The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1854-02-20

life, fade before Ne h1Snh r6alities ef smhoy-
ances and vexations incident to II.
MELvILLK and other writer's upon the h1b-
its Of the estimable csnhibals Of the Pacific,
tell pleasant stories Of their propensity for
building of idols. With great care. and then
battering and otherwise mal-treating them
upon small provocation. The people with
great energy and with much superfiuous ex-
element and noise, erect Legislative gods
for themselves Until these dtii minorum gc,,-
tiHm are fairly placed upon their pedestals in
the capitol, they are what are called 4popu-
lar men, and receive large share Of the
respect and esteem Of their "fellow.citizens.
But before they become accustomed to the
honors of their new position, their constitu-
enfs begin to murmur and complain. The
legislator soon finds that all of his official
roses have thorns, and that the diff
Guilty of serving many masters, is much
greater than that of serving one master. If
ne INDUCES in the Legislative vice of speaking
calculations of the cost of his speeches are
made, and he is denounced as troublesome
consumer of the valuable time of the house,
and OF the money of the people. If he re-
members that the owl owes all ofits reputation
for eminent ability to its sagacious silence,
and sits day after day with closed mouth, the
discontented constituents assert, that mere
automaton to utter monosyllabic requisite
AYES and "NAYs" would do just as well
Ii he votes for MAINE LIQUOR LAW, he is
fanatic, or an abolitionist in disguise, and
If he votes against legislative interference
with the liquor traffic, he is the victim of in
temperance, and keeps case Of alcoholic
denominations in his bed room Indeed there
exists every where disposition to hang the
legislator upon the horns of some sort of di-
iemma. All take delight in abusing him
for what he does, and denouncing him for
what he does not do. Letter writers and
country editors take especial pleasure in
scalping the legislators individually and col
lectively. If the badgered public servants
seek to mitigate their anguish at the unkind-
ness of their constituents, by literally indulg-
ing in the creature comforts, they are tainted
with preferring ducks, oysters and venison
to their neglected and betrayed constituents.
If in the abundance of their charity and hui
manity they take charge of unsophisticated
country friends, and unfold to their wonder
ing eyes the mysteries of city life. and a vote
is taken whilst the polite member is explain
ing the gas pipes, the monument, and other
novelties, he is at once charged with want
of industry and neglect of his legislative du-
ties. But these are the petty miseries of le
gislative life, compared with those which
harass him in attempting to act sagaciously
and intelligently in voting for appropriations
for the thousand and one schemes of internal
In this wide field the unhappy
legislator moves, surrounded by all sorts of
traps, concealed dangers, quick sands, man
traps, and spring guns. His constituents, as
a matter of course, want canal, a turnpike
or railroad. The length of the Political
life of the member depends upon his getting
the coveted Improvement. But he must pro-
cure it-for that is the condition-without
increasing "THE TAXES" for constituents
have that same horror of " tares" asthe devil
is said to entertain of holy water He finds
that all of his legislative associates have in.
ternal Improvement schemes, and they re-
fuse to vote dollar to any one who is not a
member of the great and honorable frater-
nifty of log-rollers. Hence the member must
either lose his bill, or increase THE TAXES
He tremblingly accepts the last alternative.
and gets the desired appropriation. But that
appropriation costs the State perhaps ten mil
lions of dollars, the thermometer of taxation
rises higher and higher, and the ungrateful
constituents take the same delight in DESTROY
ing him, that QUILP derived from batterinp
the wooden head of the shipwrecked old Adj
miral
Again; few persons understand the extent
and diversity of a legislators employment
They think a daily session of three or four
hours embraces the snm total of a legisla.
tors labors 1t would be as absurd to sun
pose that the divine's only labor was the de.
livery of his sermon, or the lawyers only la
Dor was the delivery of an argument. tits
not recollected that preparation for debate
attendance upon committees, preparation of
bills, attendance to the private business of
constituents, form much the larger portion of
legislators labors.
Inc extraordinary prejudice that exists
against the present legislature is inexplicable.
NO more time than usual has been devoted
to debate, nor have the appropriations for
works OF internal Improvement eaualled or
approximated to the appropriations of the
legislatures for several years past. as
Inc ninety days of the present session will
expire in little more than two weeks. Abont
800 bills remain to be acted on. Manv of
these bills are of great and general impor.
lance.
THE PETERSBURG FIRE.-The Southside Demo.
crat estimates the loss by the fire last Thursday
night at $4,000 to $4,000. .-T.-s : :
We learn that the insurance on the Eniscov,.,
church was $4,000 gross $l2s00 net. which viii
we suppose, be sufficient to repair ts loss AZ the
walls are standing, and for the most part appear
to be perfectly sound -ff'ss'
Inc n.e Is thought to have originated from