The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1875-01-13

W ednesnay Morning. JannarYlS, ! 20
ehal, ,he sssnrx AHproprIatisn ffAss
l. stand n a Iayy ''SfiR Rav.y *

memheraiof thu Conservative press 10
this State to show the wholly Irregular
and repsehopsibie proceeding Of the
General Assembly. in the 90 called
passage OF the Act. providing for the
salaries Of the members nnd for Iegis-
lative expenses. including contingent
funds. Onr pruricnt Radical presa, ii
will be remembered, thought the mem
bers ",l;sintcrested." aud to be COM
meudcd for not taking more. Such it
not che judgment oi tho Intelligent
an5i fearless Conservative Republican
opinion of the country, Us reflected in
respectable journals like the New York
Times Nor can the action taken be-
defended anywhere or upou any rea-
sonable grounds. 1t wue without ex-
cose. No spo!oay Can be made for it,
or, If made. oan add to tho validity,
which i. lacks in itself. The measure
violated the Constitution in its provi-
sions, aud moro especially in the mode
III which it was said to have been
passed 1t passes our comprehension
how statute, which depends. Id all
sta:ntcs n,nst, upon :te concurrence Of
tho two branches of ;he Legisia,urs,
eau be- olni imed to have become law,
becanae of certain circumstances of
disagreement bet wncn the two Houses,
or their com tni;teus. Ia respect To it.
AIR. Elliott. the Speaker, han informed
us that he has repeatedly op posed this
rule But it would hare been better
for him to have exposed it's violation
both of the Constitution and of statute
law at the time he made his ruling,
and thus sought, " inducing proper
action. to avoid it's enforcement. It
would have been well, also, ii aome
able Conservative member had shown,
as many in the. House were capable Of
doing, tho Necessity Of repeating or
setting aside the rule, before it oouid
take disastrous effent. Coming before
the Goyernor in this questionable
shape, he. too, might we'll have doubt
ed and declioed to af1i1 His, signature
to tho bill. We believe q veto would
havs been sustained, and it was just
the pill! that would have bpen whole
some for the s:omaohs OF certain mem.
bsrs, who cared nothing for the
country or The people, but. az the
Union. Herald complimentary phsaaed
it, were looking out for their
accustomed "uxuries" But nnacoom.
panied by yauy protests, 'saarcely resisted
in its final consnm nation by any one
in the General Assembly. and natu-
rally desirous to feel his way with car Q
in the facs of the oppoaitiou. open and
secret, to which his reform policy is
subjected ip his own purity, and hav-
ing but little timo to consider the i'm.
portant questions and issues involved
in it. he signed it. as we know, with
reluctance, accompanied by brief OK po-
sition OF It'll doubtful legality. Recog-
nizing the high merit Of his inaugural
address. admiring his bold stand in
the election of Judge, and appreciat-
ing the prudential reasons which he
cannot Disregard in his position, We
have taken no exception to his course
in approving the bill. Where We dis
oern the proper spirit, we arc willing
to wait till it Dan move with cffuot.
We are ready to allow the Governor q
margin for policy and caution. Re-
fOrms ounnot be instituted in day, or
go by leaps.
The General Assembly has now come
together again. The Governor has
hent in On elaborate message, in which,
among other matters of pressing inte-
rest. we learn that hs has ohsrsotsf-
lied the salary appropriation Act AZ
indefensible, aud one not to bs re-
peated with his consent. What will
be the action. if any, which the body
will see fit to take, remains to be seen.
It may rest under the olium, or boldly
purge itself Of blame. We ure salts.
fed now. az We have becn from the
L H.