Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1854-02-24

s.ass<es-uoss-sss-,s--syrs
EE- The sands Of the Legislature are running low.
Il seems to be understood that adjournment will
take place tomorrow week. Much business must Of
course, be left incompete--whether for good for
evil we cannot say. That depends on the character
Of the work omitted to be done. Il would be far
better to do nothing than to involve the State
in irretrevabc difficulties by granting the twelve or
fifteen millions asked for. The taxes are already
as onerous as the people can well bear. Appropria.
tons should not be made to works unless those works
can give reliable pledges Of speedy reimbursement;
and this is time to be making grants to private in.
| dividuals.
We know this doctrine is very unpalatabe in l. OBJ
by circles; but the elect of universal suffrage having
assembled here for the purpose of making the greatest
possible inroads upon the treasury unless somebody
will assume the invidous task of raising outcry
State bankruptcy is inevitable. We hope, il the fear
oil the people does not rcstrain thcm-that the dli~
Guilty of making suitable division of the spols
among themselves, will prevent the consummation Of
the extravagan and ruincus schemes which arc pros
posed
But while the public may profit greatly by the in
ability of the spoils seekers TO divide the spoiS inf
mite public mischief may result from the Legislatures
omission TO remedy great public nuisance. We
alludc TO shnplsstcrs IL the present system is per-
United to continue two years longer, the loss TO the
c,mnunty-ahd to the poorer portion of It, will be
almost incaculable All the channels of circulation
will be filed with individual notes-and when de-
probation begins, it must begin sooner or later
the loss will be immense and will fall almost excu-
svey upon the poor aud ignorant people of the int
ror. These n>tes being ILL gal, and the payment of
them not enforceable in Court-thc violators of the
law will reap the whole profit, and it will be to their
interest they have issued many they
get into circulation 10 make them dcprcciae in
value. The depreciation will be their gain-and il
total, much the better.
Now, whether or not the Legislature undertakes to
provide any other species of small notes-such the
Banks might iSsue-it should 10y all the
farther growth and spread of this great evil The laws
imposing fine and Imprisonment and declaring the
Shnplasters void in law have failed of any effect Sup
pose different order Of remedies were tried Instead
Of dtPreciotiag the shit pasters and pronouncing
them worthless by act of Assembly appreciate them
and declare them worth twice much as they pur
port to be worth their face and authorize the hold
or to recover that double amount from any man
whose name is them, before any justice of the
peace The law might nc 80 framed to reach those
now in existence well those that might be issued
hereafter. We think this cXpedient would at lcas,
suppress all Shnp!as:ers of don't site manufacture and
save the community from great loss hereafter; and
may be, it might tend to give 4 better currency
We doubt not it would have that effect ii authority
were, at the same tine, givei. to the Banks issue
small notes. This, however, is great difficulty with
certain genllemcn-whose consistency is Of more i'm
porancc, in their eyes, than the welfare Of Com
nonweath WELL DC it soft we must suffer for
their obstnacy in refusing to supply suJttute for
shinpast:rs-they net committed againstdestroy-
Ing shnplas;ers themselves Relieve us Of these and
may be the people will be able themselves to find
substitute.
~ Bills asking !or grants Of public lands railroads
IN the rev States aud territories pending in the Senate
TO the amount CT 100000 coo accs-equivaeut money
to 100000. III the House OF Representatives smia
bills in numbers also pending 1t is understood
that the House Committee Public Lands will report
bills donating from fifteen twenty millions of acres in
alternate sections for the of various vorite
Western Railroad lines. regular system Of distributing
the public lands as been organized in this way The
State of illinois has proftei by the game very handsome
y, according TO the statements made of her Railroad
works in the late message of the Governor of that State,
He states that short time since, Illinois had but few
hundred niles Of Railroad and that has moe than
,eOn miles in operation with 4 thousand miles more in
course OF construction, which will completed in les
year hence. The public lands have been bounti
fully appropriated to this purpose Oae road the Great
Contra seven hundred miles in length has received
10000 600 FOR its construction from the public lands
The Representatives Of the people Q! Illinois prefer build
ing their great chain OF Internal Improvements with all
they get out Of this common fund" TO the alternative
Of taxing their ucnis and they are going Oh swim
ingy with the work, together with all the rest of the
Western States.