The true Democrat., 1854-04-25

In reference to this part of the proposition it
 may have occurred to the Governor that the
 mock election on the subject of the Little Rock
 railroad subscription was mere practical joke
 of the worthy Aldermen of Memphis
 being no lasU sa existence to gsve te election e.
 gal force. Perhaps we say the Governor was
 quite aware that the subscription of Memphis,
 having been illegal, was an adroit rmse. The
 Governor may have, further, known that the
 bonds of Memphis, which were to be received
 (modest provisoD at par, were not even if issu-
 ed legally, s0o'th sm hemomey market tue cost of printing them. The Governor may have acci-
 dentally heard of the make-shifts by which
 Memphis has been enabled to pay the interest on her outstanding bonds; may have heard that the 200 she paid up to the Memphis and Char leston railroad, like a wet percussion-cap, would not go of; may have heard that after being re- fused per SC, they were only made available to release certain embargoed shipments of rails by the kindly endorsement of that substantial banker, James Robb; and that with the addi- tional load of her lavish subscriptions and in- debtness Memphis bonds are mo,o utterly u,- marketable. The Governor may have known all this; and may have, notwithstanding that he is the mere Dohamey of an outside barbarism, regarded this whole proposition of the consc,1pts Patres of Memphis with quiet smile.
 So much for the general features of this Mem- Memphis none of them are conditioned as to time: in this particular then there exists no ne- cessity for hurying the action of the Legisla- ture. There is, however, one reason assigned why the Governor should have consented to ooi .-c
 tion it is believed that the early commence ment of this road will do much towards secur- ing its adoption as part or link in the great Pa citic railroad" Mva la trompa,ae! Recent in- formation eh? What was this "recent infor- mation"? Who furnished it? Who knows anything about it? Oh! .je oomprends: it is secret known to only the Aldermen of Mem phis, and to be handed down we presume like the secret of the Silver Bells among the Monks of Gottingen-to their successors .to,ever! The thing is to be neither told in Gath nor publish ed in Ascelon; but the Governor of the State of Arkansas must on the faith thereof, oh most immaculate Aldermen of Memphis! call the Legislature together at an expense to the peo- pie whose interests he has sworn to protect, of from ten to fifteen thousand dollars! But this recent information has grown out of the sweet ness of calfage unto the insipidity of year. ling -humbug It travels around like an epide- it is sort of Pacific railroad val- oloid. The infection was first brought to Mem phis by the Hon. F. P. Stanton; it subsequent ly broke out with the yellow fever at Vicksburg; and now with the exception of an occasional appearance in St. Louis seems permanently set- tied we apprehend-under the influence it may be assumed of local cause-at the city of Cairo. Memphis has made up her mind that she is quite safe from a visit of this Pacific railroad fever, and consequently indulges in diatribes against its great and liberal dissemination, the redoubtable Robert J. Walker.
 What new cause, then, we ask presents itself in the action of Memphis to justify the Cover nor in call-sesson? Is it in the recent alledg- ed "recent information" of the Aldermen?- That Is now seen to be either deluson or cheat. Is it in the subscription of Memphis? That IS we'll known to have been valueless both legally and financially. What then is the rea- son why the Governor should have convened the Legislature to act on a subject which when in regular session they refused to act on? There Is none-none whatever.
 On the general question of call-sessions the constitution seems to present some very sgni- fcant restrictions. One of the clauses of that instrument says: that the Governor "may, by proclamation, on extraordinary occasions, con- vene the general assembly," We contend that there has been no "ertroOrdsnary occasaon'' de- an extra seSsion-none whatever- Another clause in the constitution says: That no other or greater amount o reve,aue shaN ct any time be levaed hon is isrequired or tue necessary er- pe'ases cf the gove,mment unless by c concurrence ef taoo-tlaras cf boA houses cf the general assem- bly" Can any honest man alledge that the ex- penses of the call-session clamored for by the people of Memphis could be classed with the necessary expenses of government" and not being subject to such classification, and there being no extraordinary Occasion' requiring an extra session, would the Governor of the State have been justified in mourning outlays that could be only met by breach of the constitu- ton?
 But assuming that the Governor had con- sented to this call session, what could have been done in the matter of the land grant? The lands donated to the State could not have been ascertalned until the several roads had been de- fnitely located; and this defnitive location could not have been made until the comple- tion of reliable and intelligent surveys. Who knows the sections donated to the State until the location of the road? and who knows the location of the road until the completion of the surveys? All then that could have been done by the Legislature aoouH be to order suyvevs, and appropriate part ef tue sntermal Improvement fund to poy tor taem. The State has no other fund out of which they could have been paid for.- That such surveys s0ouM not have been ordered, and paid for out of that fund, is fair infe- renee from the fact that the same Legislature had in 1852-3 refused to adopt the recommen- dations to that effect in the message of Cover nor Conway; that such surveys could not have been ordered and paid for out of the ordinary revenue derived from taxation without a direct infringement of the constitution, is clearly shown in the restriction that the only revenue to be raised from the people shall be that necessary tor ue expenses of govermmaeat; and that such surveys ought not to have been made by the State is very fair assumption from the fact that her whole interest in the land grant must pass away into the hands of private companies
 What reason then, can, in all fairness and truth, be urged for call session? None-none whatever. Governor Conway was and is right in resisting all clamor on thesubject: his course in the case marks him decidedly as an honest man, faithful agent of the high trust reposed in him. public servant who has had the cOu.