The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-03-11

1sIa1ion who chooses to abandon his
party and play the part OF musWun2p,
because of the race question. Inc ne
cessity for the Convention IS greater at
This time than 1t has heretofore peeh
at any neriod of the States history EA-,
perience has shown that no Repuoilcan
marty can get into power or even have.a
respectable following as long as an over
whelming majority of its members is
tConposed OF ignorant negroes VINO
are utterly unfit for the right of suf-
fraEe. This gives the Democrats an I'M
mense majority. There is at present one
Repuh1ican in the State Senate. composed
of forty members, and four in the House,
having one hundred delegates
Good measures, and others, perhaps,
havin: objects injurious to the public get
5o;i 1ae calendar and so through IN the
hurried rush of business, without being
understood by one-fifth of the members.
With two political parties In existence
constantly arousing the hostility which
springs from healthy rivalry, objec-
;ionaDie measures would nave FEWER
chances of getting through During the
session OF ninety days, seven hundred
and eleven bill were introduced in the
Senate. and twelve hundred and nine
teen In the House of Delegates. making
LIE ipldt VI w
and thirty which We're offered for tho
consideration of the two houses.
Tho bills would average not less than
three printed pages each. so that to vote
with absolute intelligence, each member
would have 10 read or hear read during
the ninety days session. five Thousand
seven hundred and ninety pages of print
ed matter. This no man can do, however
powerful his constitution may be. "A CT
S-,sp bs, IN member Of the Gem
: eral Assembly under existing conditions
undoubtedly takes the chance of destroy
Ing his reputation for care and capacity
when no care and no capacity can pu!
him IN a position where he can thorough
ly understand all questions which come
up in the hasty rush. On Monday, March
5ih. the last working day of the recent
session. the House calendar was a uuarto
volume of forty-rlne printed pages. con-
lai1ang by actual count four hundred and
sidy bills. a large majority OF which
We're passed, and besides this, under q
suspension of the rules, still other bills
were that day placed on the calendar and
passed
AT the session of the British Parlia-
,nent, in the year 1855, only s4S1 bills were
introduced. Q3ryce Am. Com. vol. l. p.
5as)
The great evil In the mechanics of
lesislarion with US Is the private bill
nuisance. Some of the private bills are
OF imT,or tance. but the power to grant
certain forms of relief should be taken
away from, the Legislature and conferred
as far as possible on the courts. no man
in short session, as matters go. can ia
miharize himself with all these matters
and the power Of the Legislature should
be curtailed in many respects.
The railroad commissioner and numer-
49, no tarf-
ed by the people and not by the LeSis-
\ latwe. The ofice-holders can make no
better selections OF other office-h olders..
q to say the teast, than the people. It Is
plain that 1t would be in the Interest OF
3 good government to have the sessions of
the General Assembly begin on January
I'd and not In December. for, as It is at
present the first month of the session is
1 wasted. All OF these and numerous oth-
er reforms. tending TO secure greater de-
liberation, can only be reac9aed by con-
etltutlonal convention. which the people