The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-09-07
Popular Fear of LeEisiatures.


 One of the most marked changes mad. by the new Alabama Constitution Is fl rekard to sessions of the Legislatrref Tha tendency in this matter Is all in the al theory seems to be that there are alread, enough laws on the statute books; indeed q great many more than are enforced cl iesialstors is to grind out tt more laws. or or every conceivable subject. A member evidently does not consider that he has earned his salary or done his duty to tn. people unless he has fathered a host of bills; and he Is dispog ed to estimate him. self by the number of measures he intro- duces and succeeds in passing. The dis prepared each year, of which 1o, 1000 to iS.. O0o become laws, has naturally caused combination among the people, who find more ordinances in force now than they statutes, or even fraction of them, can be properly prepared and wisely consider ed: The result isrconfusion and positive ,nlury; The statute books are nlled with the people do not know of or understand and the courts are overcrowded with cases in which these hastily constructed and often grossly unconstitutional meas
 Originally, all the American Legislat- ures met at least once year, and several q q them % semi-snnually. There was feel measure that might come up. Moreover, there were many faults and deficiencies holes and cracks. as it were, that had to be filled up. These are all thoroughly stopped now. and there Is very little
 ens oT i. nsw roaa atatss sss 9ss Tns RsPr laws passed the better for the public.
 This feeling first showed itself some years ago. The annual sessions of the lowed the biennial session-one meeting In two years. Delawere changed to bi- ennial meetings as early as 1881: Mary land in 1s46 and Virginia in 1850. Now all the States but six have passed over to the system of biennial meetings. New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode 1s- land. South Carolina and Georgia alone adhere to the ancient method. The New England States have generally been the last to give up annual sessions. The chances are that most of those still cling ing to this system will drop it in the next strong popular movements having that object in view.
 The next step is from biennial to quad- thought s"T that one meeting s i' every very four IF years will afford all the legislation actual ly required by the State. If there should be a need for sudden action on any mat ter of importance the Governor can call
 But not only does Alabama propose to limit the number of meetings, but the IGukLn OI cdCl bc6SiOn, WHICH JnG SQnNen- tion has cut down to fifty days. This greatly reduces the amount of legislation, or. as some pessirnists would put 1t, the chance of mischief. It will make the American State. Colorado tried forty day session for some time but 1t proved failure. Any hitch in the proceedings
 S se the wnas S the had to Ss called together in extra session to do what should have been done at the regu-
 Most of the other States limit the Legislature to sixty or seventy days. Sixty days is the limit of all the new States. like Montana. Washington, the Dakotas, etc, or the older States with Jana and others. But. Alabama reduces its Legislature to minimum.
 Most of the States have curtaiied the hibition of special legislation. Pennsyi- vania did so in 1893. The California Con stitution prohobits thirty-three kinds of special laws, the new Kentucky Constitu- Alabama cover thirty-one separate class es of subjects, and there are some rather general prohibitions besides. few of the subjects upon which the General As private laws henceforth are granting di- vorces, incorporating towns or cities, eiv- ing charters to companies or associations: regulating the assessment or collection of taxes, authorizing municipalities to issue bonds, remitting fines and penalties, es- tablishing local administrative districts, regulating the rate of interest. etc.
 No State has gone as far as Alabama in this limitation of it's legislative depart ment-one session in four years, and that only fifty days long, and prohibited from touching thirty-one separate classes of subjects, in addition to the general prohi- birions. The Alabama Constitution is Q strong declaration of the popular fear and distrust of the legislative branch of the government. The Legislature is as nearly abolished as possible.