Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1854-01-06
The Business of the State.

ance The term OF the session bpiiig htnted ny Wv
constitution the public business demanding the at
tention Of the body cannot be properly discharged
unless The members are disposed to devote them
selves diligently and exclusively to H. OF late
years, we have had gratifying proofs of the deca-
dence of that ancient delusion that Virginia Is the
mistress of the confedersoy and charged with
the guardianship and direction of national at
fairs A conviction seems slowly to have
forced its way into the reluctant aud Opaque
minds of her law Makers that within the range OF
her own borders were subjects more legitimately
falling within the sphere of their official superyis-
ion, if not better adapted to their comprehension
We trust the progress of this belief will expert
enoe no check from the body now in session in
Richmond but that the delegates Of the people
will apply themselves assiduously and faithfully
TO the execution Of those duties, whereunio they
are called.
The most important Of them need not say
is that mighty and towering interest which has
sprung up so rapidly among us-the internal i'm
provement of the State. Ia regard tn this, IT
would seem that the rein is now more needed than
the spur Propositions have been presented,
within the brief period of the present term, for
State appropriations to public works, which
amount in the aggregate, it is thought, TO but
little less than twenty millions of dollars. Many
of these are for schemes Of purely local charae-
ter, some of them are wholly impractieable and
others such as by their construction would inhict
injury upon interests already in existence, with.
out furnishing any compromising advantage.
Almost every member has personal interest
with his constituents in the success of some APP
plioation involving State expenditure. The
system of log-rong gives TO each individual
member power and value, which can only be
commanded by the body of the house for con
sderaton. He will sell himself To the patrons of
some leading and general improvement, only on
condition that they will reciprocate by pass
ing some petty scheme of his own. BY this sys-
tenn, there is danger that the State may be sunk
into slough of debt from which ages of grind
ing and intolerable taxation will be required TO
relieve her. The public debt has already attain
ed sufficient magnitude To inspire caution and ap-
prehension as TO all measures tending To augment
it. We do not design to intimate that no further
appropriations should be made but we warn the
Legislature that the people will not now tolerate
injudicious and wasteful expenditures of the pub
lie money. The pocket-nerye is already pail ita-
ting and shrinking at the rude touch of tho tax
gatherer. Other appropriations must be made,
but they should be strictly confined to such
terpizes as offer safe and remuneratye invest
ments.
Another subject, of interest to ALL that claims
the attention of the Legislature is the currency
of the State. The questions of re-ehartering the
old banks--of establishing new ones-of extirpa-
ting the shin-plaster circulation, and of providing
a substitute, forming part of the business of the
present session, carry with them all-perva-
ding and immensely important interest The
dominant party, since the days OF Jackson, have
professed an aversion and distrust towards banks
which they will now have opportunity, if they
choose dare, to enforce practically. They
have it in their own power to uproot the whole
banking system, and mortally hruise the heads of
all the little .'monsters" that nfost the State
By an extraordinary and shameless proceeding,
they have CONSTRUCTED the bank commit tee of
the lower house, and taken to themselves the re-
sponsibility of initiating, well as enacting,
whatever laws shall govern the matter. VIII
they exercise the power they hold for the de-
struction of the banking system Are discount
s,protests,issues n salaries to be ''known and
felt no more!" Give yourselves no uneasiness oh
We who nhabit the back chambers of banking
houses we who deal out so dantily the we'll
thumbed rags over worn counters--ye who hang
the livelong day over dusty desks and cgers, or
ye who hebdomadally gather about the doors of
Pluius' temple on discount days. eagerly expect
ant of the reception that may attend your polite
promise to pay,--be not cast down or discounted
within-the monster Staying occupation of de-
mocrecy is gone, St. George and the dragon
have embraced and made friends the Hy-
dra has become the pet of Hercules--the
children of old Hickory will no longer
make war upon the banks, but will contin.
ne TO chuckle over discounts, and curse at pro-
tests,with hearty a zest rs Bddle could have
inspired or felt. The democratic majority will
not molesta system, whose benefits they and their
constituents have shared so literally, and learned
to appreciate so highly. For consistency's sake,
they will talk much and menacingly about the
1 corrupting tendencies--the arrogance, favortisnl
and deialcatons of the banks--many things in
the way of restrictions they will hint at; but
when the final issue comes, they will yield, assent
and approve.
What will they do with regard to shin-plas-
tiers and small notes The State continues
to be molested with the irresponsible and illegal
issues of indyid ais aud foreign banks. All the
laws hitherto enacted have proved as impotent as
idiot babbngs 10 restrain their use by the peo-
pie The most stringent statutes that could be
enacted have yielded like rotten bulrushes
Change is Indispensable to the wants of life II
the Legislature will not supply that which is val
id and legal, the people will continue to employ