The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1897-05-27
cAp;Yo, Ri, n AFTER GOVERNOR McLAURIN manifested such perfect
WELDED. N contempt Tor the constitution by the appointment Of

CAPITOL BILL NAFTER GOVERNOR McLAURN manifested such perfect
VETOED. ~ contempt or the constitution by the appointment Of
Adam Byrd to the office of district attorney, which Office was created by the leg
hlature, of which Mr. Byrd was a member, and his recent message to the leis
lature, in which he urged the adoption Of his absurd plan Of salvation which In
VOWED the violation Of the letter and spirit of the constitution, W ewerea little
bit surprised to find expressed in his message vetong the capitol bill 30 much
anxiety and soictuhe for the constitution His antipathy to the Gordon
plan" has made a strict consrucionist of him, and his patriotism has been
raised Il such a pitch that he dramatically exclaims, Gentleman; If Mis-
saippi can be subscryed and adyantaged by my sacrifice, let me be sacrificed,
not only politically but my life" It's to be hoped that the Legislature will not
ask him to commit suicide III he wants to serve the state in that way let him do
it. but be must do it Of his own accord The legislators cant afford to be a party
to lit however great their desire to serve the state. The constitutional objections
urged by Gov. M.L&nrin to this bill we believe are not tenabe. The supreme
court settled the question Of the power and authority of the legislature to name
these capitol commissioners, when it decided that the Legislature could elect the
penitentiary farm commissioners fit was not a violation of the constitution
for tbe legislature etc name the penientiary farm commissioners, it is not a VIC.
mhon of the constitution for The legislature to elect the capitol commissioners
The neret fact that the capitol commissioners are required to take and subscribe
to an oatb, &c, and gives bond does not change the character of the Office or
the nature Of the service to be performed :. It's not n Office as contemplated by
Sec 80 of The constitution The supreme court of the state has said tina: it is
not and tn" court Of common sense anirms the ruling and approves the reasoning
Of the supreme conrto Of Mississippi We prefer relying upon that authority
to following the Iassionless" sober and solitary" thought and consider
alton Of the governor on this question Now as to the other constitutional OBJ
lection, III commended by the governor that Sec 80 If the constitution has been
violated, Lets see: This section requires that every bill shall be read on three
different days in each house, unless two thirds of the house where the same is
pending shall dispense with the rules and every bill shall be read in full imme-
IdateIy before the vote on its final passage" There Isl so much irrelevant yerHape
and impetnent stuff uEgcd into the governors argument on this point, that It
is difficult to determine exactly what he is striking at This is what he said:
This bill passed the house. went to the senate was amended, and returned to
the house The house refused to concur in som of the amendments A confer
enro committee made u report which was adopted. The adoption of that report
amended the bin, as it had previously passed the house and changed IT, II was
then not the bill that was read in full Immediately before it passed the house.
and fit shonld become a law it would do so without having been cad in ful
inst as it stands in the act Immediately before the vote o. tho final passage ."
This view Of the matter is manif@ty atsurd. The constitutional convention
was composed Of men of sense many of whom wre able parismentanans and
they did not dream that ANYBODY would ever place so absurd a constructio ~
this section Of the constitution The constitution requires that the bill shall be
read in full Immediately before its passage That, of course means that it
shall be read after it has been engro@ed all of the changes and amendments that
have been made during its passage are added to and merged into the bil-In
other words the bill is perfected, then read in full, then voted on.
Fit passes the house n which it originates It'll then sent to the other house,
there considered and if amendments are proposed and adopted, the bill and
amendment. are read in full Immediately before its passage. tits tben retnrnod
to the bouse in which it originote1 II tnt hnn r"%s 81 j." - "Nn e'urhed
amendment adopted by the other house, and the house insists a committee on
duplicate and it is shncii by the conhTeas of h mMb ho "u prepares paae% !" report IN
to their pgnpgINp horses md hen Otp1 on without ser, IL. A.. $50,
or ANYTHING save the conference rertrt sactor s, ~ ro .au.. '
vote entered upon the journal and it is the rule in all parliamentary bodies that
it is not even in order to demand the reading of the engrosMd bill at length unon
the presentation d a conference report" The report is expected to be- mad 90
tWla n explicit that the amendmentsan and changes made or suggested by the con.
ference committee can be readily understood, and it is adopted without reading
the bill or anything else The trainers of the Constitution of Misissippi did not
undertake TO change TINS rule And the language of the constitution does not
warrant such Il construction The contention that a bill must be enrolled
ready for the governors signature ard read in full to the legislature and voted
on again oftcri mas passed by an yea and nay vote entered mon The im,n.,
and the conference report adopted the same way is 30 unspeakaby ridiculo ns
that we shall not offend the intelligence of mr. readers NV disc,sInr; - 49,.
is the rule fully fifty per cent of the laws that have been adopted since 1890 are
null and void Gov MclAurn has himself signed Il great many bills that ,re
obnoxious to the same objection that he now urges to this one its. Et+,o
strange he has never raised this question before. Truly. the Gordon nnn bas
caused him to search the scriptures but unfortunately he has lot found much
light he has employed the telescope to survey the heavens, the mcroscop to
examine the things about him indeed, he has ransacked the bowels Of tna o.th
TIC find something with which to destroy and defeat the Gordon plan. In the
h'SnaS' Oh me p""' III Is a ground hog casea and must be did" As to the pro
position that the specifications of the Gordon plan are a part of the bill and tb ero
fore necessary to be read three times to the legislature we think unworthv -
discussion. This plan was adopted by the senate as a amendnert 10 .ho
went to the conference committee. There is really nothing in tbt.n ot,t w
indeed amusing to see the eagcness with which the royernor noin.s ~4. :. " d"
fectS ia the specifications of the Gordon plan" Bad rocks. detective nail olos
the specifications have been 0lrcMHcd p" designed" for a court bonse" and
all that sort of stuff What difference does it make if these specifications wara
originally designed for court house? Are not nan opr borsos h,u. uh:.
cost much more than this building is to cost?
Who caresf orthat just 10 that the house will be ample and stis,actor,, An
such at cap "'""" rot should be discarded by the Legislature. If the plans and
ar really defective the Legislature should correct then, but Their ia
very little to indicate it in the governors message. The truth obout tho Who'll
matter is it's a rambling, imperfect unsatisfactory document whose warn and
wool is demagogy sophstry and slnsh. We shall be amazed if it shall have
mNcn weight WIN tc leSlSIallrp