Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-02-20
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One Of the expensive evils Of the
day is hasty and crude legislation.
This has cost our State a great deal
Of money, has put the people to.
great trouble and expense, and
numbered the dockets of the courts
with countless lawsuits. Under
the present constitution we cannot
expect a sudden change in this
respect for the better. In the ma
ture Of things it cannot we'll be
otherwise. There are always nu-
merous candidates for the legisla-
ture, and those who have never tried
it are the most anxious and most
likely to get there. One hundred
men of fair intelligence, good in
tentions, and a laudable ambition
to please their constituents are
brought together for seventy-fve
days only. Not one in ten has
ever been there before, or will
ever return, either on his own
motion or at the call of the dear
people. The people probably ex-
pect too much, but not more than
candidates promise during the can
vass. The first month or two is
taken up in forming acquaintanceS,
studying the rules, picking up a
smattering Of parliamentary law,
and introducing bills, resolutions,
etc. This last is highly essential
that the people may sec the name
Of their representative in the papers
and know that he is at his post and
at work. In the course of a session
seven or eight hundred bills are in
troduced. The committees under
take the herculean task Of classify
ing them and reporting a substitute
for about every ten or twelve on
-
the same subject. This must be
hastily and imperfectly done. Each
member is surprised and vexed that
his bill was not reported upon ia
vorably, and when the substitute
comes up he either votes against it or
tries to engraft an amendment that
will make it look as much like his
pet measure as possible. By the
time all the amendments are worked
in the chairman Of the committee
would not know the substitute he
presented. Then there is always
a jealousy between the house and
the senate, and the work of one
house is generally revised or licked
into shape by the other. Then
about a month before the end Of
the session letters of complaint be-
gin to come up from home. This
low ought to be repealed and an
other passed. What are they
doing, anyhow?' The press is not
so complimentary as at Arst, and
the mutteripg Of the people
is heard in the distance, Some
morning o member who has op.
posed everything that has been done
and feels that his record is a good
one for reelection, announces that
only five bills and four resolution
have been passed, and that Il is time
to adjourn sine die and stop this
useless expense. OF course he has
no idea Of going home as long d
there is four dollars a day waiting
for him in the treasury, but it IS {
fine point to make and stirs VI
everybody wonderfully. Every
man then determines to get some
of his bills through or perish in thu
attempt. A few take it ooolly, but
} the majority become nervous and
restless. Many bills are rushed
through in the last days of the ses
sion, when i is impossible to weigh
and examine them carefully. A
an inevitable result lame places, dis
crepancies and constitutional flaw
are found, and the next Legislature
is elected to correct these blunders
and in attempting to do so commits
as many more. The remedy lieI
partly in sending men of Legislative
capacity, and but mainly and fnally
in amending the constitution 6
as to have longer but fewer sessions
OF the legislature. There is al
amendment Of this kind pending