The New era. [volume] ([Portsmouth, Va.]) 1845-1847, 1846-11-10
For the New Era.
INCORPORATING THE TOWN

Mr.. Editor 81 think it a good general rule to
believe. that all men will favor any change in The
Government under which they live, provided their
judgments are convinced that such such change
will better secure their personal liberty, their in
terests, and, of course, their happiness. If this
rule be a good one, and the objects held in view
by the friends Of the further Incorporation of opr
Town are calculated to promote these ends, (and
we fully believe them to be so)-then we mus,
suppose. as there are yet many who oppose fur.
Their Incorporation, that there are many who do
not understand these objects and in explanation,
| will say to those who still oppose further Incor-
poratiOn, upon the belief that il NAV induce The
Authorities of the Town further to increase their
expenditures, (and there are many who are in
dustriously circulating such a belief,) that the
powers held by The present authorities are sufi.
cient already, to enable them TO 90 on with such
expenditure, if they think proper as the following
extract from !the Laws Incorporating the Town
will ahundanily show:
Every Trustee elected as aforesaid. before
entering upon his duties, shall make oath or aE-
frmatiOn before a Justice of the Peace of his
County, that ne will faithfully, impariially. and
to the best of his skill and Judgment, perform the
duties OF his office and thereupon, all the RIGHTS
vested in, and powers granted to, The present
Trustees shall succeed to-, and be invested in. the
Trustees, Cor any four of them.l elected and
qualified by virtue of this act, who. and their
$50 wv pNbSoJ NtStuIN d'o lldue II DDU v
Corporate and Polite. by the name of the Trus-
| lees Of the Town Of Portsmouth"
In the year 1886, the Legislature ga We to these
Trustees the power to cause the streets TO be
graded and paved, 10 appoint and pay watchmen.
to have lamps erected TO light the Town, to reg.
ulate the line of wharfs on the river, and their
mode of construction, the power to remove infect
ed persons, To build a Magazine, and pay and ap-
point a keeper, and to purchase public squares.
when a majority of the freeholJers or household
es require it. BY this, it will be seen. that the
Town has advanced so far in It's municipal or
corporate rights as to allow the people, or their
agents. the Trustees, certain powers over nroper.
ty, with an almost unlimited power Of taxation.
But when we come TO the higher branches of
civil government, such as secures to individuals
their !reedUm of person, and their rights of prop
eriy. such as %dispenses Justice between man and
man, such as secures TO each individual a fair and
impartial trial, under the laws, by that responsi.
bility which makes the agent Of the Law respon.
slble 10 public opinion, in these higher and more
essential branches of civil government, we sIe
wholly destitute.
When The trainers of the Constitution Of Virginia
had the subject of the Magistracy under cunsidera-
ton they came 10 the conclusion, in consequence
OF the spaTeness of the population over the State
the large size of the Couniies-the great distance
10 the Court Houses of the Counties from the peo.
ple-the kinds of population inhabiting the Coun.
ueS-t Inc great trouble ana expense OF frequent cleo
tions-the liitle personal acquaintance there must
necessarily be betw cen all the people uf The Conn
ty, &c. These, and many other such reasons as
these, induced the trainers Of the Constitution.
and the people of the State, to adopt this anti.re.
publican, feature in the Constitution of the Stale.
But although there were such powerful reasons
for lis adoption, and an almost positive necessity
tor n, still 1t met with severe criticism and pow.
erfuI opposition. II is true, that where the PEG
pie are dispersed over so large a space, and 81 lii.
lie personal acquaintance amongst them, where
their interests are so nearly alike, that there is
not So great a probability Of a combination be-
tween these life estate and SELF appointed office
holders, as there would be under different circum-
stances, and yet although this probability does not
exist 10 so great an extent, there have been many
instances known where the combinations have ex-
listed, and where individuals have felt the power
both Of combination and responsibility.
In unincorporated Towns the case is quite diff.
fefent. There the people are brought near to-
gether-iheir communication in some way fro.
quent and rapid-iheir interests are much more
diversified, and they are brought somewbat in
collision every day. The present MAGISTRATES are
bat men. clothed with irresponsible power, and
that power for life. Is it To be supposed that they
will not have the feelings and passions which are
incident to human nature, and may they not