EPTRA PAY TO SECRETARIES.
A Committee reported in favor of allowing the Principal Secretary $100 for making calendar of bills, reading of the argument, etc., and $300 to the Assistant Secretary for indexing the journals of the Senate.
The report was concurred in.
CIVIL CRIMINAL CODE.
The House concurrent resolution to print 1,500 copies of the Civil and Criminal Code in pamphlet form, was rejected,
JUDGES OF THE SUPREME COURT.
On motion by Mr. LANGDON, the motion heretofore entered to reconsider the vote rejecting the joint resolution [S. 15] for a proposed amendment to the Constitution for the election of not more than nine Supreme Judges was agreed to.
Mr. LANGDON made this motion in view of the fact that the Supreme Court has 1,500 cases on its docket and is three years behind hand. To his mind this appears of greater importance to the people than any amendment that has been proposed. We proceeded last night to pass a bill of questionable constitutionality, so eager was the General Assembly and so imperative was the duty to be discharged that by indirection it is proposed under that bill to relieve the Supreme Court of duties it can not fully discharge.
Mr. BROWN hoped the Senate would not reconsider the action it took upon that resolution. He favored the resolution at the time, but did not think it ought to be passed now, as it is of importance equal to a bill, and no bill can be passed to-day. The bill the Senator [Mr. Langdon] refers to may, perhaps, come to the relief of the Supreme Court, so that two years hence there may be no necessity for the passage of such a resolution as this.
Mr. COMSTOCK believed the people should have an opportunity to express themselves upon this subject. It is understood that the five men to be appointed Commissioners by the Judges of the Supreme Court, under the bill passed last night. are to hold two years, with the tacit understanding that the term of office is to be for but two years. At the end of two years there will probably be an attempt made to continue these Comissioners in office. This resolution does not create any new office, but is simply expressing an opinion of the General Assembly that this question should be submitted to the people. It looks reasonable and just in view of the action taken last night, and he saw no reasonable objection to the passage of the joint resolution.
The Senate again refued to pass the joint resolution: but subsequently another vote being taken it finally passed by yeas, 33; nays, 7.
Mr. BROWN called from the file the report of the Judiciary Committee in favor of passing a resolution authorizing the publication of the Brevier Legislative Reports at the same price and the same number of copies furnished by the compiler to the General Assembly for seventeen consecutive years.
Mr. GRUBBS moved to add a proviso that such Reports shall not exceed 750 in number.
Mr. BROWN moved to amend by substituting 1,500 for 750, to make the number conform to the past history of the State for fifteen or twenty years.
Pending which--
The Senate adjourned till 10:30 a. m. to-morrow, in pursuance of a motion heretofore adopted.
