Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1854-04-05
n1sTeIcT EDrToaTAL CONGESTION.

on motion, H. N. GALLEHER was called
to the chair, and CnAs. II. STEWART and GEo.
Il. SENsENEy appointed Secretaries.
The following papers were found to be rep
resented by the editors personally or by proxy:
Free Press and Spirit Of Jeferson, Charles
town; Republican, and Gazette, Martins
burg, Tirgiaian and Republican. Winrhes-
ter: Democrat and Washiagtoaidn, Lees
burg; and Iateligencer and Virginia dr.
gus, Romneg~
After discussion, the following rules were
agreed upon:
For marriage announcements. no charge
will be made.
Obituary notices not exceeding ten lines
will be inserted gratis. The excess above
that number. Of lines will he charged accord
ing to the advertising rates. Tributes Of re-
spect will be charged at advertising rates
All communications designed to promote the
personal interests of individuals, or that do
not possess general interest, will be charged
for at the usual advertising rates. Those OF
an offensive personal character will not be in
serted
All advertisements forwarded by Newspa-
per Agents will be charged at the usual adj
vertising rates and must be accompanied 6y
the cash or its equiualent. deducting the COM
mission. ax
Patent medicines shall be charged for at
the usual rates of yearly advertisements. and
.bishop nasices' double the advertising rates.
Extracts from other papers referring to such
advertisements will be subject to the regular
advertising rates.
Candidates announcements for Office Of
emolument will be charged at advertising
rates.
On motion, Resolred, That these rates shall
not vitiate any existing contract; and shall
take effect on the LIST Of May 1854.
On motion, RESOLVED, unanimously, That
he publication of the laws Of each successive
Legislature, Immediately on adjournment
local acts in all the journals of the section to
which their effect is confined, and general acts
in the entire press of the state--is. 10 the
opinion Of this convention, measure indis.
pensable to the full understanding Of and sub
mission to those laws on the part Of the peo-
pie whose representatives enact them. and
who are subject to their operation for good or
evil TO shut up the laws Of modern repub-
lcan State in scarce and costly statute book,
differs only in degree from the practice Of an
ancient tyrant who posted bis edicts so high
that they could not be read 1t cannot fair
" be attributed to merely selfish motive on
our part that we urge step tho people s
clear interests justify US IN counting them
next to unanimously for.
On motion, Rcsolped, That committee be
appointed to prepare an address setting forth
the reason and necessity Of these resolutions,
aud inviting the editorial fraternity of the
State to unite in the above propositions.
The chair named Messrs Bruce, Senseney
and Albirtis as the committee under the
above resolution.
TIE committee named in one Of the above
resolution think but few works called for.
1t is not doubted that the regulation adop-
ted as above will meet the views of tho fra
ternity generally, and seem to them suited, as
far as thsy 90, to remove evils now existing.
So partial meeting could not undertake to
grapple with greater difficulties; heremoyal
of which is not less desirable, but requires
more general concert. The committee hope
that such united effort will ere long be made
and that in the meantime the rnles here deci-
ded upon viii receive general and cordial &C.
quiescencc without which they must in mea-
sure fail oftheir effect even within the compar-
ately limited area the convention represented,
There is not such inoyation in them-none,
it is believed, save on points where it was
plainly and confesedy required. The very
slight diversity of opinion which prevailed
among the members, and the promptness with
which they arrived at their conclusion, gives
good assurance Of the united determination
with which they will carry them out, and
ought to Recommend them to general adop-
tion.
System in the management of the press in
this commonwealth of few and widely scat
tered towns is much wanted. The people of
Virginia show an increasing appreciation of
The value of a good press; and will not fail
to sustain any movement calculated to en-
nance its dignity. usefulness, and stability =
Its conductors must be true to themselves be-
fore they can expect TO be true TO their mis-
sion and their duty and the popular intclli-
gence, which is thoir great and is may be said
only reliance, will carry them through in the
one as surely as in the other movement
Editors who accept the rules here offered
will of course see the propriety of laying them
as clearly as possible before all concerned, and
of keeping them standing for length of time
sufficient for that purpose.
Bsg-alr, James O'Laughlin, Of Harper's
Ferry, Va, met with a fatal accident on the
night Of the Goth ult. As the western night
train was passing Harper's Ferry, says the
Free Press, he got on board to supply some