Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1854-10-13
Modern Legislation.

On no one subject do we see greater con
lrasi between the action Of men ut the pres
ent day. aud tne dUings Of our forefalhers
dHung The eaily history of our government,
thln IN matters pertaining to legislation.
From the records OF our first rongresscs and
legislatures every subject presented for con-
sidcmion was argued and determined with
an exclusive reference TO the public good
The common veal was the iouchstone by
which every question was tested and decided.
Patriotism was then something more than an
empty sound, ard appeals in rs name were
not made exclusively for q" Buncombe."
Iaiterly We observe change from this high
toned answering devotion n the general
interests Of the community. II seems to us
that several great and growing evils threaten
TO degrade 1t not utterly demoralze our legis-
la',ve bodies. Among these are special leg
isiauon for mere individual Interests, Lobby
Ing, and, % use an expressive term. d" log
rOlhDg.-The first Is increasing TO an alarm
ing extent There are undoubtedly many
cases IN which not only individual good but
.be common welfare may be increased By a
special grant OF power. But too often some
shrewd man who wishes to dispose OF bur
den winch exclusively belongs to hn, or
desires Ia obtain for himself alone of which
his fellow citizens are owners IN common,
or who want to secure quietly any individual
interest at the expense of the public, seeks
to obtain such coveted objects IN the form of
law from the Sovereign power Of the State.
To secure such exclusive privileges on
the one hand, aud to oppose them on the
other, our lobbles are frequently filled with
active members Of the "Third House" /, an
l.
have frequented the capitol session after
session. 1t is 100 often the case that the
votes Of the legitimate representatives Of the
people arr dependent upon, and controlled
by influences brought to bear from the lobby.
Again, the several members Of our Ma
tioual aud State legislatures, from the yari-
Gus sections of their own for the more i'm
medi lie benefit of those whom they repre-
seut. For instance member from one end
of the State desires the charterlng Of a new
bank in his immediate locality but which
measures Is opposed by portion of his as.
socales from that vicinity; another member
from different section desires the incorpor-
alton OF sumo manufacturing combany, II
which some of his constituents are interested
Nethar measure can pass independently
and on ITS own merits, butthe friends of each
after little private understanding, become
convinced that the other object is equally
worthy, and by joining their forces are able
to put both measures through, sometimes Il
the detrlment of the public good
These then evils, all springing from on,
root, seem to be growing more luxuriantiy
and threaten, al no distant day, TO choke on
the fairest and best fruits of our legislativ,
system. As OR State Legislature is soon Il
be in session we hope active exertions vii
be made by the truely patriotic members
thereof to bring back, as far as possible, ih,
character Of our legislation to its early stan
dard of purity.-BraltIebOrO Eagts.
The Directors Of the Ogdensburgh Raj
Road, voted on Thursday, TO surrender III,
property To the trustees under the secont
mortgage. This possession does not impa
the rights Of FIRST mortgage bondho.ders, a,
II will be held subject ID to the prior lien o
their security upon the earnings, for interes
payment. The Boston Journal says Tho
surrender was made 10 the second rathel
than first trustees upon the ground Of afford
ing the best protection Of the interes of al
parties If the first trustees had possession
they could not, by law, apply any surplu,
earnings, after paying running expenses AMI
first mortgage interest, to second mortgage
interest hut wonld be required to apply an,
surplus to payment of first mortgage princi
pal
THESE who arc trusting to the "climat,
and the laws Of nature" TO keep slavery gu
of Kansas, would do well to consider villa
the Washington Sentinel. one of Gen
pierce's organs, say upon the subject. Herr
| il Isl:
In the soil, the climate, and the produc
TONS of Kansas, there is everything which u
calculated to make slave labor profitable"
Let Northern men consider this, and re
double their efforts TO send freemsn into tina
territory. BY effort, strenuous effort, tina
territory may be saved from the curse o
slavery, and in no other way. ~