Objectionable appropriations; separate
them from those that are meritorious
and necessary; and require the Lesisla-
ture to pass them upon their own merits
if at all. This idea is. we believe,
borrowed from the new Constitution OF
Illinois, but the Convention has i'm
proved upon it BY permitting simple
majority to re-pass the appropriation,
as in the case of other bills.