San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1879-02-08

ff3omooe ~ pGgpighA haye
fcrntt syuSsns, 81 IL najoeily b
thom ve az indt bed 10 our, present
oonsh HUTTON. Il could not b expected
that il would prove wholly good. con-
ing ~ it did, from human hands, but in
approaching the delicate task Of its
amendment We should be mindful Of
the rood developed in Il and take care
- hold fast TO that, while reaching out
for the attainment Of additional excel
lence. and the correction Of manifest de-
fects. d On 1,tihciplet an l0fganic law
should be seldom iaterfered with BY
leQislation, but should remain flxed and
stable, 70 be studied aud understodd by
the people, with the aid OF constantly
recurring expeditions from our ,highes,
co,iirts and swisest judges. % Frequent
changes tend to beget spirit Of UNREST
and to induce wait Of respect for thai
which has. becomsa key Stone of.AAef''
cdn repnblicanism. "A fixed written con
exhaustion for eaqll state and the nation
constitdtts- the distinguishing ,ghaissc
peristic vt our ASstsmt OF ireput litaI COY
eminent, aud the y00EnSr STONE .o&som
fntnre hoi,esas a people. ne IHt ps not sto
not ~ to educate our people to look fba
constant change at. each requiring Bes-
sion, Of the Legislature, but at the Aaln,
viine let us not Ainoh from,tlse sesponsis
Dility of proposing such c0frectiOns mi
the necessities 0f this state imperativelsi
demand at our hands. p r1'gisll'P~lai = i,
r I recommend 70 your honorable boil
sea the adoption Of no temporary exHts
lent, but ih,its stead, . plAiI. Adequate
and permanent remedy IT thyessau 3
creme Judges ore Unable to dispatcI
4 che business OF tle court, % ID certaillE
the case, we calinOt hope that This com
Ing years will witness decrssse pf busio
ness, Let US then add % number sniff
lcient for the purpose, constituting tn.
court of five, or seven, Or even p n, .
Judges, with power to organize at eaci :
term so as;to be able TO, DISPATCH busi
[nssst pending Of that term. The detila
,'tSf this or any ethersfnethcd Of relief, IN
P'witllin, the Discretion AZ ybpf Ron0fa blt,
Ilbodies, as is indeed the method itself !,
out my desire is to impress upon you, J.
:. again repeat, the necessity of early re-,
lief. The interests of the people ought
not: to be permitted longer TO suffer. sac.
.'friRce in this matter. and the state will
be indeed derelict in its duty, and vii
not fulfill the purpose of governments u
lit permits this state of affairs longer IT,
Z continue. I invoke your earnest ana,
4 patriotic attention to it.1ea .se''s, ~ 81,
" i'oiREv1sIoN OF rHB.LAws.t O., Il
sas In accordance with the requirement
Of the constitution, your honorable pres
decessors, the fifteenth Legislature, Oh
the 28th day OF July, 1875, passed an
act authorizing the governor to appoint
i commission of five persons, learned in
the law, to revise and digest the laws 0f
the state, both civil and criminal, and
providing for their preliminary pnbh-
cation. M snss frTi y3o; ,sredsil ~
Under the terms Of this act, il was the
pleasure Of my predecessor in Office to
appoint Hons. G. s. West, Geo. CLARK.
u. w. Ferris. B. II. Bassett and Samuel
"A. Wilson az members Of the said COM
mission. sRks ~ VI o n * %,
| The result of, their arduous labors !
now have the pleasure to lay before your
honorable bodies, together with then
accompanying printed report, showing
in detail the changes they suggest, and
4 the reasons therefor. "a spssg asi
Il 4, s.. LAwLEssNEss AND CRIME. III
>, While the execution of our criminal
laws by the tribunals charged with that
duty has resulted in more convictions
for murder and imprisonments'for high
} felonies in this state as shown by the
accompanying report Of the attorney
general than in any preceding two years
Of our history, it nevertheless cannot be-
, denied that lawlessness, in many Sec
tions of the state, seems to be increas-
!. ing. As the usual attendant the spirit
of the mob often usurps the functions
i of the courts and retaliation provokes
vet other crimes and bloodshed in it,
reckless, path, in the name of order. The
lack of confidence thus produced in the
speedy trial and punishment of offend
ers is as great calamity in the end to
society as the ext tence of crime itself.
It begets chaos in government, destroys
reverence for the majesty If the consti-,
tuition and laws, compels each individu-
al citizen smarting under real or fancied
wrongs and thirsting for revenge, to be-
come himself a guilty violstor Of the
very laws intended for his protection.
To your honorable bodies the law
abiding constituent looks with eager
hope for some quick remedy to check,
II not wholly destroy, the growing ten
dency to crime in society, whether that
remedy may be found in providing for
more speedy trials Of offenders than arc
now obtained under our present system
of continuances in the courts, or by
vesting more power in the executives