LEGISLATION.
Without any disposition to dictate to a co-ordinate branch of the Government, I would most respectfully suggest that you adopt some rule to relieve you from the consideration and pendency of such a mass of bills as are introduced at every session. The reading, referring, consideration by Committees and action by the Houses thereon take up much valuable time and become a serious obstacle in the way of the consideration of important measures. There is, in my judgement, no necessity for the introduction and consideration of upward of a thousand bills at every session of the Legislature. Such a large number of measures can not have anything like proper consideration in a short session of sixty-one days. Neither the wants of the people nor the welfare of the State demands any such mass legislation, the pending of which causes hasty and inconsiderate legislation toward the close of the session, and almost always prevents a proper consideration of the appropriation bills. Some rules ought to be adopted by which unimportant bills could be readily disposed of. Perfect legislation and the wisdom thereof is what points out the intelligence of a legislative body, and not the number of its acts.
