The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1858-03-06

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cnn,.at,oa 10 amend the constitution
:, ~. s,.,. committed two grea. foiiies In addi-
Hon "a .o,er.l others not pertinent to this art-
II. +, ..,.h,.hsa biennial instesd OF annual ses-
s,ous. aud limited them TO ninety days each-sna
Il provided that no appropriation shouid pass un-
Iess it received vote Of majority Of both Houses
These two constitutional provisions have sihic'ea
this State more severely and checked herFrospef
fly more decidedly than all other causes combined
for the last twenty years.
The idea that the Legislssare could by assem-
bling once IN two years and celebrating naSty
days. take care Of the public affairs OF this great
State and consider and dispose OF all the propo-
sitions growing out Of the muitiform Interests
and entsrprises OF herself and her people, is an
absurdity that Il IL hard to think any body 81
men picked M anywhere Ia the State cou Id for
q moment consider The operation OF this pro
vision of the Consultations has illustrated it's folly
The business Of the State has been wcfuy neglect
cd Legislature amer Legislature has-sdjourned,
leaving tables groaning under the weight OF busi-
nsss unconsidered. The petitions Of the people
are not heard and the propositions for their relief
net disposed Of
In the face Of this neglect. this failure to dis
pose Of the public business there has not been
the Legislature, 10 vote for an extension OF the
session Nor indeed has there been even bare
majority ready TO sign their names in black and
white 10 q petition to the Governor to convene
the Legislature in extra session. These remedies
tins failed--uot because there not enough
members who believed IL to be proper that the
session should be extended or that there should
BE- an extra session: for every Legislature. under
the present Constitution. has been almost unani-
NOUS In the opinion that or the other was
Indispensable to the performance Of the puhlc
business But they failed, because there was
want of maniiness anil Independence want OF
a proper sense of public responsibility and repre-
sentative duty In the Legi.ature-they failed De-
cause OF the entertainment Of discreditabie fears
of loss Of popularity, and Of a miserable connec'
ton of party politics with them. And thus has
the Legislature been recreant to its duty-re'
creant TO its own character.
Thus has the State suffered and thus she must
suffer until new Constitution, or until different
feeling and different character prevails In the
General Assemby--until q different sort of men
shall at least form that negative minority who mar
the good they will not help, and to whom the Con
stitution gives consequence that Providence new
er designed for them.
The state suffers, however. not less positive in
which we aiude: the vote Of the majority of the
whole to carry all money bills. Its effect has
been to heap difficulties in the way Of important
measures, and therefore to enlarge and expand
the system Of log rolling. 1t has increased largely
the outlay necessary to carry through every
great measure. and dwarfcd its power and in
fuence to an equality with lateral aud insig
nifcant schemes, any one Of which is compe-
tent to drag down the whole in general defeat -
So large and so Incorporating is the party hos
tile to expenditure for works of improvement that
every work, however unimportant, however mea-
gre its claims upon the State, must be taken into
fellowship with the rest, and thus is the State
overburdened and weighed down by the combna-
ton to prevent the complete abandonment OF
those great undertakings whose continuance and
completion are vital to her. The Convention which
met Just as q new era was dawning upon the State
Just as she about to devote ell her energies
and means to the completion of those works which
were to place her in that position in the confedera-
cy to which her natural advantages entitle her.
They fell like blight upon her, and she has since
been retarded and paralysed in iIer best underia
kings. The hopes and anticipations of her peo-
pie have been disappointed, and that emigration
which had formerly been 80 disastrous to her, has
has been again promoted.
Thus has Virginia been misgoverned, and thus
has her best and brightest hopes been deferred
Thus have we q "SuFPERIse STATE AND A REcRpASr
LEGISLATURE" What will the present General Az.
safnbly dor