Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1843-01-19

icy of the last Legislature 10 arrestiDg
the public works then in progress upon a
large scale is believed to have operated
with salutory effect. A continuance ia
the same policy Is recommended. The
completion Of some of The unfinished
works Of the smaller class which would
not involve large expenditures, 10 urged
as proper, and In some cases ndispensa-
bly, necessary.
With respect to matters Of national poll
icy, the Message is not difluse--nor does
u exhibit much Judgment or ability 10
,ts illusions 10 such as are mentioned
The distribution policy is reproduced
bat i happens with Governor Bouek, as
with others Of his party, that in speaking
Of Disribalion, all notice is omitted Of
the schemes Of Messrs. Benton and Cal
noun, for getting rid Of the public lands.
Now Mr.. Gays plan rests first upon its
positive merits, as an excellent plan in IT.
self; ard secondly upon its relative mer.
its rs much better plan than any other
ina, has been proposed on the subject
Every argument urged against it would
apply with greater force TO the other
plans--but its opponents content them
selves with denouncing it, and they keep
"'lent as to their preferences for other
n',ies Of dispeslng Of the lands.
The apporiioument law with the single
district CLAUSE, does not meet with Gov.
Bouck's appreciation, and FOR want Of
better ground Of opposition to it, he rests
bis objections on tho assumption that
''howeVer unlimited may DO the power OF
the national legislature to "hlter" the ex.
isting regulations of the States, or to
SNAKE" those which are entirely new,
it's impossible upon any fair construction,
To MAINTAIN That the power 20 make or
alter includes power 10 act upon the
state legislatures, and compel them to
pass any particular law upon the subject"
TINS 49, to our apprehension, sort of pet
" clubbing altogether unworthy of the
place il occupies in an official document.
If Congress can make new regulations or
alter old ones respecting the election Of
Itsown members, all that the States have
to do is to confirm to such regulations,
and to comply with the conditions upon
which representatives are TO BIZ admitted
into the House. The representatives
when chosen are not officers Of the sey.
eraI States in which they were elected.
They compose one department of the Ma.
tional Government and the National
Government has the sole power OF pfe.
scribing the conditions and modes Of their
election. In refraining from the appoint.
ment Of commissioners to district the
States, the Nationa. Government showed
degree Of courtesy towards the States
which merit better return than has been
made in some quarters. II was no doubt
considered that the States would prefer
to exercise their own local authority in
laying off congressional districts within
their respective borders, rather than have
the duty performed by agents Of the Gen.
eral Government.
The only objection which Gov. Bouck
urges against the Bankrupt law is that
it allows of voluntary bankruptcies. We
are not disposed TO controvert his Excel
ltncy's vrws on this point. With that
feature stricken out, the law would not
forfeit lis claims 10 the general favor Of
the nation.
The Message dwells upon the much
hacknryed subject Of State rights, State
sovereignty and usurpation OF power on
the part Of the National Government.
We must be pardoned for thinking that
Gov. Bouck talks very awkwardly on
this theme. He has not caught the true
style. Ole cannot believe that he is ln
earnest IN his ll-expressed soicitude a
bout gunrdlug State sovereignty from Gu
croachment. The common places on that
point com" best from a South Carolina CO.
vernon. But we can tolerate all that HIS
Excelency thought proper to advance in
behallo State sovereignty since it served
rs pretenco or cover for the intrnduc.
ton Of paragraph full Of good sense aud
good feeling relative to a vexed question
that threatened to produce much mischief.
Ia referring to the luws Of the State rels.
ting to "persons held to service or labor"
in other States who may escape in New
York, he says:
The Federal constitution has provided
that they shall not, Sin copst quence of
any law or regulation" Of the state TO
which they may escape, abe discharged
from such service or labor; bu; shall be
delivered up upon claim OF the party to
whom such service or labor m8y DO due"
In 1893 Congress passed law prescri.
blug the manner in which the surrender
should be made. and forbidding all persons
under heavy penalty from interfering
with the claimant. Our laws have
thrown many obstacles in the way Of the
claimant in the assertion of his right
The principle upon which these laws are
based has been pronounced unconsttu.
,onal by our own Supreme Court, and by
the Supreme Court Of the United States.
That high tribunal made decision at its
last January term, which goes the whole
length Of declaring our laws repugnant
TO the constitution and consequently void
After the question has been thus settled
in the mode prescribed by the constitu,
ton, submit whether these laws ought
any longer to have place upon the statute
book. 1t does not become us as a mem.
Der Of the confederacy to hold language
10 our sister states which they must deem
offensive, and which the common arbiter