Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1857-05-27
GBr Daily Spp.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 81. 1857.

New PRINCIPLES OF LEeIsLArIoN.-A bill is
before the Legislature in relation to the Bos-
ton and Maine Railroad and the Danyers Rail
road, which, It seems to us, should attract the at
tenton Of the public. Under the pretext of pro-
teeting weaker corporation from being Cypress
ed by stronger one, the bill proposes to insti-
tute an entirely new system of legislation re-
spectng railroads. which must certainly be de-
stlaetive Of all confidence in railroad property
If this bill should pass, see no end to appllca-
tons to the Legislature to establish tlme'tables
aud regulate the running Of trains; IN fact, the
Legislature will be overwhelmed with apphca-
tons for special legislation upon these matters,
which inthe nature of things it is utterly ineom.
psseit to decide upon. The Legislature should
9 Be careful that, in its attempts to remedy sup
posed evils, it does not establish presidents which
can only produce mischief.
The above, which appeared as an editorial in
the Boston TraUeler of Monday morning, excited
our curiosity to such degree, that we procured
copy of the bill to which alusiol is made, and,
sure enough, we find that the Legislature has act
uslly, in the latter days ofts existence, begun to
initiate, as the TfaUeer very ruthfally suggests,
such new principles of legislation " in regard
TO railroads, as we could not have believed
would be seriously entertained by any Legislative
body, much less be sanctioned by majority Of
either branch of Massachusetts, General Court
The bill proposes, and, should it become a law,
viii establish the principle, that the Legislature
may, at any time, directly interfere, through spe-
eal legislation, With the business concerns ofany
railroad corporation in the State, take from the
control Of its proper officers the details Of its
management dictate to the Superintendent the
time of starting, the number of trains, and regu-
late the rate of speed that shall be maintained,
with the number of stoppages at way stations,
upon every railroad in the Commonwealth. Such
an absurdity in legislation was never before heard
of, and we can only attribute the passage ofsuch
bill through its first stages, in both houses, to
the fact, that the pressure of multudinous and
weighty matters upon the attention of the House
and Senate, in the last hours of the session, pre-.
vented many members from giving to the bill that
close attention and scrutiny, that its Importance
as precedent in legislation would seem to de-
mand We do not know anything of the merits /
Of this particular case, but oppose it. and trust
that our Republican friends in both branches will
oppose it, on general grounds, for the sake Of the
principle that it involves. If the Legislature |
may establish by law that any one small town in |
the State shall have communication with the me
tropolis by cypress trains, two or three times
day more than the interests of the stockholders
will warrant where viii be the security for this
kind of property, preoarious enough at best, any
wheres If the Massachusetts, Legislature may
compel and 'require the Boston and Maine
Railroad to run special express trains over their
road to carry the fast people of Danvers to Bos-
ton at more rapid rate than is consistent with
the interests of the stockholders, why may not
every little town in the State insist upon the same
rights Why may not the people of Auburn,
with the same propriety, demand that the Legis-
lature shall require special express trains to
run to Worcester for their accommodation, over
the Norwich Road, or the people of Boylston and
Grafton like accommodations over the roads upon
which those towns are respectively locatedl
The whole principle is bad one, from begin |
ming to end. 1t is fraught with mischief and in
Justice, and nothing else; and we trust that ''the
sober second thought of our legislators both in
the House and Senate will induce them, after
careful examination of the bill, to reconsider the
action that has been taken, and spurn from the
State House proposition which could only have
originated from the prolific brains ofsome Essex
county gentlemen, who, provided that they could
do business in Boston and take their meals at
home, by means of extra trains, at lightning
speed, "reqiireG' by the Legislature would care
not button if the stockholders of the road re
ceiyed dividends. from their investments, or if
the property Of the widows and orphans, who
have their all in such securities, was deprecated
TO the standard of the worst managed and least
productive roads in the country. We trust, that
the day is far distant, when the Legislature of
Massachusetts shall. in addition to its preroga.
tive of lao making, part of its duties,
the dictatorship of corporations, or the superin-
tendence Of railroads, that have been duly estab.
lshed and are regularly conducted, in accord
ance with the laws of the State.