Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1854-02-06
From our Richmond Correspondents

sEsATE CHAMBER, Feb. I, 1854.
The Legislature Are hard at work.
Committees commence at ! past o'cloSk
in the morning and sit until II, when the
hour of meeting arrives: then 90 to the
House and remain in session unit! 3 o'clock.
To-day and yesterday, the House wcr.
engaged in the discussion of the question
Of the Panhandle, with which your rca-
ders are all familiar. It is evidently fight
on the part Of the Pitsburghers against the
city of Wheeling. The House of Dele
gates Will be in session tonight, when this
question will be decided. They are meet
ing al half past at night, in order to dis
patch business with all possible speed.
The Covington and Ohio bill comes up
to- morrow. Its fate is rather uncertain
for reasons already assigned in my previ-
Gus letters.
The idea is now las It has ever been that
the Legislature are disorderly and non
working set OF former Legislatures, 1
cannot speak but say, in all Justice to the
present body, that | have never seen a
more industrious and business dellberatite
body any where. All seem to be impress
ed with the necessity of pushing on The
bust less of their constituents, confident that
they must leave vast amount of ialpor-
lance unfinished at the expiration Of SO
days. 1t may seem to those unacquainted
with :he details Of legislation that go days
and biennial sessions are sufficient, but
believe that The latter will yet prove to be
another error in our present constitution.
Our State is an empire, varied in lis inter-
ests. diversified in It's resources and divided
by geogra phical and sectional lines. We
not only have the Underwater region, the
Piedmont Valley and Trans Allcg hany but
in addition, our inferno! Improvement POL
icy has created other divisions, reteyslhs
and checkcling off the State from East to
West. Hence we have the South-Sde,
which looks to James River as the North
ern boundary to all internal improvement
SCENES, and then we have the Morrill,
W est, South West, &c. All these local
interests are to be taken care off, The
Convention which sat nearly 70 months 10
frame the present Constitution. which
should not have required as much labor
nor time as the present session of the 80
have bought that all succeeding Lcgisla-
lures would be endowed with superhumar
powers to dispatch the business of the
people. presume thy Will Not contend
HAT they set US ar example as to how
members should labor. when 40 good far
mefs any where in Augusta OF Rocking
ham, with the assistance of two or three
learned, business lawyers, would forty DAYS
have done the same labor and given US am
instrument better adapted to the wants of
our constituents in this age Of progress and
reform. am told by old, intelligent anth
reliable members. who are now here, that
there is at this time ten times the business.
before us that there was in 1S44-af in~
crease Of ten fold and yet. 10 or 20 years
ago each Legislature consumed from four
TO five months annually. The last Conven-
ton may have desired progress and reform
in legislation, but they gave us very poor
example. The position Of the last ConveE-
lion may be likened to that Of an old Irish
Parson, Who never preached sermon an
less he was half drunk, When he invariably
lectursd his congregation on the evil Of
demonstrating and intenpe raace. One OF
his hyorite deacons reproved him by ask
ing thc'question, why is it Mr.. Parson thar
yoa drink so lmach, when you are always
urging others to taste not : s.Why, faith
and rally row, YOU are not required to do
as do, Dat just as tell We all, SIR" All
are anxious to finish the busiaess CT their
constituents and get home. As have be-
fore remarked, i: is hard work here and
poor pay. "llard times now and worse
coming" have just perceived, by pla-
cards stuck upon the doors of the rooms of
the o'rders in all the principal hotels, tn Z
after to-'.ay, each man must fork up" his
SIS per week, or So 80 per day for
board. What will our constituents think
of this-some, at least, who believe that
four dollars rer day lisa money-making
business. Just think Of it-$65 dollars
per month for board, o. $50 per year -
Then of course, Mr.. Editor, all members
of the Legislature should go to Church OH
the Sabbath, and it is here, as il should be-
every where, the Box is handed round for
contribution. to various purposes and for
supporting the ministry and Christiaa and
benevolent associations; and it is right to
lend helping hand for the ministry
here, in my humble opinion, are as able as
can be found in any city in the Union
Then the Barber, he washer-woman, and
boot black, must be cared for YOU know,
aud here goes the last ftp" Of your 81
per day. The rise in -four has based am
excuse for raising board here, although
other articles are not higher than last
year. Our hotel keepers are shrewd
enough not 10 reduce their board on the
pto ratio principle, viz: when flour is
worth only 81 50 to S. 60.
Hope to give you some legislative de-
tails in my next So Adieu, II.
ISr c. B. Christian. the young man who
stabbed and killed, young Blackburn, in
Lexington. not long since, was placed on
his examining trial on Wednesday, the
Goth, and after tedious Investigation of
evidence for four days the Court unani-
mously agreed to send him on for further
trial at the Circuit Court of Rock bridge.
in April next. The case was not argued
before the Court. A. A. II. Stuart, Esq,
of this place, and other distinguished