St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-06-02
AN JONATHAN EPIsTLB.
MFR. Donnelly Expresses Himsel
Upon Some Recent Events.

MIR. Donnelly Expresses Himself
Upon Some Recent Events.
To the Editor of the Globe.
| am sorry that the staff of a great
paper like the GLOBE should embrace
so unjust and ignorant creature as the
man who wrote the editorial entitled
"Who Is to Bame?" in your issue of the
10Th inst. l say unjust" because he
charges upon me an unheard-of and I'M
precedented ruling of Republican
attorney general, with whom l have no
connection and over whom l have no
control; and Ignorant" because, like
that official, he is unacquaiEted with
the plainest principles of rudimeDtary
parliamentary law.
The highest authority on the laws
which govern law-making. l.. S. Cush-
ing, in his great work, Law and Prac-
tIce of Legislative Assemblies" page
297, section 752, says:
''In this country for m of legislative
act is much in use, denominated joint
resolution. or more commonly a resolve,
which in fact is only another name
for bill or act"
And again, page $50, section 24O3, he
says:
"A form of legislation which is in
frequent use in this country, chiefly for
administrative purposes of a local or
temporary character, sometimes for pri-
vate purposes only, is variously known
in legislative assemblies as Joint res
Olution, a resolution or a resolve. This
form of legislation is recognized in most
Of our constitutions, in which, and in
| the rules and orders of our legislative
bodies, it is put on the same footing
and made subject to the same regula-
| tons with bills properly so called. In
congress joint resolution, which is the
name given in that body to this kind of
| legislation, is there regarded as BILL"
And the constitution Of the state of
| Minnesota is one of those which recog-
| niZeS joint resolutions as legislative acts.
| Section % of article says: =
''No money shall be appropriated eX-
cept by bill. Every order, resolution
| or vote requiring the concurrence of the
| two houses Except such as relate to the
| business or adjournment of the same)
| shall be presented to the governor for
| his signature, and before the same shall
take effect, shall be approved by him,
| or being returned by him, with his OBJ
! jections, shall be repassed by tWo-thirds
of the two houses, according to the
rules and limitations prescribed in the
| case of BILL"
And our senate and house rules recog-
nize the parity or identity of bills and
| joint resolutions. Senate Rule Sc saws:
Every bill, memorial. order, resolu-
ton or vote requiring the approval of
| the governor shall receive three several
readings previous to its passage, etc."
Rule 35 says:
'BillS. memorials and joint resolu-
tons may be introduced by any member
in his place." etc.
An examination will show that the
joint resolution in reference to the Chi
cago antitrust conference, and the Joint
resolution in reference to the pine land
investigation were introduced as ''bills,U
read three times as "bills'' in both
houses, and signed by the governor. The
constitution says mo money shall be
appropriated except by BILL" and these
were bills. And yet the shallow in
dividual who by accident, and to the
great damage of the commonwealth,
temporarily occupies the place of at
torney general. profoundly declares
that bill and a law are "unquestion-
ably synonymous" He might Just as
we'll argue that an unborn fool is the
same thing as an attorney general. He
may grow to be an attorney general,
given time enough: but he NAV die
in the "borning." A bill is an un-
born legislative act, and it continues
a bill" until the governor puts his sig
nature to it. and makes it legislative
enactment. And Mz. Childs does not