Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-03-05

Occasional Correspondent of the Appeal
NASHVILLE, March 3.-There was the
DEVILS own time in getting Overton's
bill through the Judiciary committee.
At first there were only two or three in
favor of It without a lot Of abOminablc
amendments; but Kerr got hold of their
amendments and let them exhaust their
gas, and finally it went through by dint
of reasoning and begging and maneu-
vering. This legislature will get
through great deal of important and
useful work, but the idea of one hundred
strangers, with no previous preparation,
many Of them totally unused to the con-
sideratiOh of legal matters in any shape
whatever, with as many ways of think
ing, and no concert but the very opposite,
all hurried to get their private bu ness
so arranged as that they could leave it
at all, for the first time to convene Ia q
body and there to learn the, to them,
new and difficult profession Of law
making, and then and there 90 to work
to provide a remedy for every eviI-dO-
mestic, civil and political, general and
special, for all the people of the great
State of Tennessee, five hundred miles
long, with all its diverse interests, and
all in seventy-fSe days, is simply ab-
surd-that's all. II cannot be done.
And if there were no other reasons than
that one single great blunder to remedy
a new constitution should be made,
the State will never have any laws
worth the printing, gotten up in sucn a
hurried, crude sort of wsy. / never
realized the. importance of the duties of
legislator until | became a loungeT
about Nashville. To elect such men as
we have lately been in the habit OF
doing is Just simply q farce, or worse,
because it invests with too much power
totally unfit, incompetent agents. None
bat the very cleaTest-headed, most in
dustriOus and pure men should ever be
talked about in connection with the high
and responsible duties of senator or rep
resentative in the legislature. 1t is OF
infinitely more Importance for us to have
the right men in the State legislature al
this time than in congress. Several OF
your representatives gave their entire
time, thoughts. hearts and labor to duty,
with all the energy and fidelity of their
nature; and / hope they will do many
useful things vet, and accomplish the
most possible; still it is but a sorry dis
play, after all. l dare say the legisla-
other hundred strangers picked up pro-
miscuOusly could have done. They are
working very earnestly day and night,
and will doubtless get large amount OF
work perfected before the close of the
session. Though there seems to prevail
universal opinion that an extra session
will be necessary to complete their la
bors-so important are many of the
Of 4
pending and unfinished.
The senate has agreed upon a school
bill, made up from the various plans
suggested, and drawn from the laws and
experiences of other states. 1t is being
printed, now, as agreed upon in the SEN
ate, and will be brought to the house
Tuesday. Colonel Kerr's constitutional
convention bill has been recommended
for passage by the Judiciary committee,
except a change Oftime in submitting the
question to vote of the people from
May next. His bill provided for August.
1874. 1t will get through both houses,
/ am quite sure. If FIVE have a new con-
vention, there ought to be provision
made for fewer releetiOns-governor and
Legislature every four years, and lieu
tenant-governor, and let it all be at the
have got forty Acknowledgment con-
gressiOnal districts-mOre or less. Many
DON'T want more than three counties in
the tenth district. Before another de-
cade is half expired Shelby ought herself
be entitled to seperate representative
in congress. and this will be If YOUR
people will build western roads. How
are you on the funding bill? So
far as l can at present see, am opposed
to it in any shape. There is no plan yet
presented that will do the States credit
any good. To tear up one budget oi
bonds, to have the expense of getting
up new lot, can't to save my life ap.
prove.
What you have said often is true-tC
get about these capitals infested with
heavy monied operators aud keen,
shrewd tinanciers, working ali sorts ol
games on the great and the humble, is
mighty demOralizing. l have some
very warm friends and great admirers
in the two hSuses and outside, and
among the funding lobbyists, and / am
powerful anxious to have their good
will, and all that; but somehow, from
the beginning, at least ever since L hap
pened to approve, at the Maxwell
house, Colonel Kerr's anti-funding res
OlutiOns, until we had a copy of all the
States obligations spread on file for eX-
animation in the secretary of states
office for the purpose of detecting cOun-
terfeits, and for six months,
they have seemed to put me
down as an enemy, and L reckon they
hare true noses. The APPEAL, on the
other track somewhat may be right. It's
plan may be such that I would bC
willing to accept it. Kerr and Brown
are working earnestly to cut down thC
expense of litigation, costs of court
ETC., and hope, so they say, to get jury
bill through which will do as much
good, though it be not all which yOJ
want. The whole Memphis delegation
is doing its duty. / believe they arr
popular, and stand well with all classes
and get along well together, and in al
most everything sustain each other
Especially does Memphis hold on to tn,
| East Tennessee delegation. They vott
! together almost always, and sit to
| gether, and except for them Kerr neve
could have beaten Cummens's fearfu
bill, putting costs Of criminal prosecu
! tiODs on counties. Judge H0uck i
| exceedingly clever, and helps on
! delegation whenever he can. HI
Is perhaps the most talented man il
the house, and is diligent and attentive
to his duties, and by his manly, con
servative course is making many friend
even of those who came here preiudiceC
against him. He will and should go t
congress, where he would make cEarac
ter for himself. and State. He is the un
disputed Republican leader of the house
and the only man who can be called ;
leader Of any party or faction. Ever,
fellow pretty much leads for himself.
r. l., ".
| Associated Press Dispatchesl
! The Hank of EnnLnnh EraIIh.