Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-09-23
Letter from Hon. VIM. 8. BasInger.

ATLANTA, September 2I.-Editor Morning
Meas: see in your paper of Yesterday q re-
publication Of q report to the Augusta pa.
per Of some remarks had occasion to make
in the House of Representatives on the sub
jeet Of the jail bill. What / said was not
at all remarkable" OF peculiar-as the re-
port has tor even of importance enough
to be reported. But, since It has been done,
wish the report had given a correct idea OF
what did say for, certainly, l spoke in no
way arrogantly, or unexpectedly, OF the
Mayor and Aldermen.
The thing occurred In this way;
An amendment was offered providing that
the bill should not go into effect until rati-
fed at a special election, to be held for that
purpose. While explaining the reasons of
economy which had induced my colleague
to introduce the bill, was asked by men,
Der whether the Mayor and Aldermen and
the County Commissioners bad not objected
to it, aud made known the fact OF their
objections to the General Assembly, and
this question was asked In such way as to
indicate the existence of an Idea
that those objections ought to be conclusive
on the General Assembly. Believing that
proposition and the principle OF the amend
ment to be both founded In erroneous views,
l thought It necessary to discuss briefly the
constitutional rights and duties of members
of the House. In doing this, suggested
that every member is a representative of the
whole people of Georgia, though chosen by
the electors Of his own county only-that
in representing his own county spe-
cially, he is the representative of the
whole people Of the county, and not OF any
one corporation included in the county more
than Of another, that II the General Assem-
bly,, the supreme legislative authority,
which creates and controls municipal corpo-
rations, should establish the principle of
accepting their views on measures of gov
eminent blindly, it would be equivalent to
allowing the inferior to dictate to the supe-
rior, and that the members from one county,
being of ssopinion that the proposed change
was a wise one, and therefore differing from
the Mayor and Aldermen and the County
Commissioners, were in duty bound, under
their oath as representatives, to stand upon
their own judgment and not that of others.
There was no insinustion whatever Of ex-
travagance on the part Of the present or any
former city government-our position being
that the expensiveness of the jail is chiefly
due to the system which the Legislature has
established, and which only the Legislature
can change.
On the subject of the reference to a
special election, said that we had bee sent
here uninstructed, as all representatives
ought to be under the true theory Of Demo-
cratic representative goyernment-that this
matter had arisen since our election, and
we could only act upon 1t under the obliga-
ton Of our oath, without regard to differ
ences Of opinion among our immediate con-
stituents, who had delegated US
to Judge of all such matters
that, according to my view, my acceptance
Of the amendment would be an outright
evasion Of nv proper responsibility, and an
unmanly abdication of the functions l was
sent here to perform-and that, as a matter
of mere expediency, there was no need Of q
special election, as there is a regular con-
Stituuonal remedy for the errors of repre-
sentatives, and 1t seemed useless to incur
the expense and turmoil Of an election st
an inconvenient season upon question of
this kind.
OF course, l am giving now only the sub
stance Of what l said. | had no expecta-
ton of uttering a word when l went to
the House that evening, and cannot recall
particular expressions. But the reporter
of the Augusta paper seems to me to have
fallen far short Of spprehending the points
Of my little argument.
am sorry to have occasion to trespass on
your columns, but | desire that any who
may be interested In the matter shall have
an opportunity to understand what really
took place.
Indulge me still farther, while add that
the amendment which postpones the opera
tion Of the bill was presented to the Senate
Committee at the request Of the members
from Chatham themselves, and for the sole
purpose OF avoiding anything which mi2ht
appear unjust, even to the most f1stidOus
notions Of what is just in this case, either to
individuals or the public, It is perfectly
well known that the Senate would have
passed the bill in any form desired by the
members from Chatham.
Iremain very truly yours,
VIM. s. BAsINGER.