Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1910-04-21

passionate review of the last General
Assembly feels so outrage at it's actions
as to thus severely criticise their hand
ling of the States funds, it is certainly
time for the citizens of the grand old
/ Commonwealth 20 arise in their might
and smash the gang of political parasites
that prey on the State in order that
some of the hungry horde" NAV live
like tn lilies IF Solomon.
The article from the Journal was rs
follows:
The Journal publishes on this page
today verbatim extract from The
Journal of the Senate. session of 1910.
for double purpose; first. to show the
absurdity of the procedure whereby the
biennial appropriation Of some twelve
million dollars is made; second. to dis
close how provision was made for the
appointment of special permanent State
counsel, under which provision the Gov
ernor has appointed our admirable
friend, Speaker Byrd, of the House.
The extract from the Senate Jour
nal includes the exact language of the
conference report on Senate Bill 425.
which is the general appropriation bill.
1t might be well to explain that a con-
ference report is a report agreed upon
by Joint committee of the two houses
when these bodies have disagreed upon
some particular measure. In the case
OF the general appropriation bill, which
was laid before the two branches of the
Assembly only two days before adjourn
ment, there was disagreement, where
upon each body named conference COM
mittee, which committees, sitting Joint
| iy, agreed upon compromise measure.
the House committee yielding in some
particulars, and the Senate committee
yielding in others.
This conference report was pre-
scented to the Senate and House at the
night session of the last day of the
Assembly-March 12th-in the midst of
all the confusion and good-natured riot
that marks the conclusion of an Assem-
bly,. 1t was read in the Senate and
briefly explained by Chairman Keezell.
and adopted in less than two hours of it's
presentation by a unanimous vote. In
the House action was even more precip-
itate, the adoption of the report occurr-
ing within few minutes after the re-
port of the House confereee.
1t is idle to assert that members who
voted for this report knew what they
were voting for except in the most
general way. Days and weeks, might
nave been consumed in analyzing the
report, and even at that intelligent men
would still have been in doubtful mind
over some items embraced in the bill.
Altogether the Legislature was in
session sixty days. Not until the very
end of this two-months' period was the
most important matter-the financial
budget-before the Assembly for con-
slderation. In the brief time interven-
ing before adjournment it was a physical
and Psychological imposibility for men,
bers to have considered this measure on
its merits. A few men from each BODY.
constituting the Finance Committees.
became more or less familiar with the
Dill; the rest of the lao members knew
little and hand no fair opportunity, in
calm debate and consideration, toinform
themselves. When they voted for the
bill, on the final night of the session.
three-fourth of the members voted. not
upon information and knowledge. but
purely upon faith and many of them in
a spirit of let's-get-through-and-go-
home. The first ffty-nine days of the
session had been given up to passing
fish trap privileges and authorization to
build creek bridges, and such profound
matters of craftsmanship.
$50 much for the twelve million-dollar
appropriation bill az a whole, and the
manner of its adoption.
Item No. Cog was inserted in the bill
at the instance of the House conferees.
and was adopted as a matter of course.
in the hurry and excitement of the mo-
ment; but The Journal is informed that
members had no idea that it was intend
ed to cause what, in essence, is the es-
Enlistment of a new permanent DO
sition, which has not only been filed.
but filled by the appointment of a mem
Der who voted for it,