Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1899-04-13

Total number OF bills and resolutions
printed. 1OOo
Referring to the official record above
it is evident that the legislature has
not been idle. Although considerable
time was spent Oh some matters which
were not altogether legislative. never
the less were important because they
involved principles of honesty, and as
public servants demanded our atten-
ton. Each bill and concurrent reso-
luton has been read on two separate
mittee, where all who desired could
appear and present arguments either
for or against its passage.
Some bills required several sessions
of the committee, before any satisfac-
tory report could be secured; while
frequently both majority and minori-
ty report have been made. The re-
port may be either accepted or rejected
and sometimes Is re-referred. When
several bills relateng to one subject
have been received, the committees
have taken the best ideas from all and
reported substitute. All committee
sessions are held after the legislative
day is over, frequently lasting till mid
night. The public read only of the
days proceedings, and seldom hear of
the extra hours that are spent in CON-
mittee rooms, where the real work is
done. When committee report has
been adopted. each bill is again read
and is subject to debate, amendment
or rejection.
After passing through each ordeal
and made complete, is ordered en-
crossed and printed as a perfect bill,
when it is ready for third reading and
final passage.
Any or all of the preceding steps
may have been accomplished without
a roll call, but it is a common occur
renee to have half dozen on any one
of them, with few extra on various
dilatiDg motions besides.
The parliamentary rules and tactics
remind me considerably of the laws
after they are in use. They are about
as useful in preventing justice and de-
laying action, as they are for securing
good results.
A bill to pass must secure the consti-
tutional majority of seventy-one votes,
which at this session means nearly all
of those usually present. The record
will show that have missed just one
roll call, and that occurred while |
was called out to see member who
had become i'll and had to be taken to
his room. If the attendance at this
legislature is any Indication of mem
bers interest in the welfare of his con-
stituents. some counties had as we'll
sent none.
When a bill has passed the House it
goes to the Senate, where almost the
same process is repeated; while passed
Senate bills receive the same consider
adion in the House. After passing
both branches of the legislature the
bill is enrolled. signed by the speaker
of the House, the President of the
Senate and is sent to the Governor.
who has the privilege of vetoing or
signing it. The signed bills become
laws after ninety days, unless an emer-
gency claus is added which requires a
two third majority in each house.
The law as thus complied is filed in
the Office of Secretary of State and is
preserved. ALI of the laws passed are
bound in volume and are called the
session acts.
The constitution provides that every
ten years the statutes and acts shall be
revised; which means all acts that
have been repealed. or have been de-
cided unconstitutional by the Supreme
Court, which may be duplicate or in
definite in meaning are to be stricken
out. While any imperfections may be
corrected, and all of the session acts of
intervening legislatures are given their
proper places, making new set of
Statutes for the State.