Middletown transcript., 1898-01-22
o. NEw LAWS.

EXPENSE OB NEW LAWS
The General Assembly having ap
pointed legal committee 10 suggest
measures for making the present State
laws conform to the New Constitution
has adjourned for the week until
Monday next. This is very good. They
named Messrs. w. T. Lynum of Will
mington, John B. Pennington, Of
Dover, and Charles #. Richards, Of
Georgetown as their legal advisers. Il
would have been far better had thil
commission been named last May be-
fore adjournment-better provided the
commission would have done theil
work during the interval, which
might or might not have been done ow.
ing to the proyerbial tardiness of at
torneys. Upon this and the matter OF
expense the Dover Index says editor
tally:
"It was OF course necessary after a
new constitution had been proclaimed
and the fundamental law of State
thereby changed, to revise the statute
laws in order that they conform to
the new constitution, and also to enact
whatever new laws should be necessary
to make it effective. To meet this me-
cessity the General Assembly adjourn
ed to meet again on January, 18th.
1898, a thing, by the away, very
seldom done in this State, and then
only in cases Of the greatest necessity.
Shortly after the meeting of this ad-
journed session a committee of three
lawyers was appointed to draft and re-
wise whatever laws should In their
judgment be necessary to make the
work Of the Constitutional Convention
effective. No one seems to have any
idea how long it will take to do this.
even the members of the committee do
not. These laws will have to be drawn
with great care and accuracy. 1t can
not be done in few days. 1T may and
probably will take weeks. This COM
mittee which is to be paid by the peo-
pie Of the State should have every rea-
sonable advantage and convenience
which can be afforded them. Above
all they should not be hampered by a
limited amount of time in which to
complete their labors. Now what are
the members of the Legislature to do
while this work is going onp Are they
to come to Dover every Monday morn
ing, adjourn on Tuesday evening until
the following Monday morning at
ten O'Clock, and draw pay for a full
weeks workP This is a question for
every thinking tax payer in the State
of Delaware to answer for himself.
Or would it not be better for them to
adjourn for six weeks or two months,
during which time the committee could
have completed its labors, and the work
of passing upon what has been done
could go on without interruption.
This unnecessary delay is of equal i'm
portance to every citizen of this State.
Probably some one will say general
work can be taken up. Have
not the people of this State been able
to procure all the legislation necessary
at the biennial session without having
to resort to this one, and beside the
Legislature will be with us again next
winter at which time they can have
their bills acted upon. If this can be
done at the regular sessions why should
unnecessary expense be incurred by
keeping the members here when the
time necessary for them to beiin session
could be very much shortened. Let
The members of the Legislature con-
slider this before saddling this outrage
upon the State" II