The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1856-04-10

not exceeding ien,a ono vote; dvlly
above ten, and not exceeding ,hisiy.g enc
volel every ten above thirty, and not exceed-
ing 66yi one vote blu, no humber Of shares
| over fifty shall autborize ihe bolder to give
4 additional yeies, BY ;be acl of 7ih April,
ls49, authorizing the incorporation Of mstu-
featuring companies. Consequently extend.
ed to embrace companies for mining coal
and various Other purposes the number of
votes which any slockholder can give in
elections is limited to one third of the whole
number 10 which The stockholders would bs
entitled, (Sec. 4.) And by aci of 26,h Janu.
ary, iS49, for the organization of Turnpike
and Plank road companies, See.. o., each
slockholdsrin elections for managers and 9th.
er officers shaS pa entitled TO one vote for
ssach share Of st fck noi exceeding ten, and
one vote for every Eve shares exceeding that
number These are samples of our IegisIa.
tiol regarding corporations, and they show
that limitations are judged necessary 10 pre-.
vent the government, of the corporation from
being unduly controlled by its most powerful
members. The rights Of all are conceivedto
be best protected by limiting somewhat tho
powers of the slrongesi. 81. g:g as,s,- 3,
Interests with which legislation is concern-
ed, do uol run with population. alone, but
with geography also, They have locations,
place as welhas ,names.. "A vast mass Of
our action is directed 10 particular poiuesand
not equally OF 1ind.ferenly 10 allpats of the
Commonwealth. ALL special legislation ia of
this character, and many general laws have
mainly or altogether local effect. -Aad We
have 10 do with interests as SUCH, as well az
with Individuals in ,general-wiih, railroad
questions 10, Eric aad in York, as well ss
with the punishment of larceny and the con.
veyance Of lands. A canal question extends
itself along some peculiar riveg the division
OF county eoneerns single neigbbofhood; /;
and mining bill naHows itself 10 the coal
field for which il was intended and ihe mar.
kei it is 10 supply. Nature has fixed the
character Of places by immovable laws, and
inan must conform himselflo the order OF her
arrangements. She has raised up mountains
and spread out plains---has given the srivers
their courses and stamped fruilfulpass OF STE
rilli,y upon the soil. At one point she has
deposited fuel, AMI al another ores. She has
fitted the hills of Berks for vineyards, and
The site OF our great city for commerce, man
ufactures and trade. As population comes
to be located over extended territory, varied
pursuits and therefore interests must spsing
| up, all deeply concerned in government. and
dependant for protection and prosperity upon
the laws. But 10 give to one spot of the
State prepouderatins power Ia, the aovern-
ment is to give to the inteists there located
power over those located elsewhere, and to
degrade The government from a common az
bitter and protector of all, 10 special agent
and favonts of parl. And it is immaterial,
in the view here taken, whether tits result
is attained by an arbitrary decree, by usnr-
patton, or BY pursuing the principle of num-
bers OF population to lis utmost extent in for.
ming the basis of representation IN the gov
ernment.
Suppose the limits of the State were so con-
tracled that the population OF PhilaGel phia ex-
ceeded one half the whole population. 1t 10
clear, if numbers alone were regarded, she
would rule, and the securities of the coun-
ties would be in her moderation and not in
their power of resistance. But this is really,
to great extent, the condition of things at
present; because interests in other parts of
the State are various, and because they are
broken up by territorial divisions. They are
are not Identical in different places, and they
cannot act with compact, united force, ei-
ther for purposes Of aggression or defence.
The example of England on this subject
is instructive From the British census of
1851, and the Parliamentary returns of 1853,
obtain the following statement: g
Population. Diem House Commons.
England, l6,92 1888, 467
Scotland, 2,7ss,742, ,,t,.s 50
Iralanu e 5h2 I69 10E