Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1879-02-22
LETTER FROM JEFFERSON CITY.

tested early in the session that the stat
utes should be revised by this legisla-
ture, and in the senate the work OF revl-
sion was commenced a few days after
the settlement of the senatorial contest.
There was no consultation. however, on
the part of the senate with the house.
and it seon became manifest that with
out some concert of action nothing could
be done. In view of this TACT, after
general consultation on b subject. q
Joint and concurrent resolution was in
troduced in the house by MIR. Mcdaniel.
OF Saline. providing for a Joint commit
tee of three from the senate and foul
from the house, to whom all revising
work OF the two houses should be refer
red for final revision. These resolutions
passed the house with only n dissent
ing vote, went to the senate and passed
that body. 1t was thought that this set
tied the matter, but on last Friday, when
the Joint committee met, 1t vas found
that the business was still in an unsettled
condition. The committee consisted of
Messrs. Wilson, Parrish and Burke
holder, of the senate, and Messrs. Nc
Daniel. Mcintyre, Dryden and Ander-
son. OF the house. They had met the
day previous and elected Judge Dryden
as chairman. When they met on Friday
Mr.. Wilson raised the point that the
chairman was only elected as temporary
chairman, and another election was held
resulting as before, in the election Of
Judge Dryden. Mr.. Wilsont then raised
the point of order that the committee
had not been constitutionally elected anu
consequently had no power to act. basing
his motion on section IA article 8 of the
constitution which says: "Every resolu-
ton to which the concurrence of the
senate and house of representatives may
be necessary, except on questions of
adjournment, of going into joint session,
and Of amending this constitution, shall
be presented to the governor, and be-
fore the same shall take effect shall be
proceeded upon in the same manner as
in the case of a bill: "Prorided, That
no resolution shall have the effect to re-
peal, extend, alter, or amend any law"
The constitution among other things
provides that bills shall be read on three
separate days. This resolution had not
been so read in either house. nor had it
been signed by the governor, but it had
uniformly been held by Lieut.. Gov.
B1ockmeyer, who was a member of the
convention which framed the organic
law, and by Speakers Williams and
Belch that the section above quoted did
not apply to resolutions which only con
cerned the government or business of
the two houses. Nevertheless the ques-
tien was raised, and after a discussion
lasting all afternoon the three senator's
took up their hats and coats and lett the
room, refusing to further act with the
committee, and OF the next morning a
resolution passed a thin senate sustain
ing their action, the vote, l believe,
being some seventeen or eighteen in the
affirmative. l cannot, of course, in a
short article enter into the merits Of this
middle, o Is it necessary to do so.
It. appears that these senators might
have gone on with their work and per-
mitted any constitutional objections to
the raising OF the committee to be cured
by further action of the legislature, but
it Is only fair to give them credit fol
acting from convictions of duty. Right
here party organization came to the res
cue. Had the question again been start
ed IN the two houses without concert o.
action, an interminable wrangle would
have been the result, but on last Monday
and Tuesday nights democratic caucuse'
were held. and a plan was carefully
matured, and in a day or two the worl
will be gong on as if it had not beef
interrupted by disagreement. The plal
is materially the same as the first, only
better considered. Revision, it must b.
remembered, is going on all the time il
the committees, especially in the senat'
committees, as they have had more tim
to do committee work. The entire GRIM
inal law is revised. also the statutes OF
internal improvements, arbitration, pro
bate, SC. In fact nearly one half the re
vision is made sc far as the first diges
of the senate and house committees ar
concerned. Now ONE the Importan
part of careful examination by the join
committee, and the declaration of con
~stitutionality by the supreme court
So much for revision, which Is from thi
time forward the great question t
which this legislature should direct it
attention. as after passing the appropr
alton bill. a %penitentlary law. and on
or two other important laws the peopl
desire first OF all to have their law
placed in such shape that they will b
ineligible to the layman as we'll as I
the lawyer.
The whipping post, a measure i
which our people take considerable in
/. terest, came up in the house, las
= Wednesday. on Mr.. Anderson's bill. A
modified and reported from the commit
tee on criminal jurisprudence, the bi
: stood as follows, and was the speci.
: order of the day:
Section. i. sAny person. hereafter convicted
petit larceny. when such conviction shall be Il
second one, shall be publicly whipped OH II
: bare back. with a raw-hide, the lashes to be n
more than forty save one, and in all cases whe
the jury shnll find a general verdict OF guilty f
the ofense of petit larceny and shall not in the
verdict. prescribe the punishment therefor, Il
L person convicted shall be publicly whipped G
a his bare back, with q raw-hIde, the Iashes to
forty save one.
Sec. 2. When II person shall lie convicted
! grand larceny a second. time and for a secoI
0 ofense. he shall n Addition to the punlshme
now prescribed by law. receive under the d
rectlon of the war len or other keeper of Il
, penitentiary, immediately on being receiv,
therein. forty lashes save enc to be inflicted
aforesaid.
Sec. 8. 1t any adult person, OF any person c
cuping towardua minor child the relation
parent or guardian shall cruelty abuse or ms
10 treat such child. the person so Offending sh
q upon indictment and conviction therefor, recel
forty lashes save one. TO be inflicted as proyid
in the first section of this act, provided. and