Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1885-02-19

pFUteu OF tOnu Ene WOfk
Performed by the Joint Com.
mittee On the Amendments TO and
Revision of the Constitutions.
CARSON CRY Feb. 16, 1885.
EDITOR SENTINEL: The weather IL low
ely; it could not be improved, and the
Legislation is dragging its slow length
along. say dragging its slow length y
advisedly, for legislation is a slow matter
at best. and in two separate bodies-one
consisting Of twenty, and the other Of
forty members. There must necessarily
be a diversity Of opinion, and yet all may be
equally DESTROYS Of q conscientious
desire TO discharge their duties we'll and
fai thfully.
Many OF your readers may not be aware
Of the stages and processes that a bill has
to &c through, in order to become Q law.
1t has, first, TO be introduced in one House
or the other. then it has to go through the
form OF two readings in each, then il is
usually referred to a committee, and after
their report, perhaps with amendments,
it can then and very frequently 10 further
amended, then read q third time and
passed or rejected, and II passed, it goes
to the other House. It then goes through
the same process, and, finally, goes to the
Governor for his approval or veto, and
II approved becomes o law. II IL is vetoed
then ii comes back to one Of the Houses,
aud then comes the final and decisive
Fquestion: shall the bill pass notwithstand-
ing the Governors veto2 II two-thirds
in each House vote for IL, 1t be-
comes q law; but il II fails TO receive this
two-thirds majority il is beaten and soon
signed to the tomb OF the Cspulets."
All Of this care and time the constitution
requires, in order that only such laws may
be enacted as may be constitutional, salu-
tary, and for the good Of the whole people;
and yet you are aware how frequently 3
law 10 enacted. which IL not only not bene-
fetal, but positively prejudicial. II is only
by experience and practical operation that
q law can be determined beneficial or
otherwise. Many OF your readers doubtless
wonder why the Senate or Assembly will
meet, perhaps. for one or two hours q day,
and then adjourn. and think their re-
personalities are shamefully wasting
their time and the peoples money.
and that they are having good
time and playing ''high jinks"
generally. This idea appears also to obtain,
to q certain extent at least, among the
press who ought 10 know better. The fact
Is. Mr.. Editor, as You know, the great part
Of legislation is done in committee, and
in many instances, as in the Committees on
Judiciary. on Ways and Means, on Claims.
on Corporations, on Mines and Mining,
and others OF the standing committees, to
say nothing OF joint and special commit
tees, members work like dray horses, and
set little or nothing 10 said about their
labors or care. Very frequently member
may be on two or three important COM
mittees, particularly If he ID q man OF some
ability aud industry, and then he has but
little time for "high jinks and q bully
good time" / assure you.
A bill when introduced Is almost always
referred TO some committee. That COM
mittee takes il, examines il, perhaps sends
for the member that introduced it to have
him explain the object and intent, perhaps
sends for other persons. for papers. ex-
amines authorities, sees what the law as II
now stands 10. perhaps takes legal advice
Al TO it's constitutionality or other legal
bearings, and then amends, ~reyises, cor
reefs, adds 10, or strikes from, and at last
reports il back to the Senate or Assembly
for their further and final action. When
their report goes in, the bill is then, gen.
orally, speedily disposed Of, although some
times a debate may arise, which will occupy
the time aud attention OF one or both
houses for hours, probably for days, but
generally, the committee furnishes such
Information as enables the body OF the
LEGISLATURE az large 10 determine pretty
quickly its life or death. In the meantime
and while in the hands OF the committee,
ID Ia discussed by the members in private,
perhaps in their rooms, at the INNER
table, or any casual place OF meeting, and
he question is asked: "Well, what do
Won think of Johnson's bill to redistrict
the State p" or, " How dye think you'll
vote on old Dobb's bill TO amend tht
Reyenue law, and Stinkin's bill to irrigate
and reclaim waste lands and dry throats 7
This gives rise to q discussion on
the merits OF this or that particular
measure. and at last, when the
hill Ia reported and comes up for final vote
each member is prepared to vote one way
or the other, aud what has taken days 10
~nran.re Ia determined in q few minutes.
The usual routine business is gone through
and the House or Senate adjourns, and the
committee again go TO work. The length
Of time either House is in session Is there
fore no criterion Of the work ID
deed, il 10 rather the contrary, for when
won find a long protracted sitting, you
MAJ usually safely bet that there Is more
gas thar good work. more chin music
ihan conscientious legislation.
One of the most important, II NOS tne
most important. committee that has ever
been appointed 10 the Legislature OF THIS
State has Just partly concluded its iabors.
I allnde to the Joint Committee on tne
Amendments to and Revision OF the Con-
stitntion. The result Of their labors has
been 40 far to recommend twenty-seven
di6arent amendments which were printed,
and Of which you doubtless have received
one or more copies. This ommittee me'
dsv after day for weeks. The Constitution
was drst carefully gone over, and various
~sactions of the various articles marked,
which, in the opinion Of the committee or
some one of them. required change or
amendment. Then these various sectons
were taken up, one after another, changes
md Amendments talked over and discussed
nsrhsps passed over to be again taken up
and again argued, and the various voices
~ the various members heard weighed
.atnuv and finally the result was