The State Legislature

The Legislature adjournbd on Thursdaymorning, March 18, at è past one. Wo have a few remarks to makc respecting it. 1. The hnglk of the session was 73 days. Somesessions have been longer than this, somc have been shorter : but we believe this is about the average length, bemg one-fifth part of the year. At the commencement of the session, the papers were unanimous in calling for a short session. Thirty days, or forty, at lurtherest, were deemed sufficient for the transaction of all necessary business. The Legislature, al tlie bpginning of the session, was doubtless in expectation that it would be short, as appropriations for the pay of members were only made at that time for sixty days. 2. The expense of the session is said by the Advertiser to be at least Thirtyfive Thousand dollars, or nearly Five Hundred dollars a day. VVo have not figurcd it, but we presume that, including the printing and incidental expenses of the Legislature, the estímate is about rigï.t. 3. The mensures adopfed deservesomo notice. 110 acts and 38 joint resolutions were passed. The first part of the session was occupied by the Mexican Resoluñons. Their great objects were to glorify Mr. Polk, and give the influence of the State in favor of the War- two very unworthy object, we think. The election of Senator rniglit have been despatched in half a day, and the locaiionof the Capital in two or three days more, These things done, what important objects remained that would necessarily protract the session ten weeks ? A great number of bilis wero brought up, chiefly for Buncomb, on every conceivalle subject. Many were passed, and many were dserveJl}' lost. The reduction of pay of the Legislature was discussed about as long as usual at each session, and with preciselv the samo resull- nolhing at all. Since a reduction of pny was proposed sïx or eight years si nee, we presume the Legislature hat spent more than $20,000 in discussing the subject, and have not thereby reduced the pay one penny. Nor is there the least prospect thai seven years longer discussion would secure anv reduction. - It is so pleasant to receive Three Dollars a doy while one is discussing whether Three Dollars a day is too much to receive ! How profoundly and acutely the subject could beargued on both sides urider such comfortable circumstances ! One question to the people : Does not al! our experience teach us that the pay of the members sliould be fixed by the Constitution, and tdus put an end to the delay nnd heavy expense attending ita endless discussion by the Legislatures ? 4. Two years since, we wrote an article taking ground agninst Biennial Seions. Wading through a hundred and fifiy columns of the State Paper to follow he Legislature in lts tracks through the .'ist session, has cmised us to aller our miud. Such exhibitions of folly, absurdty, intigua, frivolity, and unnecessary, execssive and partial legislation, have convinced uslhat a session of such memjers held once in two years would be far heiter for the community :han an annual infliction af such legislation. This is our delibérate jeHgment, formed without any ains or prejudico. But allowing that the Legislature conducted their pioceedings with unexceptionable propriety and despatch, we should still advocate biehnial sessions as the only practicable preventative of excessive legislation. This is a greater evil than superficial thinkers might suppose. The number of laws, by the enactment of more than a hundred at each session, becomes enormous in time, amounting to thousands after a few years : and their frequent changes are still more mischievous. We had a very long session last year for the expresa purpose of revising the laws. It was dono. The Revised Statutes were published at n heavy expen.e, end sent to every part of the State by the first of Mrtrch, when ihey were to go into operation. The Justices and lawyers begun to pore over them to learn the new code : but every one who could get sight of a Detroit daily paper coulc.' seo a vast number of alterations made and to be made, in the volume which had scarcely reached their hands. How many allerations wore made, and how many failed, we know not : but we. suppose several hundred were pipoed. Well, the alterations acluaily made in the statuten at the last session, wijl not be known through the State generally till ne.xt fall ; and before the justices and lawyers have cyphered them all out, the Legislature will be in full blast again, filtering, rcpealing and enacting as usual. We go against this incessnnt chonge, as unnecessary and highly iujurious : and if necessary to stop it, we would go even for triennil,instead of annual sessions of the Legislature. CC? Daniel Webster is to spnnd a few months in travelling through the Southern States. In 1840, he went South as far as Virginia, and made at least one speech undernn ' October sun.' We may look eut for more of a similar character.