Western Carolina Democrat and French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1913-1915, 1913-03-06
JOURNEY OF A BILL is so DEVI.
Gus THAT ITS AUTHOR rs UN.
ABLE TO RECOGNIZE HIS
OWN BRAINS CREATION.
LEGISLATIVE MILL NOW
RUNNING ON BIG PULLEY

HOIWSAISO Wv O1O VA6A
Prospects Poor for Adjournment al
End of Week as Hundreds of Bills
Will Have to be Ratified While
Scores of Others Are Daily Dropped
Into the HOpper-Tenth District Leg.
islatiOn.
By Noah N. HOllOWeIl)
Raleigh, N. C.-When the Creator
saw fit to lay down the first law by
which man was to be governed He
gave it straight from the shoulder" !"
so to speak, without the 'tred tale" in
cident to present day lawmaking. Al
though the Lord remained on Mt Sinai
with Moses almost as long as the Gen
eral Assembly of North Carolina is BIZ
ennially in session, history gives no re-
cord of any committee meetings to
consider the laws made on the noun
tain top or of three consecutive read
ings, various roll calls, a host of
clerks, ETC., such as is the case in the
making of laws of this generation. The
circumstances under which these laws
were handed down were d1ssimilar and
different methods were employed. From
that day until the present changes
have taken place in the manner of law
making or legislative procedure.
The ordinary person is more or less
familiar with the methods employed
by fraternal. religious, or civic organ
izations in making laws or rules for
the governing of the members of these
respective bodies, there being very lit
tie "red tape" or parliamentary proce~
dure entailed, but there are those who
know not the crooks and turn of a
bill after it is introduced in the legisla-
ture before it reaches its destination
as provided for by the constitution.
For the benefit of those unfamiliar
with legislative procedure but who
share in the expenses of the General
Assembly, which were conservatively
estimated in last weeks issue of this
paper as being not less than $4,000
every two years; for the Information
Of the dear people back home" or the
zone gallus man" as they are so de-
Scriptively designated by the two gal
lus" legislators on the floors of the
House and Senate, the writer will con-
duct the reader through the "legisla-
tive mill" hurriedly and show them
something of the machinery Of law
making, without going into lengthy de-
tail as to the devious routes Of a bill
or resolution, on its way to the Secre-
tary of State, who turns it over to the
printers.
A bill is prepared on legal cap paper.
typeWritten, and given two folds so as
to make it convenient size. On the
bill is placed a cover or jacket for the
bills protection for after once follow
ing its route through the mill the read
er will clearly see that without such
protection in the form of "a jacket 1t
would finally look like mans Sunday
shirt after he had chased rabbit
through a brier patch in his shirt
sleeves. On the bill is plac-
ed a number by a costly
numbering machine, the House using
red ink and the Senate purple in their
color schemes. 1t is by these numbers
that bill is traced soaccurately that
at any stage of it's journey the clerks
can lay their hands on it instntly. The
bills are numbered consecutively. Upon
being introduced the bill passes the
first of the three readings it has to un-
dergo and is referred to an approprite
committee to- study its merits or is plac
ed on the Calander. which might prop
erly be termed the junk pile where a
Dill lies when it has no where to stay.
Inc committee. composed Of from TO
dozen or more members of the House
or Senate there being about fifty COM
mlttees of each body, reports the Dill
1aVorably or unfavorably as the case
may be after consideration. If report
ed unfavorably it is tabled or killed
and withdrawn from the further con-
Slderation of the Senate unless MI
nority report is filed and the Senate is
asked to further consider the bill. Ii
reported favorably it goes on the Cal
endar. While the laity is not permitted
10 express it's wishes before the Senate
or House in session, the committee
meetings are open to all and it is here
tnat some warm arugments take place.
If the bill provides for bond issue
or the raising of money in any form
must pass two roll calls and the
journals must show such with the
names of those voting or the act will
be invalid.
The majority of roll call bills are
only of local application and are nev-
er opposed unless by those hailing
from the county affected. These roll
call bills when not opposed go through
tne mill at the rate of about two per
minute and the roll call provision OF
the constitution is one of the most far
clcal features of the General Assembly.