The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1877-01-24
iTis 0as2Iiea OF AaJo-rnne.s.

Il must be apparent to every member
Of the Legislature, that it is impossible
for that BODY to adjourn on Saturday,
the 9th inst, without leaving undone
the important public business which is
required to be performed. But four
working days, including to-day, remain.
The present Legislature has thus far
made an excellent record. Its acts at
the first session crowned it with unfading
honor; and we are not prepared to be
lieve that in the haste of members to re
turn 10 their homes and private avoca-
tons they will sacrifice the golden opin-
ions which they then won. Necessarily
that session was protracted. The Legis-
lature had the guilty State officials to
deal with. 1t had the hideous structure
of carpetbag misrule to tear down; and
another to erect on a basis of intelligence,
justice and economy. 1t had reforms to
work out in every department, and
throughout all the ramifcatious Of the
State government. 1t is not strange
that in the mass of business requiring
attention, some things were left undone
which ought to have been done. No
body has complained of these things. 1t
has been the admiration of the people
that so much was done; and they have
been content to wait until the present
session, fully satisfied that errors would
be corrected, contradictions reconciled,
omissions supplied, and the work, so
gloriously begun, rounded off and left
us as monument of the wisdom and
patriotism of those to whom the duty Of
performing it was confded.
Upon the committees was devolved
the duty of digesting, maturing and re-
porting the various matters of import
ance which require legislation. They
have not been idle, and the business
for the most part is now in such a
shape as to receive the final action of
the two houses.
Look at the absolutely essential meas
ures of legislation that are to he passed !!
The revenue bill which cannot be passed
in haste without a criminal violation of
public trust, because the financial system
of the State rests upon it, has not
been considered at all in the
Senate; the public school law !;
the privilege tax bill; the registra-
ton and election law; the apportion-
ment iniquity; the general apprcpria-
ton bills; and legislation rendered nee
essary for the protection Of the interests
of the State by the foreclosure and sale
of certain railroads. And to these might
be added others of minor consideration
compared to the foregoing, but of intrin-
sic value to the public-all demanding
the attention Of the Legislature We
know that to the people the time of that
body is money, but there is no danger
that the ninety thousand dollars already
appropriated to defray the expenses OF
the Legislature will be exceeded even il
it remains in session long enough to
transact the business which it finds to do.
Moreover, the members are paid by the
year and not by the day, and in that par
ticular the cost will be the same to the
people whether the session is twenty-foul
working days or an indefinite period.
We have taken it for granted that the
resolution fixing a day for adjournment
was designed more as ali expression of &
purpose not to protract the sessions un
necessarily than an intention to adjourn
whether the public business was trans
acted or not, and that the two houses viii
concur in resembling it.