Eastern times., 1856-04-24
Adjournment Of the Legislature,

one nundFeu Gays, Inc egisiature OF MaiHe
has adjourned, and ths members have returned
to their respective constituencies, and their
various avocasions Of life, says the Republican
Journal. Contrasted with several legislatures
that have for a few years back exercised the
law making function, there are many points Of
dissimilarity between the body that has just
adjourned and similar bodies which they sue
ceeded These dissimilarites come Of a
change in the public sentiment and the ques-
tion that now naturally comes up for exami-
nation is, whether this change came of the
corrected judgment and sober second thought
of the masses, or whether it was the result Of
a wanton fckle-mindedness that is attributed
to the people by those who believe that pure
ly popular government is opposed to reason
and good sense. For our own part, we be-
lieve with Thomas Jefferson, Ito whom the
greatest of modern historians has recently at
;ributed the highest reflective and philosophi-
cal qualities of mind } that ''the world is gov
erned too much" by the few, and that the best
SO'NAhuSht 10 thos ih WhiSH ei.C StCdt pupuldl
will and Judgment are supreme. ia this sense
we believe that the last legislature of Maine
was reflection of the will of the people OF
Maine, as that will was informed by expert
ence, and directed by thought and calm rehec-
tion. And by the acts of this Legislature, we
are ready 10 stand to our opinion, and main
tain the position that the deliberate Judgment
oe the people is right, aud that carried out in
the appointed forms, it should be the supreme
law.
Preceding legislatures have been made up
of men who were elected under somewhat new
and peculiar popular impulses. They have
been the result of an idea that in the minutesl
matters, one part of the community were TO
take charge of and dictate TO others, and upon
that principle each year has seen more exten-
sive aggressions upon popular rights, re-
stricting of the privileges of the people, mar
rowing of common rights, even to that of suf
frage, a system of Legislation by which part
assumed to dictate to another portion of the
citizens in matters that did not affect the CON-
mon protection of society, which should be the
object Of all law and government
In this way was passed a law under which
men of intelligence-and education were abso-
Iutely cut off from the right to vote law re-
lating 10 the personal and social customs Of
the people, known as the liquor law, which
was conceived in caprice, uncalled for, power
less of execution, and simply an engine by
which one man in the community could as
sumo that another man was only subject Of
his legal care: and worse than all, whole
series of laws designed to secure the perma-
nant success of certain political party, with
out regard to the well-being or necessities o.
those governed.
Against this state of things the people de
clared and the result was, the legislator,
that has just adjourned. We repeat, we arr
ready to stand by the acts of that Legislature
as defence of the correctness of the popula
judgment.
A large portion of the time Of the legisla
,ure has been consumed in repeating the obi
Gus laws placed upon the statute book by for
mer legislatures. The fair right of suffrag,
has been restored 10 citizens native and adopt
ed; series of laws created simply for tn
benefit of party. has been repealed; tn
Maine liquor law, which the whole world ha
discussed, and which had broken down by it
own incongruity Of construction and falsity o
conception as an assumed measure of legal re
form, is wiped from the statute book wicke
and unwarrantable tampering with local mu
nicipal courts to crafty party ends, has bee
rebuked, and violent infraction upon the au
thority of the state by a partizan judge, ha
been promptly corrected by the removal of tn
offender.
1t is singular comment upon the party /
the minority in the last legislature, that the
do not stand by their former acts that the
do not put their opposition upon the merits O
their own previous legislation. Driven frol
the ground they have occupied, they fly off I
other issues At this moment we see the
whole battle for supremacy based upon on
act of the late legislature the removal
Judge DAVIS from the bench. Upon tina: the
changes are rung upon that they raise tn
cries of "Violence, T." "Barbarity," 'Despo
ism," "Reign of Terror" etc. Upon III
they Indulge in savage assaults upon membel
of the legislature-assaults that are sound al
fury, signifying nothing with sensible people
Outcres are made upon Mr.. Senator BARNE
for the action he took vituperations are heape
upon Governor WELLS, as if he were cam
bal or vampire, eating his fellow men, or s.
lecting as choice morsels for his horrible al
petite, the delicate maidens and virtuou
youths. But when VIC come to analyze ii
matter, we find that this question relating
Judge DAVIS cannot effect anything among It
people, except it is put upon argument.
These outcries over this judicial gourd tina
sprang up in a night by the political mar
euvreing of one Arson p. Morrill,, effect notl
ing. Putting it upon question as to me
merely, the people will be as ready TO accor
worth, education, legal ability and integri
to Senator BARNES, Gov. WELLS and member
of the legislature, as TO Woodbury. DAVIS