New-York daily tribune., 1856-03-22
DEAD.HEADS.
Leave Pay.

A dead head is standing negstion of the laws
of political economy, Not even the British NAL
thusianism of the science, as taught in our COL
leges, will admit the hungry dead-head to the rank
of a necessary entity. A Court hanger-on was
vaiply begging Louis XIV. for place. "Well,
your Majesty" said the supplicant, with deSpera-
ton: 81 must lve." 81 don't see the necessity
of it," replied the sovereign. So the sovereign
people say of the existence of dead-heads-but the
Legislature Of New-Jersey says: "No! Dead
beadsm is respectable institution; it must be
preserved, and we will coDsecrate it, accordingly"
This is no FAM. 1t is live reality. That Lesis-
lature is composed Of dead-heads. The Governor
of the State is dead-bead. The Chancellor is
dead dhead. The Secretary of State is a dead-head.
The Treasurer, moreover, is dead d-head; and even
those who hold the scales Of justice, the Judges
of the Supreme Court and of the Court of Errors,
are dead heads. This new function is thus set
forth in an Act just passed by the jersey Legisa-
ture to authorize the New-York and Erie Railroad
Company to hold lands and to complete and finish
the railroad of "The Paterson and Hudson River
Railroad Company" the sixth section of which
says:
"And be 1t enacted That the Governor, the Chan
cellor the Attorney General the Treasurer and Secre
taIy of this State the Justices of the Supreme Court
and the Judges of the Court of Errors Of this State,
while travelling for the purpose of dschargng the du-
ties of their Offices; and the members and officers of
both Houses of the Legislature Of this State during
their annual other sessions shall pass and repass
the railroads of the President and Directors of the Pat
erson and Hudson River Railroad Company, including
the extension hereby authorized, and of the Paterson
and Ramapo Railroad Company, in the cars of any
n eafA do fraa oh
subject to the rules and regulations Of such Company"
The same thing was again tried in the same
highly respectable body, as the following extract
from an act to incorporate the Hackensack and
Ncw-YOrk Railroad Company, passed in the Senate
by vote of Al to O. proves.
"SEc. 20. And be enacted, The Governor the Chan.
cellor the Justices of the Supreme Court and of the
Court Of Errors, OF this State when travelling upon
official business and the Members of both Houses of
the Legislature OF this State, during ito annual or other
sessions may pass and repass upon said Railroad in
the cars of the Company free of charge
Now, if the Legislators Of Camden and Amboy
are right in passing these bills they do themselves
great wrong in not extending the area of such
freedom. For example We have before us bill
relative to oysters and CLANS, just passed in the
same State, ard there is not word respecting the
right Of the Executive, Legislature and Judicial
bodies of the State to eat oysters and clans where
ever they find them-fred, stewed, roasted. broiled
or in the shell-free of expense. Why not add
TO that bill the following
And be it enacted that the Governor the Chan
celor the Justices of the Supreme Count and of the
Court of Errors of this State when acting on nnbl;
business and the Members Of both Houses of the
Legislature Of this State during its annual or other
sessions may enter any oyster cellar oyster sbon or
oyster booth, and command oysters and CLANS ta he
served up in any quantity any style of co Ikiog-
vinous, spirituous and malt liquors ard bread buttsr
biscuit end condiments TO be included alone with COM,
petent service, clean table linen, and all other pnod-
improvements"
So too, in regard to the telegraph provision
should be made for giving political magn.tes ths
privilege of telegraphing free Of cost And the
charters to cloth manufacturing companies sbould
provide coats and trousers, free of expense to the
State Government officers. Steamboats, too. when
licensed, should. under general law. be OBLIGED n
carry as dead-heads those in authority. Congress,
likewise. in revising the Tariff, should enable all
the wise men at Washington to import all dutable
articles free of impcst and board and travel
for nothing during the session The present
dead-headism Of Congress is quite unworthy of
that body restricted it is to the frankinp of let
ters papers, shirts, handkerchief and occasion.
ally q bedstead; and so merely to limit the dead
headism of State functionaries to free tickets on
certain railroads is unworthy Of the great radical
idea. 1t should be wide, expansive, generous