The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1851-05-30

AuS Ae9sA~e05c
Few deny that the action OF the Legislature has been
OF unusual importance This action partakes OF twofold
characterhai relating 10 matters of national character
and that realizing 10 State legislation OF the former /,
NJ, out r s,s % u .s nos
at few OF the that have been passed. Say
what may. this sessionif the former part owing TO
the peculiar circumstances uader which i convened was
marked by delay in the despatch Of business was
characterized III It's latter part BY severe labor Seldom
has been convened where there has been so lite
speech making Tor the sake OF bunkum, IN winch The
main. sole purpose OF those who spoke to explain,
defend, and carry measures
II cannot be denied that at length breach has been
made into the policy OF old Massachusetts to the main
i not too much 10 say 90 from i ibis step
ing TO our opponents, to 20 from the beaten path,
and to step al once into road leading to rum The great
State OF New York has done this and with few marks OF
ruin decline Ii, for instance the good people OF the
Empire State want to associate TO form bank, rail-
road, an insurance company or manufacturing corpora
hundreds Of miles, lee half dozen lawyers, plead before
some wseacre committees, lobby the house, and then gel
their privilege or not as they may find friends at court
They have got ahead of all this nonsense Now all this,
up this day, has been in full life and vigor in Massa-
chusetls, in spite of all attempts to break into II.
The great merit of the legislation Of this session is,
that this old monopoly policy has been fairly broken
into Much legislation OF general charaeter-legis a-
ton too, OF the highest mporancehas been Carried
We point here The first in Importance to the
general banking aw, allowing the formation OF assoca.
100000 to 900 900, allowing capital to flow into this
business and out OF il the laws OF trade shall die
tae subject only to the provisions OF law 81 to corpora
tons in this respect free, but in this respect Only while
in respect paper issues is severely restrictive Had
such law been in force in 1887, it would have been
impossible that the community should have suffered as
did suffer from the effect OF deprecated paper issued by
dishonest bankers Next there is the general corpora
ton act allowing associations for manufacturing pur-
poses to be formed in capitals from 600 to 5000 900
This will open business to men OF such capital. and will
he a check the mammoth COrDOratlOns that have
multiplied to such fearful extent Another general law
provides for the change of Names that any per-
desiring to get his name changed VIII not Dc Obliged
to apply to the general court TO get it done Thus the
way clearly open for other legislation OF this sort
While this new policy has been introduced, there has
been much long legislation as to old ,ncorpoa
tons There have never been measures passed
in relation to them that at last they are fairly brought
under the dominion of law There is a whole code Of
legislation passed this session this subject Witness
the bank commissioners law and various laws 70 which
we shall more particularly allude, applying exclusively
to corporations and making them as fully amenable &c
law individuals. These cannot TAIL to be OF highly
beneficial character. 80
Nor ha. the Legislature been unmndful OF personal lib.
erty AT las, The secret ballot law fairly the statute
book and the experiment OF free elections is to be tried
Along with this IS homestead exemption ac. secung
Then there is lien law, securing TO mechanics Inc
amount of their labor on buildings Who but stiff, stern
conservatives, who live and have Their being u
The past will say that sCeh measures these, designed
and devised for the general good are not OF the Lgh
sort! They show regard Tor the OF the State
that look for in vain in past legislation They may
not all the details, up TO the mark OF what may
be Desirable yet they put upon the statute pnc
pies tha, will rpen into more perfect legislation
In matters pertaining TO constitutional reform, import
ant steps have also been taken is true that the amend
ment to the constitution 10 the representation wal
voted down-he chsle body Of the thtgs gong agains
them, with few free soers TO make majority, Thn
The democrats almost 10 man acere gong for them bu
this has been remedied in part by law providing for
call for State convention, if the people shall desire It
The reform work in this respect is thus placed In thu
hands OF the people. In addition, there has beer
passed the plurality bill, under which the elections
Congress have just taken place.
Such are some of the works OF this "reorm legisla
ture" We IecuI to them with no small degree OF pleas
ure. II is no small thing 10 have passed such body o
laws 1t required no small amount Of labor and OF ehor
to do it, We believe the people will approve OF thes
reforms They are all in the right direction, looking
their goodo their protection from the avaricous and tn
iyranncal The law requiring, in every bank that form
under it and issues paper, undoubied security will pre-
vent such banks, at least from cheating the people GU
of their moneys the ballot law will prevent the tyran
meal from depressing the weak by loss OF employment
the homestead law fixes firm righteous principle OF
the statute book OF Massachusetts,, and the mechanics
lien law another.