Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-01-13
THE GOVERNORS MESSAGE
Was Presented to the General
Assembly on Tuesday.
is AN INTERESTING DOCUMENT
Deals With Various Matters of
Public Importance.


My cOHVdneu IN rue Te1uVlnhleu DtaIe
House at Ii O'Clock this morning.
After the preliminary business the fol
lowing : message from Gov. Ebe W.
Tunnel was read:
State of Delaware. Executive Depart.
ment--Dover, Jan. II, 1898. -Gentle-
men of tho Senate and House of Repre-.
sentatives: While the obiect and pur-
pose OF your assembling In adjourned
session at this time are generally under
stood. yet j feel it my duty to call your
attention to such matters as | deem
sxnedient for the welfare OF our people.
An adjourned session is something
no unusual in this State that your
proceedings will he watched with
the keeneHt interest by constit-
uoncy, who, while they expect a
careful and conscientious consideration
of the important business that will
come before you, will demand that you
address yourselves to its dispatch with
ths least possible delay. 10 members
OF the Legislature called for the first
time to sit as the lawmakers of the
State, the duties anu responsibilities
which confront them are DO nsw and
uilficult that it is not surprising that
the wheels ho not always move smoothly
and that sOIne delay and frequent mis-
takes mark the first wueks Of the
session. but with you proiiting from
the valuable experience which YOU have
derived from your previous long and
busy session, it ia not so. Araiing
yourselves of the useful knowledge of
legislative affairs which you have
gained, you should be able to perform
your duties intellgeutly, expeditiously
and to thu satisfaction of an eypectant
public. There is wholesome senti-
mont among our people that we have
too much legislation. This feeling is
largely due to an unwise desire of each
Legislature to enve behind it vol
luminous record OF changes in our laws
TO testify to it's industry or to account
for its unnecessarily long session. THIS
tIesire often results in the repeal or
amendment OF statutes which have not
been in force long enough TO demon
strate their virtue or their inadequaey.
1t 10 most important to ths welfare of "a
paople that they should nave fixed laws
which should only be changed after a
careful, iudicinus and conscientious
consideration. Experiment in legisla-
tion aifeeting tho rights Of property,
the lives, liberties and persons OF Giti-
zens is not only unwise but often little
less than criminal.
Since your adjournment the Cousti-
tutional Convention has concluded its
lahors and adopted and promulgated a
now Constitution, differing widely in
many important respects from tho old
nne. Much of the machinery of our
State government has undergone i'm
portant changes whether wisely or mol
the test OF future experience must
determine. Thus We mark iD the his.
tory OF our State nav epoch. We
have been conservative people. SLOW
10 recognize the necessity OF change
and reluctant to give up the tried and
understood, though recognizing its de
fects, for the new and untried The
Constitution under which We now live
is but the framework of our govern.
inent. Constitutional Convention can
hut provide those necessary rnles OF
government which are not subject to
frequent changes, while the Legisla-
ture, composed as it is OF members com
ing fresh from the peope clothed with
their authority and familiar with thail
desires, must provide for the varying
necessities of each year. Hencs, with
you will rest in no small degree the
successful application Of the new Con
stitution. 1t is by your enactmentf
that its most important provisions car
lie carried into effect In doing this,
however, let me caution you that yoJ
change only those laws which il il
necessary to change to put it in force
by the express provisions of the Con
Etitution all laws not consistent with il
are continued in force. You are mo-
called upon to unnecessarily disturt
the existing statutes which have heet
long established and by judicial inter
probation are well understood.
The Constitution has placed Rrnnnt
you many restrictions and has deprived
you of many Of the powers which have
bean heretofore vesteu in the Legiala
ture. you have been relieved Of many
irksome and unpleasant duties-dutiel
and demands which you could not vel
shun or avoid SO long as you wert
clothed with the power to discharge
them. congratulate you that you ari
no longer to be annoyed by divorce leg
iglation so disgraceful to our State ant
humiliatug to her good citizens, mo-
called To sit in judgment on conflicting
claims and disputes OF corporations
involving questions which Legislative
body finds go difficult TO understand
mud inteiligently deal with. Your TIM
will no more be occupied in the con
Rideration oflocal or special laws relat
ing to fenceg, strays. bitches, schoo
districts and rpads. These are suhiect
which have consumed much of tn
time. of pust legislative sessions, oftel
to the detiimentot our people and at th
expense of much of our public money
You will now he able to devote you
attention to proper subjects of leeisla
tion, involving the general public wal
faro, while tbs representatives of privat
interests and special fgyors will seal
their desires in thu courts or befor
other proper tribuuals
The Constitution rfovides in section
10 OF the schedule thereof, that 9Th
General Assembly as coon as convent
entity may lie after this Constitution
shall take ehert shall enact all law
necessary or proper for carrying out tn
provisions thereof" 1t was for thi
purpose that yoa deemed it pecessar
that you should hold an adjourne
session at this time and you are ex
pectod to address, yourselves to thi
work. While hive no doubt that
Rm expressing but t1e yiews which yo
yourselves maintain together with th
great majority OF he people of th
State yet feel TINT my relations
you are such that I is necessary
remind you Of these things. In tn