Litchfield enquirer., 1842-06-30

II INC aNdbtS OI Tue puUllC iauuS arc appll-
ed to the current expense of the government,
as the resolution Notwithstanding
as they have for the seven years ending on
the LIST of January, 1s40 more than ten mil
lions Of dollars year, the balance necessa-
ry for the support of the government, to be
derived from duties on imports, must be re.
duced so low as to give no adequate protec-
ton to the American manufacturer. A Sc
ries of resolutions were offered by one of the
minority in the House, embodying the prin-
cple OF discriminating protective duties, for the
support of Government, acithout the GuGils of
the public lands, but they were rejected by
party vote. 1t is apparent, therefore, that
our manufacturers must look elsewhere for
the friends Of sufficient and permanent pro-
! lection than to the majority in the late Le-
gislature.
We might advert to the act changing the
| system of our county courts. To the act
denying to the chief justice of supreme court
the power of removing cases from one coun-
| ty to an adjoining one, and especially to the
act refusing to the superior courts, the pow
er to choose their own officers, and compel
| ling them to receive their clerks at the hands
of the county courts; as evincing reck-
| lesness of consequences, and q disregard of
those important interests connected with a
due administration of justice. The leading
object of the majority seems to have been to
provide for their own partisanS, and for as
many Of them as possible.
1t remains that we speak, and that briefly,
of the manner, as well as Of the temper and
spirit in which all the leading measures of
the late session have been carried forward
and adopted. We hazard nothing in saying
! the movements Of the majority were regu-
lated and controlled by "power behind the
throne, greater than the throne ITSELF" That
every important measure was settled, with.
| out the walls of our halls of legislation--and
that the legislative body were the mere re-
gistrators of the edicts of an irresponsible
caucus. Upon such a body it is easy to see
that reason and argument were alike thrown
away. When these became SO convincing
as to excite apprehension of timiditv and
faltering in the ranks of the majority, the
previous question furnished an ever ready
and decisive answer. This remedy was Of
ten called for, and most unsparingly applied.
We complain not that nearly all the inn
portant offices of the State have been filled
by the friends Of the present administration.
But we do complain, and the people will
complain, that in very MANY instances these
Offices have been filled by men utterly in.
competent to the discharge of their duties.
That vacancies have been created and filled
| without the least regard to the public inte-
rests that these have been grossly and
wantonly sacrificed upon the altar of party
devotion-and to the maxim, that Z" to the
victors belong the spoils."
1t is useless, perhaps, to speculate on the
causes which have given to the party now in
pow er. an accidental, and we believe a tern.
! porary ascendancy in the State. We be-
lieve there is strong Wing majority in Con-
! necticut. Circumstances connected with
the administration of the General Govern
ment may have caused apathy rather than
disatfection in their ranks. That portion of
| them who have sustained the anti.slavery
ticket, have indirectly, though unintentional-
ly. contributed to the result OF the late cleo.
| ton. We believe these men to be honest,
but we also believe that they have mistaken
their own interests That their efforts have
contributed to place power in the hands of
men by whom they and their principles are
alike hated and despised.
TO the friends of order and good govern
ment throughout the State, we oheerfully
submit the question, whether they will once
more. arise in their strength and vindicate
their principles, at the the ballot boxes-or
whether they will suffer power to be perpe-
tuated in the hands of those by whom it has
been SO signally abused.
CLARK BISSELL.
ALFRED SMITH,
TIMOTHY COWLES,
CHARLES ]. HcCURDY,
THOMAS G. WOODWARD,
THOMAS c. PERKINS,,
WILLIAM T. MINOR,
Committee Of the Minority.