Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1882-03-24
THE NEW METHOD OF LEGISLA-
TION At RICHMOND.

sIHE NEW NIL Il dOD VI AGU1OAd-
TION AT RICHMOND.
The novel mode of originating, conduct
ing and suppressing legislation which has
been adopted at Richmond by the Coali-
tionists, most of whom are new to its du-
ties, must be something of surprise to
those members who have been fortunate
or unfortunate enough to belong to DELHI
erative bodies conducted as Legislatures
generally are. The Senators had hardly
gotten warm in their seats at the beginning
of the regular session before the President
pro ten, made ruling which resulted in
his having the appointment of an impor-
tant committee taken away from him by a
vote of the Senate, an exhibition OF want
of confidence which caused his indignant
resignation of his position and as indig-
nant refusal to accept rendered re-elec-
ton to it. His successor was hardly less
unfortunate, having invented a parliament
tary ruling exclusively his own, by which
the chair could refuse to allow an appeal
by Senator from it's decision. His SEN
SEES returned to him after the damage had
been done and too late to be repaired, but
fortunately not too late for nearly one
half of the members OF the Senate to file
a dignifed, but singing protest against
such injustice. Still later the presiding
officer of the other branch of the legisla-
ture made remarkable discovery of a par
liamentary rule by which members who
refused to vote could be forced to do SO or,
in default, be counted as voting in the
negative. Were all these rulings the re-
suit of not unexpected ignorance it would
be quite bad enough. but when it appears
that all Of them have been made in
favor Of the party division to which these
officers belonged, we cannot help the sus-
picien that beneath the innocence OF the
dove there is concealed the cunning of
the serpent.
The mode of originating and forward
ing legislation must be something of nov
city to the older members. There seems
to be in fact three legislatures; one which
sets in the private Office of the leader of
the Coalltionists, another which meets in
the caucus room to receive the ''straight
tip SO to speak, as to what they must do,
and the third which answers to roll call in
the day light and to the best Of its ability
carries out the behssts of the private office
as put in train at the caucus. To one who
has seen both bodies in session the resem.
blanceto the Underwood convention which
plagued Richmond SO many months is strik-
ing. Platt, Porter, Hunnicut before like
Auditor Massey he fell into disrepute with
his fellow conspirators) and one or two 9th.
ers prepared the legislation-a legislation
which for its microscopic hunt after and
creation of Offices was the counterpart OF
what is going on at Richmond now-the
same sort of threats were held over the
Democratic members then that are made
now-that they would only bring some
thing worse on themselves by any show OF
resistance: mixture of white and black
men rode over the Democratic members
then as now, and after all what came of it
Where are the men who led it, to-day
All in political oblivion. Their successors
will hardly fare better. They are seeking
to put under them very much the same
class of citizens that the CONSTITUTIONAL
Convention sought to enthrall and by the
aid of very much the same voters, and they
cannot expect better fate than those who
went before them in this work. Already
they have found it necessary to decapitate
their first lieutenant who. like Hunn;cut
was their pioneer and it may not be longer
than to the next election that they will
have to wait for a general defeat. With
the exception of that anomalus State,
Pennsylvania, we do not know common
wealth in the Union in which the intelli
gence has not combined to put down ignor
ance, whatever power it may have gained
by coalitions with wings or rumps of pc
litical parties, and Virginia may be Deepen
ded on to form no exception to the general
rule. She will tolerate this ghastly tray
esty on constitutional legislation Ia hel
metropolis no longer than her sister States
have done. e&