Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1884-12-24
A SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE SESSION

A prominent citizen of La Cygne has
written us in regard to the following para
graph, which recently appeared in the
Times:
An extra session of the state legislature in
| 1886 to reapportion the state into represen-
tative and senatorial districts, seems TO be
unavoidable, owing to the constitutional re-
quirements in regard to taking state CEN
sus ut least once in ten years. This conclu
sion is reached by the Atchison Champion,
Governor-elect Martins paper. Had the
census been ordered at the last session of
the legislature. so it could have been acted
upon at the ensuing session, the expense of
mn extra session would have been avoided.
| As it is now, the conclusion of the Champion
that an extra session will be necessary seems
| to be correct
Our correspondent takes exception TO any
| intimation that the last regular session of
the legislature is to blame for the necessity
for a special session in 1856. He quotes
section &c of article of the state constitu-
ton as follows:
"Sec. 20. The legislature shall provide
for taking an enumeration of the inhabitants
of the state at least once in ten years. The
first enumeration shall be taken in \. ID.
1861"
\
| the necessity for an extra session WAS first
talked of, and under its requirement for an
enumeration Of the inhabitants of the state
a; least once in ten years the legislative
session of 1883 could Us well have ordered
census in 1884 as to leave il TO special ses-
| sion in 1886. But our correspondent holds
that this section has nothing whatever TO do
with the necessity for an extra session in
| 1886, and suggests that such an enumeration
as that spoken OF by the Times for 1884 can
be obtained from the returns made TO the
state auditor under chapter Il of the COM
piled laws of 1851.
Having acquitted the last legislature of
any charge of neglect, our correspondent.
/ continues:
1T seems TO me that an extra session OF
the legislature in 1886 is unavoidable, unless
the legislature shall disregard the provisions
of the constitution"
This brings the question back TO the orig
inal one CT the necessity for an extra ses-
sion, to make the superintendent as pro-
vided for under section of article 10 of the
constitution, which is as follows:
section lit shall be the duty of the
| first legislature 10 make an superintendent
based upon the census ordered by the las;
legislative assembly of the territory. and a
new apportionment shall be made in the
wear lss6 and every five wears thereafter,
based upon the census Of the preceding
year"
That section seems TO settle the matter.
| Our correspondent continues:
at don't take very much of a msthema-
tician 10 figure from this section TO the con-
clusion that If the legislature performs the
duty which this section imposes, that il must
have session in 1856.
srhe necessity fer the session is 1856 is
one Of the results of the stupid tinkering
which has been praciiced upon the eons;itu-
| ton under the name of amendment Let the
blame. if such il be. fall where il belongs.
The people, acting in their sovereign cspac-
ity. have made the constitution as IT Is. IL
| is the duty Of every public officer to implic
/ lily obey it. If ii Is necessary for the gov
ernor 10 convene the legislature in extra
session in 1856 under This mandate Of the
constitution, let him do il fes.rlessly and
fairly. The blspae for the extra expense
should not be cast upon thu body which
was powerless to do ANYTHING to avert The
result which will cause the extra expense"
/ The poor old constitution seems TO he on
the side of our correspondent, and win have
/ 10 bear the responsibility for an extra session
in 1856. With Few more such costly evil
denees of its utter lack of everything that il
should contain, and a super abundance of
everything Il should not contain, there will
be only one voice in regard to il. and tbs. is
that We need new constitution. In this
{ matter the lower house of The legislature of
lSS3 is mos; certainly TO blame in not pro-
viding fer taking step in that direction
I The senate passed resolution for a cons;i-
tu,ional convention, but :he house, BY
means of Democratic, Greenback and anti
Prohibition voses, killed It The response
bility in that matter rests where Il belongs,
ard cannot be rensovei.-I.esvenwort
I Times