The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1904-05-07
LEGISLATIVE BIunders. y

Legislative Blunders.
We note in a recent issue of the
Vicksburg Herald an article setting
forth certain alleged plumbers" of the
recent Legislature. together with an
editorial suggesting the ad visibility of
an explanation being offered of the
many half-baked laws" enacted by
that body. 1t is in answer to this de-
mand, as we'll as in repl y 10 previous
articles of similar nature in other
newspapers, that this editorial is writ
ten, and not in any spirit OF apology
for the acts of the Legislature, for we
do not conceive that they require any
apology. -.
There haye appeared in the public
prints adverse comments upon the leg
islative action in four instances, at
least we recall but four, to-wit: In the
matter of ID the oyster fund; ~ the
boil weevil appropriations; 49, the con-
fict of chancery courts in two counties,
and AZ an error Of punctuation in the
privilege tax bill Let US consider
them seriatlm.
There was no appropriation for The
maintenance Of the Oyster Commission
for the simple reason that while this
commission has been in existence sew
eral years, there has been no appro-
priation heretofore, and the Legisla-
ture was thereby warranted ia belicT.
ing that there was no necessity Of de-
waiting from the previous practice OF
permitting the support of the commits
Sion from the funds collected by it.
While honestly endeavoring to do their
duty, the members of the Legislature
were not clairvoyants and could not
perceive that point w1s.;s.d be raised
that had been allowed as 0t4-eto-
fore, the raising of viii, ~rk
with disapproval the prior p. -dlngs
OF the Oyster Commission, and the
ruling on which is certainly open to
debate.
AS to the ENGRAVING of legislation on
the boil weevil appropriation bill,
that subject was carefully considered
by lawyers Of the Legislature who are
considered as able as some OF those
whose decision is now opposed to their
conclusions. While the dictum OF a
Supreme Court Is vested with a certain
tinality, there have been instances
known where these bodies differed,
WuGEC Gl1Skt nave DCCu ulooChUlL1k OpLh
ions, and where they have even by q
reversal of their own opinion confessed
to their liability to error, which would
appear to be common attribute to
humanity from which only the gifted
newspaper critic above adverted TO
seems to enjoy immunity. We are
therefore inclined to the opinion that
the Legislature should not be gratui-
tously assaulted for what may possibly
not be an error at all, but If an error
one which is frequently made by legis-
lative bodies, and assurcdly not nov
| ell experience in our own common
wealth.
The one err )r in the senate bill pro-
viding for re districting the State in
chancery districts is neither remarks
BILE or serious. Its effects can easily be
obviated by the calling of special
term, and the pretermitting of the
regular term in one of the two coun-
ties in which the Conflict OCCUR, When
! it is recalled that this bill was a mat
ter of contest for weeks, that changes
were being constantly made in it to bit
. the exigencies of local demand, and
satisfy various interests, it is not at al
/
crept into 1T.
Tue allege> err rot punctuation in
the privilege Ian lil is Il matter of az.
/ uIutely no li',h eat, a> any judiciaI
obstruction Il e3lIl would BE- has ri
a.. the int ltiu' 1T the Leg, AZ re
! p Anly 'NtH.'nt from the Bal a,nt
4 W 'uld l. / tTa uIiuen ed by rAtiiuu
criticiSn ~ Jle assi12 opinion ii - .e
I'd "yer a ~ the correctness of pun.'ttl.
at on, or whscn tails criticism vi tine
c ,rreSpo dru ~ based, "a W. are r.
/ ma "iy ih'oiIneu.
We wotld rCs, ecJfully call t" IN I.
1 IGNITION ol tie correspondent wuH>e
percriticislu j. To" immediate o. II
SION of this EDITORIAL. me fact lrpt
JL,lc is no rccl I'd OF nnl ltgislar We
800, that ha yer adrH.l'ned With
BAY my cOmmitlud mis-, kc>: That wh'':
1t is the duty Of Il l=.respoLde.., "
suplip his paper with copy his al
III this direction should not Outrun his
veraclty, nor should an error which is
properly the subject of ii passing com
ment be made the basis of sweeping
aud conGemptuous denunciatiOn; and
further that it is somewhat unjust TO
write slightingly of body or its work,
IN which even his Argus eye could de-
tect SO few errors While the further
observation might be made with pro-
pretty that an entire body should be
saddled with the onus of an error which
is properly attributable to some one or
more committees of that body, to
which, In the press of business, it is
obliged to delegate its labors aud upon
the judgment OF which it is forced by
the stress of circumstances to rely.
There were over one Thousand bills
presented to the recent legislature for
consideration, varying IRON good TO
evil, foolish to wise and beneficial to
vicious qualities in their provisions.
The vast majority of these, some $50,
were not passed, in accordance with
the now general opinion That the fewer
laws enacted the better for the COM
uOnwealth. There were many mat
ttrs that possIbly might have beeu