Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1836-03-31
VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE,

aIi
u,;.cbeyous consequences that may result, to the
,,osoerity of the Commonwealth, from several
limos that it has left undonc. 1t has earned for
..lf indeed, IA most uncnvablc fame, and. il
,s memory be perpetuacd at ALL it will be associ-
.,od with the most notorious Parliament in the
mos, despotic era of English history. Let us ra-
idly glance at few of its prominent acts and O.
missions.
1t. Abolition-Flad nota majority of the mem
,ers of the Legislature been pledged supporters
ora Northern candidate for the Presidency, who,
,ha, remembers the unaninity Of sentiment which
,r vailed in Virginia Oh this subject last summer,
.,n believe that there would have been the slight
est difficulty in the adoption Of resolutions of the
uost decided character, without a word Of debate,
on the very frs, day of the session! 1t is impos-
>ble TO doub, il. The weeks tiia, were wasted,
in the nischicvous discussion Of this question,
would have been saved, bad not been for the in
furious effects VIII, h decisive and manly tone of
sentiment micl, have exercised upon the prospects
Of Mr. Van Buren,. And is it possible that the
rcoplc Of Virginia are 50 welded to this Ne"
York prt,ioygcr, 10 be willing, for the purpose
Of promoting lis election 10 Tie Presidency, TO
surrender their dearest rights, to put in peril
their SAFETY, and to j. pardzr IIlcir most vital IN
teress 7 We ,anno, believe il. Yet such will be
H., inc, tbc inference, if, with HIS startling fact
,iarirg dem in lie face, Hey shall tins Spring
rlrcta majority OF Van Burcnitcs to constitute
their next lie ,s'atnrc.
I,.,, ,t,gi, t,p,f, ulS
ted on dis snIiec' vli,h, even had there i'en
i,utoral ol ectons 10 tic act itself, could
lead no beneficial rcsulis--iu, which, being M
constitutional in itself, ana in its tendency dctrI-
mental To the Independence of the National Legs
lature, promotivc of Executive omnipotcncc ard
rresponsiLility, and subvcrsi,c of public liberty,
should eonsicn those who aided in it, consunnaon
10 eternal banishmcnt from the public council'-
a, lcas, until the memory Of the decd is washed
out by The rcprntant tears of its perpetrators.
3dly The Banking Qusstion.-This subject,
decidedly the most important which was brought
before the Legislature for its ','eilcratun, and
which, from tie developments Of o.. previous SUM
mcr, tie minds Of tie members should have been
prepared to have acted upon promptly and under
standinely, was nevertheless postponed until near
ly the close OF the session, and then, as might have
been forcscen, thrown aside, for want OF time to
mature plan acceptable 10 the majority SO that
at least another year must clapse before Virginia
can be placed upon ground ofcuuality with her
sister States in tho means Of advancing her do
nestle interests by that increase of her Banking
capital which all rejecting and discerning minds
now deem absolutely necessary.
4thly. Internal Improvements. --lf granti q
charters be an evidence of the Ibcraty Of the
last Legislature, in relation to this too long negrc-
ted branch of our domestic policy, there can be
little doubt that it deserves the gratitude of the
people. But what are charters, without money,
bu, so much blank paper! it seems TO us, that
work of such gigantic magnitude and M gnlhcen
promise as Rail Road irom Richmond to the
Tennessee Line, penetrating the heart OF the l.
Mon, from its Northcrn to its Southern border, and
connecting at each end with similar works, tcrn-
mating northwardly at the Atlantic and south
"ardly at the Gull of Mexico. deserved a some
what kinder reception than the bare pr'rtfeSe OF
raising the means,by voluntary subscription, for its
Union are b' rrowing millions upon millions to be
expended in developing their resources and build
ing up their pospcriiy on a firm foundation, we,
too niggardly or too blind, arc content to travel on
with the snapace Of our iorciathcrs, and with tic
same waseful and ruinous economy! From such
Legislature as the last, however, which, as "A
WHOLE is admitted to have been the most ignorant
body of men ever convened in Virginia, we may
congratulate ourselves that even a charter was OBJ
tanned. Ii would no, have been the cause OF much
marvel had Mcy dccrccd, after the manner of a
congenial spirit that reading and writing were
fiat burglary" and should be banishcd from the
;" realm'-'hat schools and colleges should be clos
cd-bankS burnt--our ma, gahlc streams all clos
cd and railroads demolished No wonder that
such paragraphs as the follow (Which VIC extract
from the Baltimore Chronice.) appear in the pa
pers of other States:
Fraina lcn,e seems to be the maxim Of poor
old Virginia. While every State north and south
OF her has been ohc>ng tie spirit OF the a-r, "nri-
ing channels Of internal communication, mproN-
ing the rcSorCcS OF the country, and fostering the
spirit OF enterprise, she her face against the
system and is content TO abide tie results Of poll
cy an hundred wears ago. Her legislature has ll>i
determined 10 postpone indefinitely, the bills Tor
increasing the banring capital OF the State, mra-
sure which considering the rxrrtlonS that are max
ing elsewhere, ole would suppose indispensable to
er Coutinuc1