The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1889-03-28
Twelve Pages.
HAsTY ADJOURNMENT OF THE LEGIsLA
TURE UNWISE.

TURE UNwIsE.
1t is a part of the State Constitution,
with which every Legislator is supposed to
be familiar, that for only sixty days of a
regular session shall members of the leg
islature receive for their services a five
dollars per diem, and that after the ex-
piration of the said sixty days their pay
shall be only two dollars day. They
were all advised of this constitutional
limitation upon their salary before the
session convened, and they also know that
this Limitation took effect some week or
two ago. IL is not pertinent at this time
to discuss the justice or the policy of this
constitutional provision, but to face
issues presented under it. 1t is also needS
less at this time to discuss whether the
session has been prolonged beyond the
sixty day FIVE dollar limit because of
dilatory conduct of business, or the i'm
mense number of measures presented to
the legislature for its action. The
fact remains that nearly eighty days have
been occupied with Legislative work and
that a great quantity of important business
is still left to be performed. Precedent,
custom has, it seems, fixed the limit of the
regular sessions at about ninety days-that
limit, however, should be determined by
no precedent, but by the state of the cal
endar in each branch of the legislature.
1t may be very inconvenient and, indeed,
expensive for members of the legislature
to remain 80 long at the capitol and at
such pittanoe of salary as two dollars
day. But such condition of affairs
was in the purview of what in all prob
ability would happen, and they are sup
posed to have taken this into considera-
tion when they presented themselves as
candidates for legislative honors. Besides,
is there, 80 far as the state is concerned,
any less obligation on the part of each
and every legislator, simply because in the
under the law is reduced one-half, that he
should give to every measure presented
for his consideration the same careful
thought and attention that marked his
conduct in the first half of the session,
when his pay was at its full He is serv-
ing the same state now as when he was
working for So day. Indeed, as it is al
most invariably the case the most i'm
portant Measures, because of the time it
requires to investigate them, are post
poned till later in the session than matters
of lesser weight, it would seem that now,
at the close of the session, there would be
required of the legislator his most deliber.
ate and careful action. II is conceded the
members may be wearied with the onerous
labors of prolonged session, and we
get home; but their first duty is to their
state-their own convenience may come
next. This phase of the question, too,
should receive the careful attention of our
legislators. The various committees of
the two houses have now well nigh COM
pleted their duties; most of the bills, ex.
cept those currently passing from one
house to the other, have. beenl reported
either favorably or unfavorably. The
desk of the presiding officer of each
branch is overorowded with unfinished
business, with bills demanding the atten-
tion of the respective branches. Now, an
early adjournment would render all this
work abortive, it would count for nothing
at this session, and could not be utilized
at the next. In the interest, then, of state
economy, even if at the expense of the
convenience of individual members, would
it not be a wise policy for the legislature
TO remain in session a week or so longer
at this time rather than that the state, by
hasty action in adjournment, lose the
benefit of all the important committee
work that has been done? We are con-
WINGED this is the business-like and eco
nomic light in which to regard this ques
tion, and believe it need but be thus pre-
scented to the legislature to meet their
nrnm Mt and cop, nIata ocruiaecance