American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1846-10-17
Gmeritou Republican,
AND
BALTIMORE CLIPPER.
SATURDAY MORNING, Der. II, 1916

Local LEGISLATION, oar lrlend oil the An
naDoljs Herald, thinks, that the biennial ses-
sions bill Twill be found to work most obec-
tionable, even TO many of those who voted for
it," for, says he, "the locating Of roads, running
of fences, erecting of bridges, Sc, come within
the province of the Legislature, and the people
in the country may suffer much Inconvenience
from the delay in having their necessities at
tended to, in the absence of session OF the To-
gslature." To this objection we reply, that
all the matters of strictly local character, such
as those Just mentioned, should be contded ex-
clusively to the local authorities, who would
understand the necessity for them much better
than the legislature. Why should men, rcsid-
ing in distant counties, and entirely nnacquant-
ed with the local wants of Baltimore county,
for instance, be asked to vote upon the question
ola road, or bridge in said county? Could not
the commissioners of Baltimore county, who
are directly responsible to the people, decide
upon the matter much more intelligently and
JUSTIFY Most certainly. Let the Legislature,
then, invest the county authorities with all pow.
er to act upon local business, and reserve that
which is of a general character only for its own
action, and both State and local business will
e be better attended to. The objection urged
against biennial sessions, by our Annapolis
friend, is unsound, and we are certain can ne
yer induce the people, or the delegates elect to
vote for repeal of the law. The Herald says,
that this law "may be considered one Of the
grossest impositons ever concocted," In what
respect? Why, says that paper, "under it the
terms of office of all the annual State officers
will have TO be heightened from one to two
years" And pray how are the interests of the
people to be iDjuriously affected by this change
or where IS the imposition practised' 1t may
make the scrambes for Office less frequent, but
this vii! be no injury-but the governor being
elected for three years, the appointments, al
though required to be made annually, are the
same as if made for the term Of three years. In
fact, we should be glad if each new governor
were required to make appointments for the
whole of his term: nor should we shed tears, i'll
delegates were elected for three years, as the
governor is, leaving Senators 10 serve for sx-I
or else reduce the governor to two years and
Senators to four. We should have no serious
objection to either mode.
The passage Of the biennial sessions bill may
require the enactment of other laws, to make
the whole machinery work tremendously. AS
defects appear they can be remedied; but the
zoozl, Lo,lJ La, oil ,,o,ps bold IN 70 In hill
which has passed, and by which they will ef
feet so large a saving in State expenditures
PENNSYLVANIA. Although returns of the
elections have not been received from the whole
of this State, sufficient is known to shew, that
the people have gone almost en- masse against
the new tariff, notwithstanding the efforts which
were made to convince them, that it would be
modified at the next session of Congress to suit
the interests of Pennsylvania. Party discipline
has been found Intellectual to prevent the peo-
pie from expressing their Indignation at the pas
sage ola bill, which they are convinced will
bring misery upon themselves and families
We said at the time that tho bill was before
Congress, that its passage would prove fatal
to its advocates; and such has been the result in
Maryland and Pennsylvania-and, unless it be
materially modified, or totally repealed at the
next session we venture to predict, that it will
not be in operation more than one year, before
the people will demand its repeal. Whatever
may be said of the beauties and benefits of free
trade, it will be a difficult task to convince the
voters of the United States that that policy is
sound or patriotic which deprives them Of labor,
and makes them dependent upon the pro-
auctions of foreign industry. They may not
be able to "splt hairs with politicians upon
the tariff question-but they will readily
understand that the policy which deprives
them Of labor and of bread is not that
policy which they should support. We
know that party attachments have a pow
erful influence; and that, in general, men are
disposed to yield submissively to the dictation
of party leaders-but there is point at which
party discipline must cease to have its effect;
and that is, when it requires men to give their
support to measures which must deprive them
selves and families of support. This point has
. been reached in the passage of the new Tariff
bill; and the consequence is, that the voters of
Pennsylvania have thrown off party shackes to
great extent, and rushed to the protection of
their own rights and interests. To him who
has no bread for his family, it matters little
who is to be made President, unless his condi-
ton is to be made better by the change; and he
will be apt, in casting his vote, to have that
object more than the triumph Of party, in view.
The true policy of our government is, undoubt-