Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1841-05-13
SPECTATOR.
For THE srAvNroN SPECTATOR.

To Messrs b. e.. Bahd,Din = ". Kinney, Esqs.
GENTLEMEN: BY the suiIrages Of the free
men of Augusta county, you are elected as
the Delegates of said county, to the next
Legislature Of our unterrified commonwealth
and having no fears but that your abilities are
commensurate with the demands of the crisis,
and your dispositions ever good to servo the
people sold Augusta" as well as the country
at large; would respectfully, yet earnestly,
solicit your attention to some alterations that
arc necessary in the laws of our state. In
doing this, shall endeavor to keep within
the bounds of propricty, but if ! should ut any
time ovcrreach the mark, hope you will lei
it pass tor what it is worth, and grant me your
indulgence on such points, as are for the ben
eft not only of our county, but of the state In
general; and such as will compcrt with the
dignity Of our representatives in presenting
thom for the consideration of this people.
undertake the task more readily on account OF
my affection for ''old Augusta" for l would
fain see her lead the way in emancipating the
energies Of Virginia, from the thraldom in
which she has long been held by Richie,
g. Co., and from which she must soon be re-
leased, or farewell to the great name that
we have long borne in the Federal house
hold. ] have some knowledge of the laws
and governments of most Of the States in the
Union, and am compelled to say, that we
are in arrears, and vastly so, of the age In
which we live; but Virginia "with all thy
faults love thee still" would do any thing
in my power to promote her interest.
First, Iwould call your attention to the enor-
nous sums that we pay annually for our lie,
gislation without producing its corresponding
amount of good. Wepay from sixty to eigb
ty thousand dollars per annum for the pas
sage Of few unimp6rtant acts, mostly of 4
local nature, while the interest of the State al
large has been allowed to pass by with few
long speeches, each of which, cost the State
some seven OF eight hundred dollars, and
then "indeGnitely postponed" and suffered 70
die natural death, or rather an unnatural
one. Is this the way things should be done
in Virginia! / trow not. That there have
been many members in every assembly who
have deprecated these proceedings l am per.
fectly willing to believe; nay, know. that
such has been the case, but they have always
been kept in check by an overwhelming ma
jority, who have studied little else than theii
| own interest, or the ends of their immediate
| constituents. But what shall be the remedy
| I will propose one, and ifyou can find a bet
| ter, will be content to see itput in progress
and If you cannot succeed, you may at leas,
awaken the people to the consideration of q
subject that is Of vital importance to their flu
ture welfare. But to the remedy. ] wouls
! give to the members four dollars per day 70
| the first thirty days, three dollars per day TO
the next ten days, two dollars per day for tn
next ten, and one dollar per day for every sue
ceeding day that they may be in session, am
if this did not answer the purpose, woul
abolish their sittings altogether, and give tn
prerogative to the Governor Of calling then
together when expedient, to receive such re
Communications as he, by the advice of hi
, council, may see proper to submit to thei
| consideration. Perhaps you will answe
| that this will require action upon the const
, tuition. Very we'll, then let it be so. l car
} not how it comes, SO that good will come
, us, for we certainly need it. Let this or som
equally important step be taken, and we sha
have money for the purposes of internal in
p-ovement and the more important subject {
education: mean on the district school sy
TEN; for the present mode of using the publ
school fund, is perfect burlesquo on II
subject of public instruction.
submit these remarks for your consider
ton, which l hope will be favorably though
i of, and ESQ, you may hear again from
II.
4 Waynesboro', Augusta Co, April 30.