"Nothing safe while legislature is in session" (1866? Webster? Bierce?)

Thu Aug 10 15:16:03 UTC 2006

Does Fred have this famous quote? What's the full passage?
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16 June 1971, New York Times, "Letters to the Editor," pg. 44:
"No man's life, liberty or property is safe while the legislature is in 
session..." is a quote lifted mirthlessly, not from a 1971 Times editorial but 
from a 105-year-old New York court decision [1 Tucker 248 (N. Y. Surr. 1866)]. 
However hoary, it is uncomfortably apt as we view the carnage left by this 
year's legislative session -- sighing with relief that the legislators have gone 
 home before they could do even more damage.
(...)
JOHN V. P. LASSOE Jr.
Assistant to the Bishop
Episcopal Diocese of New York
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4 September 1976, Washington Post, pg. C7:
A 19th century sage -- reportedly Daniel Webster -- once observed: "Now is 
the time when men work quietly in the fields and women weep softly in the 
kitchen; the legislature is in session, and no man's property is safe."
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6 February 1977, New York Times, pg. O24:
IN 1868, a surrogate Court Judge in New York State made a comment that, 
while aimed at Albany rather than Hartford, still haunts the Connecticut 
Legislature today. His passing remark, "No man's wife or property is safe when the 
Legislature is in session," is often repeated as a joke about the atmosphere 
and the procedure of the Connecticut Legislature and how it is perceived by the 
news media and much of the public. 
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27 February 1977, New York Times, "Letters to the Connecticut 
Editor," pg. 425:
The quote "No man's wife or property is safe while the Legislature is in 
session" should really have read "No man's life or property" etc.--I think.

Seriously, please inform your readers that to the best of my knowledge and 
belief the danger from the Legislature is to their lives not their wives--the 
Congress to the contrary notwithstanding.
LEWIS B. ROME
Minority Leader
State Senate
Hartford
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19 November 1979, Chicago Tribune, pg. C3:
In 1866, a judge in New York heard the case of an attorney who was accused 
of negligence for not reading the most current state statutes before advising a 
 widow on the settlement of her husband's estate. The judge, in his ruling, 
stated what is only too true today in Illinois: "No man's life, liberty, or 
property is safe while the legislature is in session."
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13 September 1981, Chicago Tribune, pg. G30:
"No man's house or property is safe is safe when the legislature is in 
session."
Daniel Webster
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_CLT - Barbara Anderson's Column - Jul 2003 #4 - Quest for a quote  ..._ 
(http://cltg.org/cltg/barbara/2003/03-07-24_Quest%20for%20quote.htm)       
It turns out that Judge Gideon Tucker did say, "No  man's life, liberty or 
property is safe while the  Legislature is in session" in 1866; ...
cltg.org/cltg/barbara/2003/cltg.org/cltg/barbara/2003/<WBR>03-07-24_Quest%2_Ca
ched_ 
(http://72.14.209.104/search?q=cache:lQbBE-KtO3IJ:cltg.org/cltg/barbara/2003/03-07-24_Quest%20for%20quote.htm+"legislature+is+in+session"+and+"propert
y+is+safe"&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=1&ie=UTF-8)  - _Similar pages_ 
(http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&q=related:cltg.org/cltg/barbara/2003/03-07
-24_Quest%20for%20quote.htm) 
<NO
<NO

_Byzantium on the James_ 
(http://www.baconsrebellion.com/Issues05/01-17/Rodokanakis.htm) 
... journalist and short-story writer who lived between 1842 and 1914, said “
No man's life, liberty or property is safe while the Legislature is in 
session. ...
www.baconsrebellion.com/Issues05/01-17/Rodokanakis.htm - 34k - _Cached_ 
(http://72.14.209.104/search?q=cache:ld9uafy62GcJ:www.baconsrebellion.com/Issues05/
01-17/Rodokanakis.htm+"legislature+is+in+session"+and+"property+is+safe"&hl=en
&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=5&ie=UTF-8) - _Similar pages_ 
(http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&q=related:www.baconsrebellion.com/Issues05/01-17/Rodokanak
is.htm) 
<NO

Ambrose Bierce, an American  journalist and short-story writer who lived 
between 1842 and 1914, said “No  man's life, liberty or property is safe while the 
Legislature is in session.”  The Virginia General Assembly went into session 
last week, so taxpayers should  hold onto to their wallets. 

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