The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1884-02-06
Hasty Legislation.

There are two periods in session Of /
the Legislature when there is danger OF /
passing over measures without due con-
alteration. One of these periods is now, /
when a large number of the members
have gone home. The other Is when the
session is drawing to a close.
Take fifty members out of the House
at one time, and some of the most i'm
portant measures may come up and be
acted upon which operate on the con-
stituents of the absent members as well
as those present.
Each member acts on the idea that he
Is responsible only to his immediate con-
ssituents, but this we regard as great
mistake.
He becomes component part of the
whole body, and his wisdom and ex-
perienee belong to the State for the time
for which be was elected, and as a coun-
sellor, the State should have the benefit
of it. Local laws sometimes embody
principles which operate on the whole
State. and every member should see that
no local bill passes without strict scrnt-
my, especially when bills are only read
by their titles and not on three several
DAYS in each house as the Constitution
requires.
It is no wonder that laws are constant
IL undergoing changes. A law IS not
made perfect because of the hurried
manner in which it is pushed through
and then if it should be good law, well
framed, it is not allowed to remain on
the statute book long enough for tie
people to test it. The Code of 1880 wac
the best one Mississippi ever had; but II
was not allowed to be distributed among
the people and its merits tested, before Il
was attacked from many quarters by
class of men who could not boast oil
more brains and legal attachments thar
the ccdifers and the Legislature whC
adopted it.
The Legislature of 1882 had it in it
power to immortalize itself by letting
the Code severely alone, and ASSURING
their constituents that the presumption
was that the codifer and their prede
cessors had some knowledge of statut'
law. and as they had given that Code
thorough examination, and spent s.
much time in scrutinizing every law Ii
it. that it would be we'll to let the pee
pIe have a chance to read it and thiuI
on it and test its merits before mutt
lating it with amendments and repealln
clauses. ..
The evil grows out of this-that ne'
members are elected, they must do some
thing, and if they can't originate some
thing that no wise one has thought 0
: before, they can at least show to thel
constituents that they can pick flaws
= what their predecessors have done, an
the Code just made goes to pieces.
: We are not opposed to perfecting law
5 but there are more imperfections ofte
: produced by perfecting than there wei
before the work began. The cryin
evil is too much legislation. The pre-
l has been accused of encouraging to
much legislation. We know there are
: large number of papers in the Stat
and they generally reflect local an
sound opinions and each one pr
r poses reforms in the laws and whit
/ made known in the next Legislatu
Is they amount to many. 1t should
u noted that during the present sessl'
more bills were laid on the table and /
- definitely postponed during the first tt
days of the session than at any form
. period. This is encouraging, and
reform in the right direction.