Western Carolina Democrat and French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1913-1915, 1913-03-06
HOW THE STATE LAWS ARE MADE
A VISIT THROUGH THE LAWIIM|LL.

mere Is sample OF the language
that conducts it through:
Presiding officer: IS. B. No.-H.
8. No. = upon its second reading
which the clerk will read
Reading Clerk: IS. B. No.-H.B. No
bill entitled an act to do so and So
giving title) on End reading. The COM
mlttee recommends that this bill dc
pass"
Presiding Officer: "The question is
upon the passage of the bill upon its
second reading; the clerk will call the
roll''
The clerk calls the roll the first time
Of each day slowly in order that the
Journal Clerk may record the names OF
those voting, but after this the clerk in
uncontested matters just hits the high
places of the roll call by calling three
or four names. He announces the No.
voting each time giving the original
vote and the presiding officer an
nounces the vote and makes the order
as to the disposition of the bill. This
goes on for an hour or more each day
with the presiding onlcer and the
clerks making the laws and the actual
lawmakers sitting back in their seats
or lobbying around, some smoking,
some reading, some sleeping, some an
swering their constituents about pro-
posed bill to prohibit the dumping of
saWdust in Gooseberry Creek and an
other has his feet cooked up on the
desk higher than his head mapping out
summers work upon his return
home. The bills are passing at the
rate of about two per minute and the
announcements of the presiding officer
and the clerk form an old sing-song in
which one word cannot be distinguished
from another. If the reader has ever
heard an electric piano bang away
regularly on some air until the annoy
ed passerby sees imaginary notes in
the air as the old music box beats il
self to- death, ,musically speaking, he has
an idea of how things are going when
It takes the time of about half a hun
it takes the time of about half hum
dTed clerks to keep the records
straight on these matters, costing only
about SO, ,090@ per session. This lame
place in the law will be strengthened
some day probably, by conferring these
powers upon county or local authori-
ties who know much more about the
provisions of the bill and the evils to
be remedied than the legislators in
Raleigh, that is in the uncontested
matters. -....
A bill passes it's second and third
roll calls on different days of the ses-
sion. A bill not providing for revenue
and if not opposed passes second and
third readings on the same day. Some
times one is introduced and the rules
are suspended and it is put upon its
final reading within five minutes after
it's introduction. If the bill originates
in the Senate and is amended therein
it is sent to the EAgrossfng Depart
ment to be put in good shape to be
sent to the House. The same rule ap-
plies in the lower branch of the legis
lature.
The devious and stoney route of a
contested bill is much more interesting
than the uncontested bill and its pas
sage is much quicker.
There are bills on the Calendar in
troduced during the first week of the
present session. They have not had
much success along their journey and
they will never get to the Enrolling
Department.
In the first place the committee is
sctnetimes slow to report on bill.
ic is a very interesting bill there are
one or two public hearings by the COM
mittee and many speeches are heard.
The committee probably makes amend
ments to the bill or offers substitute
therefor The bill is reported and goes
to the Calendar. Later 1t is taken up
and it is discussed on the floor OF the
House or Senate for hours. Then rur-
Their discussion is set for particular
hour on a particular date, and you bet
your life that when the bill becomes
law the author does not recognize MS
own "child'' that was once so dear TO
him. For instance the famous search
and seizure bill was burdened with
about 20 amendments before it got
through the House. 1t hat, to be en-
crossed before going to the Senate.
There is was discussed several times
and finally got through after twenty
amendments had been offered by tnat
body, the most of which were adopted
It had to be sent back to the House
then for concurrence in the senate
amendments and the bill will probably
have to be returned to the Senate FOR
concurrence in some new House
amendments before the matter is nnal-
ly disposed Of Many times bills are
ordered recalled from the enrolling de-
psrtment on the request of some Sena-
tor or Representative, who thinks or
new clause he wants added. Some
times the Senate and House fail to
come to an agreement until after
conference committee has been ap-
pointed by each body.
Almost every time bill is handled
some notation >has\to be made thereon
and the covers of the bill in some
cases are thoroughly disfgured with
red and purple notations. If the bill
once passes through the Engrossing
Department it is thoroughly renovated
in that a new bill embodying all OF the