Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1879-12-27
COUNTRYMAN's DISCOVERY.
The Fatal Omission He Made ina
EAIs Message,
For which He Duly Apologies TO
Senator RODerts-A Distressing
Dilemma For Tennessee's
ARIRna.
Nashville american.

Hon. Clay ROberts-My Thought
full Friend / had been thinking
/ for some important matter in my
message, and it never occurred to
me that | had overlooked recon-
mending the passage OF an apprOpri-
alton bill to provide a feast for the
100 wolves" In other words, /
/ had lett the Prince OF Denmark out
of the play. Hence, l was agreea-
/ bly, surprised even if it did disturb
my pride a little-to see that y0u
thought of it. How in the devil
did it happen to intrude itself on
your stateSman-like ever watchful-
ness ? Why you have a perfect ge-
/ Mus for details. | trembled with
apprehensiOn-Wh | saw that it
had occurred to you to introduce a
bill, on the first day, to pay your
selves the FIJI amount due yOu-at
my decayiug fOrethought. Now
look here; tell the truth didn't
somebody suggest it to you? Do
you hope to get majority to vote
for it ? Or did you just do it because
it twas right" without regard to
consequences +? Does your bill state
''On its face" what your expenses
will be?
What calamity it would have
been To the people if you had all for
gotten this measure.
How solemn the sound Of the Christmas bells
How heavy the tread on the frozen streets;
How duh the music of the popping guns;
How deviIish few the holiday treats
Before that appropriation bill"
10. Nauu n. Il -
submit it toa vO @ of the-Oh shucks!
what's the Use in you all submitting
payment of a debt due yourselves
TO the people? Why yours is an
extraordinary debt, while the debt
due them bondhOlding fellows is so
ordinary that its character has be-
come a common talk, and 50 old
that ii l. Undiscovered.
But knowing that you have some
very ''strict cOnstructiOnists" among
your members, / want TO submit a
serious constitutional question for
solution. Article 3, Section 3, of the
Constitution says: "EIe (the Gov
ernOr) may on extraordinary Occa-
siOns, convene the General Assem-
bly, by proclamation in which he
shall state specifically the purpose
for which they are to convene, but
they shall enter on no legislative
business, except that for which they
were sBecifc0iilJ called together"
Now that's kinder explicit, amt it ?
/ have carefully read and re-read
the Governor proclamation, and
nowhere in il does he mention an
appropriation of any kind, Charac-
ter or description. lie not only
docs not authorize you TO make
debt against the state, but specially
prohibits your allowing corporations
to make debts, showing the bent Of
his thought. Now, if you can only
act on the matters specifically mem
TONED in the proclamation, can you
pass an appropriation bill? 1t is
true that your services cannot be re
0gired without compensation, bu
neither can other fellows services.
and when it is done they must resort /
to the courts. Why not you fellows?
But then, Won see, yon can't sue the
state. If YOU can appropriate mon
ev to nav members and officers un-
der the Constitution and proelama-
ton. why can't you appropriate II |
for any other purpose? Now, you
are a lawyer and an author-a law