The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1880-12-09
EXTRA SESSION OF THE LEGIs-
LATURE.
What the Press Says

What the Press says
Chicksaw Messenger
In our article of last week we endeaVoFe'
to give some of the reasons why we favored
an extra session of the Legislature, and TN
more we think of it the more fully we ar
4 IMPRESSED with its necessity. While w
| believe it could be justified, we do not urg
the calling of an extra session merely as
party measure, but as a matter of justice
the people of the several counties OF th'
State, in giving them fair and equltaoi
apportionment of Senators and Representa-
tiyes. and also to comply strictly with tn
requirements of Art. w, Sections 80, 81
and So of the State Constitution. Ih'
recent census develops the fact that SOM
Senatorial Districts contain nearly fifty pei
cent. more voters than others. 1t also shows
that some counties having a smaller Popu
lation than Others have double represen
tation in the lower house. The sections
the Constitution above referred to read a
follows
s.Sec. 33-The Legislature shall provide
| for the enumeration of the whole mum
/ Der of inhabitants, and of the qualified
/ electors of the State once in every ten years
| and the first enumeration shall be ordered
at the first meeting of the Legislature, un'
| der this Constitution.
| Sec. 34.-The number of representatives
SHALL at the several periods of making such
enumeration, be apportioned among the
several counties or districts, according t.
the number of qualified electors IN each
and shall not be less than one hundred, mol
more than one hundred and twenty.
Sec. 35.-The number of Senators shall
upon each enumeration made, be appor
| toned according to the number of qualified
electors in the several districts, and shall
never be less than one-fourth nor more than
one-third of the whole number of represen-
tatives."
1t is clear that the Constitution did not
contemplate delay of eighteen months at
ter the enumeration, before the apportlOn
ment shall be made. And if such delay
should occur, much more inconvenience will
likely result therefrom than to make the
apportionment at once. The term of hall
the Senators expires January lst 1882, and
the other half have only two years to serve,
and we imagine it would be comparatively
easy now to make the apportionment. II
no called session is held eighteen Senators
will be elected next year, who hold their
offices for four years, and the eighteen hold
ing over for two years, make an average OF
three years tenure of office for the whole
body, and the apportionment which will
then be made would not, in all probability
be equitable, because of the conflicting in
terests of the then sitting members. The
five counties of Lee, Itawamba, TishomingO,
Alcorn and Prentiss at present constitute
two Senatorial districts, with one of the
members residing in Itawamba and the
other in Alcorn. Suppose now, for illustra-
! ton, it should become necessary, in order tC
equalize the apportionment to so change
these districts as that Itawamba, Tishomin-
go and AIcorn shall constitute one, and Lee
and Prentiss the other. We would then
have two members in one district and none
| in the other; and one of those member.
would hold his Office two years, and the
other four, after the apportionment was
made, unless, by agreement, a resignation
was rendered by one of them--a very i'm.
probable suppositiOn,
Tupelo Journal.
A few superserviceabe individuals
don't seem to be satisfied with the action of
people of Mississippi in adopting the consti-
| tutional amendment providing for biennial
sessions of the Legislature, and are clamor-
| ing for an extra session, this winter. If the
political hyenas and jackals, who are eter-
nally scenting after legislative droppings,
could have their way, there would be per-
petual session of the State Legislature, but
i the people have determined, and made
known their determination through the bal
| lot-box, that every two years is often enough
| for the assembling of their lawmakers, and
we have no doubt that the Governor will
respect their will in this particular. The
re-apportionment of the State, under the
recent enumeration, is not Of such vital i'm
portance that it cannot be postponed a
twelve month, when, by doing 80, at least a
hundred thousand dollars can he saved to
the taxpayers. We are confident this large
sum would not more than cover the expense
| of an extra session of the Legislature, as
there is no telling to what extent it would
be prolonged, and the people are neither pre-
pared uor willing, in view of the general
and serious falling OFF of the crops, to in
dulge in so costly luxury, especially when
no substantial benefit is to be derived from
it.
Kinds County Gazette.
The only reason of any moment whatever
that we have heard assigned for an extra
session the ensuing winter, is that the State
may be re-apportiOned under the new CEN
sus for the election of members of the Leg
islature. Now we protest that the game is
not worth the candle and that it would be
simply shameful to put the State to all the
expense of an extra session of the Legisla-
ture and the fears which 4 session Of the Leg
islature of Mississippi always inspire, merely
to give to this or that county an additional
member of the Legislature, or to this or
that section of the State an additional half
dozen members. We are honest in .his
opinion, and that our opinion is not warped
or controlled Improperly, we may say, I'M
der new apportionment Kinds county can
not possibly lose power, but may be entitled
to an additional Representative as we'll as
Senator and a half instead of (actually)
one, as at present. Under the Campbell
Code the members of the Legislature are
allowed five dollars day as compensation
for special sessions. Reckoning the two
Houses, with officers and attendants. at $50.
and we have bill for per diem alone, for
session of sixty days-and it must be borne
in mind that when Mississippi Legisla-
ture gets together, with money in the treas
ury, and with So a day compensation, no
living man can tell when it will adjourn
of the snug sum of Forty-Fiye Thousand
Dollars, every dollar of which must come
out ofthe pockets of people already taxed
sufficiently high considering the state of
prosperity by which they are surrounded
And the compensation of the members and
attendants would prove but small fraction
of the expense which would attend an extra
session. The expenses would go multiplied
thousands beyond that sum, and all really
wasted and paid out for nothing.