The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-11-24
PARLIAMENTARY SOLICITORS
They are Needed 10 Save Congress IRON
Careless and Biunaering Legislation.

Careless snd laundering Legislation.
WASHINGTON. Nov. 23.-AmonR the most ur-
gent needs OF the Unied States Congress is the
service Of one or more parliamentary solicitors.
whose duty II should be to interpret bills be-
fore passage. to make their meaning unmis-
takably clear. and otherwise render them
technically perfect. All experienced legisln-
tors here agree that the performance OF such
functions is absolutely necessary to save Con-
gress in future from the humiliating blunders
that have heretofore caused 80 much loss and
Inconvenience.
In the early years OF the Government this
necessity was not apparent. but OF late years.
particularly in the last few Congresses. the
lack OF such service has led to evils SO flag
rant and embarrassing that the situation can
not longer be ignored. Under the present
practice bills are drawn in the most haphazard
and slipshod fashion. without method or uni
formity. aud resulting too often in fatal in
stances Of incomplete and imperfect leeisla-
ton. Frequently acts are passed that utterly
fail Of their object. merely because they were
Improperly drawn. and innumerable others
become laws having an entirely different
operation from that designed by their
trainers, simply on account Of technical
blunders and crudities in the text that
could easily have been detected had
e
lictor for the Senate and perhaps two for the
House: II created; would bring about the de.
tition q past errors. 4 critical sxaminatton q
at random. will reveal perhaps more violations
Of the rules Of grammar and orthography and
osea can n Enssh
upon The men who control such matters at the
force that Il conironts them at the wind up
they would no doubt apply the proper correc-
I Aside ' from mere absurdities of language
and euriosities Of expression. the number Of
*
oe
asss sSoSIs e. %sss
the whole number should be reduced to
% %s r. ssssass If f.. NV 81
partment. however. shrewdly construed the
provision to mean that the moment the staff
the Department proceeded to make promo.
soon a. ss the limit had been resehsd
sspesiied. When Congress- was appEtised Of
soa cons the intent q the ast act to be that
ths oficiaI stan Of The Marine Corps should be
sGnss e aoars cr sss
i%tely lsvaidated b the careless Omission Of
the little conjunction and =" in drawing the
bill The money was TO be set aside toT me me
building instead Of for the purchase Of a site
and for the construction. ana very propserlly
the matter up and refused to apply, cent OF
the money appropriated to o the purchase Of the
Canpraaa that tho error remetled and the |
terms OF the former act 50 changed as to make
The available t9I ths q
ment reservation Of Judiciary square:
At the first session Of the Fifty first Congress
civilian service renderrd as head d. OF the |
ssentins n Voice c BY 10th branches Of Congress.
so Sg s 81
which. Mapproved. would have set a danger
In the same Congress the act to repeal the |
eode Rad to e With sapps
the President had approved it; to be grossly
defective and incomplete Curionsly enough. |
while both acts were approved the amen d.
State Department to that given tn. original
act. although they were both signed by the
After the en- new lew Court Biz was passed at the
second session q the late Congress. BY sheer
HCCluenI IL WAS ulSCONeEeHs a!host lov
docket Of the United States Supreme Court.
tos By
ton It threw out Of court oil the cases then
apsSs e The I'D tss s SSar
roaded through as : sors Of postscript t. con-
The Federal Prisons bill. passed In, the clos
ing hours Of the last session. furnished another
Of e
for the erection OF three United
States gris9ns; most urgently needed n TIE
vertence or stupidity. the all-important appro-
priating clause was spilled out Of the act as i
for or each prison was specifically liked at $500
100. but not centw was expressly appropriated
Wee aaer %ss nN had
) single step has been taken toward erecting Ing
coming Congress provides the money neces-
yary to begin. ,,, ,,. ,m
was sim abortivo. Gen. Bingham and
his Pennsylvania colleagues thought that they
fhe an worR 81 bnns @ mint
petion. but all too late they realized that there
n 70 tSs
he construction j. authorized. they will have
70 unds 70 mats tu
but perhaps the greatest tecnnlcal DlunuerS |
IF ali We're Committed in the final passage Of
he Mckinley Tariff act which IL now admit nd
,ongruities. upon which the costly batch OF
suits now pending before tho Supreme a. Court
II this litigation alone. not to speak Of the bus
ness complications and incopyeniences re-
,ulting from It, would probably more than
provide for tho employment OF three expert
solicitors throughout whole
It could not be expected. nor would 1t DO de-
'irabe. TO have all OF the fifteen Or eighteen
odd public and private bills that are
offered in the course Of Congress examined
such bills as are offered seriously. or such as
are important and emanate from ,I,o wt8rEing
passage. need be 80 treated. About 800
public and private bills. al told. became laws
prolific Of legislation. whatever
is character was. Bills might be submitted
mad from committee or Immediately there
after; when the measures come up fSr discus SOUS
ATS that would result from such a, system and