The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-03-01
I" IMPROVEMENT OF GOVERNORS"

No. 64
IMPROVEMENT OF GOVERNORS"
| see by the public papers, that certain
EPHRAM MoaRIA has taken out patent for
The Improvement Of governors" which hope may
be of some use to Governor HUNT, in his offi.
cia capacity, and Undue him with new principles
of action. especially refer TO u late letter of
the governor to the Spanish minister. in reply to
an application for the pardon of ANTONIO LOPEZ,
convicted of the murder of an American citizen,
in which he says
"The evidence leaves no doubt on my mind
that he was guilty Of the killing Of FOSTER, nor
do find in the circum stances Of the case any
Justification of the offence. But should do in
justice to my countrymen, If | resisted the SEN
lments which the exalted conduct OF your
sovereign has 30 universally inspired. Nor can
| forget how deeply we are indebted to your
prompt and humane nterpostion for the lib
eral policy which has signalizsd the recent action
Of the Spanish government in behalf OF some
of our citizens"
| Influenced by these considerations, the gov
ernor pardons ANTONIO LoPEz, on condition that
he leaves the country, and never returns. 1t is
such language and sentiments under the official
signature of the chief magistrate OF a great
State. The release Of thirty or forty prisoners,
in my opinion, is but poor atonement for shoot
ing down in cold blood, and without trial,
| fifty Americans, not taken in arms on the Cuban
soil, but in an open boat on the high seas, with
out the power either Of defending themselves,
or the means of offending others. Exalted
conduct" indeed and meriing the eternal graft
tude of the people of the United States /
hope the United States will one day have an OPP
portunity Of showing their gratitude in some
other mode than that Of releasing Spanish muir
derers, and saluting Spanish consul with fifty
guns.
These are the ordinary pretexts Of despotic
! governments, and those which aim at becoming
so, for depressing the people In England, the
+" Rye House" and Meal Tub" plots, rs they
are called, were Matched solely for the purpose of
furnishing pretext for prosecuting the Catholics
and republicans; and the usurpation of LOUIS
NApoLEoN is sought to be justified on the
ground that the republicans and socialists were
on the eve of consummating plot--for what
To oblige him to conform to fundamental pro-
vision of the constitution, which forbade his re.
election to the Presidency. Whenever that
miserable ape of the great NAPOLEON wishes to
crush the popular sentiment by the bayonet, to
Danish any of those who do not approve his
arbitrary measures, or to impose new letters on
the press, he has only to manufacture plot, and
| all these measures become merely those of self
defence. Thus the Abolitonsts, Freesoilers
and other exclusive friends Of the Union, got
up plot in the South for its ACKNOWLEDGMENT,
and are meditating consolidation-soley for
its prevention.
CONG REssIoNAI. TRUANTs.
! To those who are aware how often the most
important measures of public policy are adopted
by very small majority Of both Houses of Con-
gress, and sometimes by single vote, it must
be subject Of equal surprise and regret to wit
ness the almost daily occurrence of the want of
quorum for the transaction of business. Where
this is not tho case, it will be found that many
most weighty laws are passed by a bare quorum
A late measure of much interest was adopted
by the Senate the other day by vote of TWEEN.
ty to nineteen, showing that scarcely two thirds
of the whole number of senators were present
Cases are perpetually occurring in which the alb
sence of members affords opportunities to great
legislative tacticians, to smuggle laws through
both houses, which could never have passed had
the members attended to their duties They
put me in mind of school boys who take every
opportunity to play ruant. This is all wrong,
the country requires all their wisdom, and they
have little to spare.
| STATE LEGISLATION.
The following is a fair sample of days work
of the Screen Legislature" of New York, as il
is called by the Albany people:
NEW YORK LEGISLATURE
ALBANY, Feb. 10.
Mr.. Vanderbilt presented memorial to close
certain streets in Brooklyn
Bills passed in Commiuee-To authorize the
supervisors Of New York to raise s 500 $50
by tax, to defray certain contingent expenses.
To authorize convention to revise the char
ter of the city of Buffalo.
The bill to change the name of the Buffalo
and Cohocton Valley railroad company, was
taken up in committee, and debate sprung up
which took wide range
MIR. Clark offered an amendment, that any
stockholder who desired, might withdraw from
the company and have his money refunded
This proposition was voted down; Also the
sections reported by the standing committee,
allowing stockholders who were at the time Of
subscription residents of the town of Erwin, to
withdraw their stock thcrefrom
Several other amendments were offered and
| lost.
Mr. Conger moved to strike out tho enacting
clause of tho BILL Hostages 5, nays III.
The committee then reported the bill to the
senate, and the senate adjourned
| Only "a vote of / a96,65O dollars for the soon
tingent expenses of single city, for a single
year. All the rest devoted to corporations and