Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1881-03-01
THE EXTRA SESSION AND RByI-
SAL OF THE CODE.

tue new State constitution, adopted
IN 1872. forbade the special and private
legislation, which had formed the staple of
our session Acts, it was confidently believed
HAT a biennial session of forty-fve days
would thereafter be sufficient for all the
purposes of general legislation, and for the
transaction: eff the usual fiscal business. The
fact that our successive Legislatures are
chiefly composed of new members, inexpe-
riencsd in the parliamentary proceedings.
has somewhat disappointed this just expeo>
tation. Bat a good sessions work was fully
expected from the body now sitting At
Wheeling, and a prompt adjournment at the
end OF the constitutional term. Whom. how
ever 1t was seen that the Judiciary Conn
mittee ct the House, at the dictation of
Judge Ferguson, was attempting a general
revision of the laws of the State, and that
the House itself was blindly submitting to
this action, it was clear that the usual and
proper work of the session would be ne>
elected and delayed.
Even then, however, The public was not
prepared for the scheme now unmasked, of
an extra session next February, and a com,
mittee of five meanwhile tinkering at the
laws of the State, under tie name of "revi-
sal" Such work was not expected of the
Legislature when chosen, and was not en-,
trusted to it, aud should meet with general
aad emphatic popular disapproval. It is
unnecessary /; it is not expected ; it is a raid
upon the treasury it smacks of jobbery.
It's a paltry excuse to say the new amend
ments require changes in the laws of the
State. Some half.dozen bills maturely cons
sidsred, which might have been accom-
plishsd by the judiciary Committee in its
FIRST fortnight, would make the necessary
notifications. It is true thai our Session
Acts from 1872. onward, contain much.
crude, confused and contradictory legisla-
ton, but the Court of Appeals has given
certainty to some of it, and Kelly's
Statutes, which brings down our laws
through the session of 1874 work highly
commended by bench and bar-ofers the
State without cost, what we shall probably
get from this proposed committee in no bet,
ter shape, after the expenditure of thousands
of dollars, and a general unsettling of the
laws of the State.
1T We are to have a ~revisal, then in tho
name eff economy and good work lot tho
work be committed to one or two CON petent
men, CATER the pattern of Robinson and
Patton, if such could be feund,) whe, for an
adequate compensation, will give their whole
time and attention to this important matter.
But a revisal by five members. of the Lepis-
%lature. sitting at four dollars per day! and
We shall have'a new crop of litigation, and
eur highest court filed with cases, rendered
necessary by the confusing and unsettling of
our laws. Judge Ferguson, who is leading
IN this matter, was the compiler of the
Code of 1868. Whether from fondness for
his work or not, he has been the bitter
enemy of our new constitution, and has
never failed to speak of it in terms of COM
tempt. He is by all odds the best man in
the Legislature for the work of revision, and
yet it is easy to see that alone, or associated
with mon who are under his sway, he would
DO a very unsafe ~revisor, and would endeay-
or, as far as possible, to minimize the inns
Provements of that constitution, and to
bring us back as nearly as possible to his
model Code. We have not time to pursue
this matter further to, day. The proposed
action of the Legislature deserves popular
reprsbation. We believe it will receive it.
aud if not too late, we shall recur to it again
mex week.