Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-02-27
THE PACIFIC BILL.
Interest Felt iu What the House Nil
Do With the Veto.
POWERS ENTIRELY TOO BROAD
The Governors Reason for Not Sign
ing the Bill Granting n Charter
TO the Pacific Company-what IL
Is Authorized to DO.

veto of the bill granting charter TO
the Pacific Company. The Senate, after
having referred the subject TO the Com
mittee for Courts Of Justice. adopted
its recommendations and passed the bill
Notwithstanding the objections OF the
Governor. The question has not yet been
considered In the House, but probably
Will within the next few days. The
friends OF the measure are working hard
TO get the bill through again, while those
VINO feel that the Governors position Is
sound and proper are using their IN
huence to have HIM sustained
The veto message Of the Governor
which has never been printed, is as fol-
lows:
Richmond. Va. February 10, 1890.
To the General Assembly:
Senate BILL No 15i. entitled, ian act
to incorporate the Pacific Company" has
been carefully considered and l herewith
respectfully return it without my APP
prevail.
OBJECTIONS.
/. Its title is detectives; in fact, 1T is
meaningless. so far as expressing the
object OF the corporation IS concerned.
1t imparts no idea whatever as to the
purposes of the charter. FAN act TO in
corporate the Pacific Company" What
Is the Pacific Company? What Is its
scope? The title gives no intiuation.
What business does it propose to engage
in? Is IL a steamship, railroad. BANKING
brokerage, security. insurance, mercantile.
mining manufacturing. or reai-estate en-
terprlse? The title sheds no light, fur
nlshes no answer TO the inquiry.
Section Il. Art Gle V, OF our Constitution,
declares that the object Of every law shall
be EXPRESSED in the title In fact this
provision is found In every State COnsli-
tution-sOme OF the States using the word
Subject" instead OF object" IL is UNI
necessary to say that this provision Is
mandatory 1T is a wise one, % great
pubic utility Where the title affords no
clue whatever 10 the contents OF the
act. the enactment Is wholly imperative"
Board of Supervisors OF Henrico county
vs. McGruder 81 Virginia, 81
while the title need not be complete
index Of the act it must indicate its
object with sufficient dlstinctness to en-
able the members of the Legislature 70
Idllly understand il ny SLipiy utdl iiiS
the title read" Fidelity Insurance, etc.
Company vs.. 5. '. r. Il. Co, 81 Viz
ginia, ..
THE title must state the subject Of the
act. for the purpose Of information 10
members OF the Legislature and public,
while the bill is going through the forms
OF enactment" Sutherland on Statutory
Construction, section S.. Ii must call
attention to the subject Of the bill. IBID
There is not a word in the title viii h
affords a clue TO the contents of the
act: in no manner IS the object indi-
Gated; there is nothing whatever to in
form the Legislature and public as to the
purport Of the bill.
?. The bill il repugnan. 10 the Con-
stitution I'm another important particular.
Many objects Independent and distinct
in their character, are embraced in its
provisions. NO law sna ! embrace more
than one object" Article v, section 10, Of
the Constitution.
THE constitutional intent is to prevent
the union in one act OF incongruous mat
ter. and Of objects having no connection
or relation; 10 require singleness Of sub
Ject-matter. a disregard Of the consti-
tutional restriction. even in an otherwise
meritorious bill. will be fatal. The sub
ject of statute IS the matter Of public
or private concern in respect TO which
its provisions are enacted It's object IS
its general aim and purpose. The words
subject and object are not strictly syno-
nymous; but the provisions. thus YER
ba.ly varying, have received substan-
tally the same construction" See Suther-
land on Statutory Construction, section
So
An act TO promote drainage" which
included the powers 10 construct reser-
yoirs for the storage of debris from
mines, the protection OF mines, towns,
or cities from inundation, by the cree
ton of embankments or dykes, and the
drainage Of certain districts Of the State,
by the rectihcation OF river channels.
was held TO be void. Sutherland on Sta
tutory Construction. section l03.
The constitutional provision Of each Of
the States requires two things-each re-
lating TO a different part of the bill.
II must be single in respect to its sub
ject-matter. 2. That single subject-mat-
ter must be expressed in It's title. II.
therefore, the statute embraces more
than one subject. it is void. whether or
not the subject Is expressed In its title
on the other hand although a statute
may embrace but one subject, Il is still
void, II that subject be not expressed IN
It's title. "-Thompson's Commentaries on
the Law Of Corporations; Vol. l., section
COZ.
ITS POWERS ARE VARIED.
Now. assuming that these authorities
(Which could be- multiplied indefinitely es-
tablish beyond a doubt that an act which
embraces more than one subiect-ob-
jects distinct and Observation-Disclosures
no relation TO each other. neither auxili-
airy nor incidental, is repugnant 10 the
Constitution Of every State in this Union.
let us examine the provisions OF said
Senate Bill No. 154, entitled IAN act 10
incorporate the Pacific Company" The
sections comforting powers are quite long.
so VIII ehdeaVor 10 group the powers
without quoting literally the sections
]. To acquire and hold, use. etc.
all concessions, grants. privileges. etc.
that have been or may be granted by or
secured from any of the republics. States.
cities, districts, counties, municipalities.
etc, OF South America, and other couu-
tries.
2. To subscribe for acquire. etc. the
shares OF the capital stock or bonds OF
any company chartered by any republic.
State, government, or municipality.
3. To construct and operate railroads
Of any description, anywhere upon the
Continent of South America, and boats
and ships propelled by steam. electricity.
or other motive-power
1. To acquire, build. own, lease &C
cupy. and operate wharves, piers. canals.
shlp-yards, docks, elevators. transfers,
lighters, telegraph, telephone. and ex-
press lines, warehouses. water-works
and other structures. etc, which the
company may find 70 be necessary or con
venient for the proper conduct OF its
business.
5. To engage in the business OF bank
ing, and conduct a general banking bust
ness, and establish one or more banking
houses in any OF the republics OF
South America, or in any other State or