Washington telegraph., 1853-06-29

poriance. none the less fairly and conclu-
sively.
The charge is that, although an extra scs-
SION OF the Legislature is not only desirable,
but indispensable to the interest of the
State, in respect TO the Congressional grant
for Railroads, yet Governor CONWAY has
failed, and still refuses to convene it. to the
serious injury of the public interest.
In preceding numbers OF our paper, we
have shown, very clearly at least to our own
mind. that the policy pursued by the Gov.
ernor, in refusing to convene the Legisla-
ture, and in procuring (as he claims 70 have
done) the reservation from sale and settle
ment OF so large quantity of the public
land in this State had already proved inju-
rious, and must be more and more SO, to the
States best interest A few words more,
may, however, make this proposition some.
what clearer TO the minds OF others.
The Governor set out with the dcclara.
ton that, by virtue of the act of Congress
which made this grant, the title 20 ell this
land Che even numbered sections within
six miles on each side of the road) vested
in the State from the date of the act 10Th
would, also, have been true. that no rescrya-
tion, of any other land, would have been
| Necessary, in order to save that which WAS
granted TO the State for then, none OF that
land which had, thus, been granted, could
have been purchased or pre-emptioned bv
any one. 1t would have been reserved by
the act itseli, and remained, intact, through
out the whole term of ten years. subiec;,
exclusively TO the disposal of ihe S:a'e, for
the use o, the road. So also, for the pu:.-
pose OF saC5ng the land, no extra session
OF the Legislature would have been neccssa-
ry. The only reason for converting the Leg
Isla;ure under that state of the case. would
have been 10 gain time in the beginning
and completion o. the road This, of tse:.
would have been strong, in cur opinion, a
controlling reason FOR an extra session for,
even under ;hc Governors construction OF
the law, it is undisputed and indspuaable,
that the Legislature alone could dispose Of
the land So, adding to this he other fact,
'hat only ten gears are allowed for cam
plcting the road no one can fail to see that
q yecr and a half Of time-from the
So: in5 of 1853 TO the fall OF 1S5!-were
al important TO gain, for diSposing of the
lend, and beginning the work And it is
evident. this nigh, have been gained, by
ca'l;rg an extra session, in March or Ap: i
OF this year, instead Of wasting gear and
q hdIf until the regular session in Novem-
Der of next year. Upon The Governors
own ground, then, which is the view of the
subject most favorable to him, it is made
pnlp?ble to every mind that, bv filling to
call an extra session OF The Legislature, he
has lost. fo.' lie State, the g;eat, the meal
culable advantage Of a year and a haAf
. Of time, out Of ten gears, in the wo-k of be-
, ginuing and completing the road
Although we say ibis advantage TO :hc
Sia:e, which might have been sarel, but
has been lost by the policy OF the Cover
nor, is incaicuiablc;; yet an approximation
20 is value NAV be made, by considering
/ how truly time is money!" in the business
Of States Improvement, especially in this
moving age of the world while the magni-
tude of lis loss may, in degree, be mea-
su:ed by the fact, which is set down IN the
law, that unless the whole work sh; II have
| been not only begun, but completed within
ten yeGrs from the date of the ac:, all the
land along the rou:e where the road is not
then completed is lost 10 the Safe, and re-
ve,;s to the United States.
This is true statement, which cannot
be controvertcd, of the case upon The Gov
| crnor's own ground, and in The most i;,vora-
bic light in which it is possible to view it,
| He who is not panied at lis contemplation
or who fails to see in it serious loss and
grievous injury to the STATE, is certain
( " free 70 feel and eco for himself: but he
must take along with that freedom. the al
ternative of our contempt Sor his want of
patriotism or our pity for his stupidity.
But, bad as is this showing (Which is
Gov. CoNwAy's dest) for The State. the true
state of the case is i;,r--very far-almost
infnilely-aro,sc, For it is not true as
was assumed by the Governor, that the
grant took effect, and The tile to the l;nds
vested in the State, from The da.e Of the
act. All the good, therefore, which, for The
argument in his favor, we admitted above,
might have resulted from his construction of
the law, fails with it, and leaves no advan-
tage whatever to the State.
We knew, in the beginning, that be mis-
construed the law, and we told him So
For this, he and his friends censured Us, for
denying. as they said, advantages to the
State. But how mfoundcd and foolish was
such censure We denied no ADVANTAGE to
the State We saw, and understood, as did
every body else who pretended to be a law
yer, except the Governor, that the law bore
no such construction, and had no such mean
lag as he had assumed. And we saw, also,
as every body else cannot fail 20 see now,
that giving such false construction to The
law, was but leading the State into great
trouble and inAic;ing upon her interests, in
all that related TO this grant, incalculabe in-
jury 1t was our hope that, by exposing the
Governors error. we might turn him away
f,or, Ii In fine to avert ihp mischief which