The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1880-12-02
EXTRA SESSION OF THE LEG1s-
LATURE.
What the Press Says.
Port Gibson Reveille. ]

general impolicy Of biennial sessions 10
urge the absolute and imperative necessitv
for a special session of our Legislature The
Constitution requires it beyond question.
and so absolutely requires it that the hair.
splitting process of construction construed
cannot coHtravene the plain language of
the organic law and the common sense upon
which that language was based For ex-
ample;
| Section 33, Art. " of Constitution reads.
" The Legislature shall provide for tL.
enumeration of the whole number of Inn.
habitants, and Of the qualified electors If
the State, once in every ten years: and th.
first enumeration shall be ordered 8t M.
first meeting of the Legislature under TIL,
construction.
Section 81 says: "The number of rsp-s.
sentatives shall, AT THE SEVERAL PERIODS
! OF MAKING SUCH ENUMERATION etc Is
\ apportioned among the several counties. or
districts, according To the number of grI8Ii
/ fed electors in each and shall not be- Ie.s
than one hundred, nor more than one hum.
dred and twenty
The Legislature shall provide for the
enumeration of the whole number of To-.
habitants and in Section 34-the Legislature
shall" at the several periods of maxim.
such enumeration (shalD not may or cam.
or shouldn't "shall." The apportiou.
ment is the corrollary of the enumeration
and the Legislature could, with a. HuIe
disregard of the Constitutional require.
ments, have omitted the enumeration nj
having made the enumeration, it could la.l
to make the apportionment
Without an apportionment il was ua,
worth while to have had the enumeration
and if the Legislature and the Executive
thought that to order the enumeration va.
in accordance with the requiem ents of the
33d Section, how can they escape the re-
quirements of the saith. The section, are
twins and cannot be constructively or legally
separated Enumeration with each decade.
is imperative, and apportionmeut of the
enumeration is at the several periods Of
enumeration" just as imperative. The
! Constitution is mandatory and DO is NOT
within the purview or power of any one t1
disobey its utterances. Moreover the Tee
cent election has beyond question, shown
! that Cancellation does not coucliatt- chat
the olive branch is Il blighted and blasted
peace symbol-let us dash it down and.
invoking the allsuthcient grace of God To-
help us to be loyal to the Union and taith-
full law abiding citizens, let Us change our
policy of looking to the general government
for its smiles and caresses. Bearing its
contumey, and enduring the cross of ostra-
csm, and despisiug the shame OBJ being
cursed and villfed, let us step back 90 our
! firesides-pl owhandes-an our own affairs
and seek peace and rest from these surround
ings Let us put home in order-sacurr
good State county, and municipal govern
ments and trade within our own borders.
and then we are freed from insult and from
oil limo m nh
ponica fdes.
We must regulate home labor-protect
home interests-secure to all, white and
black, the full measure of Justice as labor,
ers-as citiZens-as merchants and land
owners, and to do all this, a little wholesome
practical non partisan legislation is needed
and NEEDED NOW.
| The Legislature will have to be convened
or the Constitution is stultihed, and when
it meets it must give us no foolishuess. but
genuine, useful, profitable, homespuu egis-
lation. The planter needs it-capital needs
! it-labor needs it, and all the Interests of
! the country stretch out their hands and bee
! for a new, wholesome, regulating process
the standard of a conscientious labor law
| which makes contracts binding, and the
| violation of them penal. The want of this
! kind of legislation destroys capital. cner-
Yates labor, begets lawlessness and chilIs
charity. No man can help his ucighb0r iu
lifts or loans and depend upon lawless laws
to shield him from faithlessness, much less
! from ingratitude.
To nculcate spirit OF good faith through
the law in the material workings of life Dis
preaching the gospel and pouring out show
ers of common sense for the guidance of the
times and the people.
Let us have an extra session of the Leg
islature-a sharp-brisk-crisp session.
Chickasaw Messenger.
An Extra Session Of the Legislature.
We are in receipt Of a letter from gem
tleman of prominence in Yazoo county.
wherein the question Of an extra session of
the Legislature is referred to, and our views
asked upon the subject. The question is
one which admits Of much discussion but
upon a careful consideration of the advau-
tages and Disadvantages attending all extra
session, this winter, we are constrained t1
believe the best interests of the State would
be subserved by holding it. Next year we
are to have an election for State officers
and Legislature, and as the apporti9umeut
now stands there is much inequality of De
presentation. As an instance in point we
have only to refer to the counties of CLAW
and Oktibbeha The recent census
shows the former county to be the
most populOus, yet Oktibbeha has two
members Of the Legislature and Clay
has but one. Another potent reason
which influences Us in behalf of an extra
session is the fact that the present Senate
rial Districts were gerrymandered by the
Radicals IN 1870, so that they might hold
that branch of the State Government with-
out much Of an effort. Atthat date Chica-
saw had not been dismembered was en-
titled to a Senator and had a white MAORI
ty. In order that a carpet-bagger might
hold the office, Chickasaw was attached 20
Monroe with its overwhelming negro major
1 " and fTHyfaI
tute one District to be represented by hrl
Senator's These are some of the many rea-
sons for the faith that is in Us, and we can
conceive of but one reason against the call
ing of the Legislature, namely. its cost
But this need not be more than $4,000 OF
SZO,OOO which to our mind is a very small
price to be paid for the great benefits which
would accrue from short, active session.
Prentiss Peader.
The Okolona Messe niger comes out IN
favor of an extra session of the Legislature
The principal reason assigned for this step
is to change the Senatorial Districts Of the
state, which were gerrymandered by the
carpet baggers when in power Thus, two
counties, each Of which Is entitled to a Sem
ator, were formed into a District and sent
two Senators in order for the negro majority
IN one to override the white vote in the
other. This is certainly unjust and the
evil should be remeded. But we are not
at present prepared to say that an extra
session should be called for that purpose
alone.
Corinth Herald.
An extra session of the Legislature is now
talked OF but we do not learn that a decis-
ION has been reached on the subject A new
appointment of representation according
to the present census returns, is the most
prominent object, and there are perhaps
some kinks in the new Code that oII0ht 10
be Strengthened Were we assured that the
sassinI r-o-.ll II. y N