The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1873-04-19
Tho Recess Of the Lesfs,ature-Re-
marks ~ Hon. G.. ID. CaDdens
1910

taken up tor consideration, on motion o
Mr.. Mcdonald, out OF its order, snc
was read as follows:
Resolved by the Legislature Of Wss
Vi,ginia. That when the Senate anc
House of Delegates adjourn at eleven
o'clock on the 7th day of this month
(April) the adjournment shall be le
meet again, at the seat Of government
on the 10th day OF October next, and the
members shall neither receive per diem
allowance during the recess, nor mileage
Mr. Walker moved TO amend the re.
solution by striking out all after the
word april" and inserting in lieu
thereof the words, "the adjournment
shall be sine die" which motion prevail
ed. ayes ! l. noes s.
Mr.. Camden moved to amend the re-
solution by striking out the words 18th
day OF April" and inserting "5tD day ol
May"
Mr. Camden, in support Of the motion,
said that it would give him great pleas
ure tor the legislature to adjourn sine
die on the 7th Of this month il the laSs
necessary to put the government IN
operation under the new Constitution
should then be passed, but from the
most careful examination made by the
Committee OF Conference, raised by the
two Houses of the Legislature, to con
slider the necessity OF taking a recess
OF which be was a member, fully sats-
fed him and tie other members OF the
committee that it was impossible tor
such legislation to be completed by that
day. II. further said that il the mem
bers could be induced to stay, h- would
prefer to remain until such legislation
was If cted, but he was sat'sti ID rom
the advance OF Spring that 1t would be
impossible to retain the members who
were farmers, and others who had i'm
portsnt business at this season OF the
wear, that it would be an idle waste Of
time 10 remain here longer than the
present week, and il there is to be a
/ recess the Importance OF having &C
com plished the necessary legislation
vas so important as to induce h,m
10 make the effort to continue the
session until the important work
was done, rather than adjourn upon
the 9Th inst and leave the duties de-
volved upon us 30 incomplete hence
he lad made the motion Tor the ad'
iournment sine die TO take place upon
ike 5th OF Nav lbs cad OF the 1tn o.
ApriI but be believed that the effort
would be a iru tless one. Already
mem bers were leaving each house, and
bv the 7th there will scarcely be a
quorum in either.
He sad he knew motions to adjourn
sin. die generally met with public favor,
blt it such an adjournment now took
place, he telt satisfied that such favour
would be but OF short duration. The
pop e confided to us duties Of vast i'm
porlance, to enact the laws made neces
sary by the adop'ion Of the new Con-
stitu,iou on the 22nd of August last,
and although we have labored by night
and by day for several months, they
are incomplete. And now to abandon
the field of legislation, and suffer the
peo,le to get along a. well ss they may
until January 1875, would Ger
tainIy and ju-tly bring upon US
reproech. l know that there
are murrnerings and complaints at
the progress we have made In leglsla-
ton, much Of which has been Tor the
want OF full and salts actory In'orma-
ton of what We have been doing We
have been peculiarly situated. Some
what isola'ed from q large portion o.
the 8 ate, and but meagre reports IN the
newspapers OF our proceedings. In his
opinion, the true wav to remove dlssat-
is action in the public mind, was to
adopt the hest mode Of completing the
necess laws aud in his opinion 1t
could be best done by taking recess
to October. He arrived at this concln-
sion with much reluctance. He wa op
po-ed to recesses when they could be
avoided. He voted against the recess
taken in December, and would vote
against one now, il he did not feel it bis
duty 10 vote otherwise In his opinion
Senators should not act rsshly or from
excitement. To adjourn sine die would
be rashnees in the extreme, and the
lack OF that calm consideration which
-hould alwsvs characterize legislative
bodies. The people are kind and gen
erous to their representatives, and II we
complete our work as | feel conf lent
we shall, if we come here on the 2Oih
OF October, with an earnest and anxious
desire to do it speedily and well, our
constituents will be satisfied; for when
they bring to mind that we had to de
liberate on and construe a constitution.
making many important changes rom
The old one, aud requiring almost every
chapter in the code oil laws 10 be
changed to adapt them to the provis-
ions OF the Constitution. 1t is said he
asked the Senators to pause and conslh
er the consequences resulting from an-
adjournment sine die at this time.
Since we commenced here in Novem-
Der. the lsbors o. the committees have
been most assiduous They have re-
ported to the Senare about two hundred
ard thirty (23W billie. about oue-half Of
which have been acted upon and pass
ed by that body, leaving vast number
of great importance 10 the public not
acted upon The labor of preparing
them cost the public from $25, 900 to
$50 ono and il there is an adjournment
sine die all this labor and expense will
he lost, and when another legislature
meets il will have To commence the bus
iness de novq, and all the labor and *
pepse Of preparing these bills unacted
upon would be lost, but if we take 8
recess and jreassemble 10 October, We
resume the business where We left of
The committees have pretty well work.
| II ,n ,ha business before them and