Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1859-05-25

would maintain their ascendency, and cordial re
lations between city and county, let them beware
| Of the game played two years ag".
They should nut split their tickcts--but vote
! for Mcssrs Davis and Leftwich. leaving Col
| Clark, with his Democratic friends. ~ bring W
the rear. 81
We warn the Opposition against an effort that
will he made ut the last moment, to defeat Col
I.eftwich upon the charge that hc will vote for
Mr. Tredway, and thereby, indirectly, for the Dan
| vile extension. We do not belicve my such
| thing. as Col. Leftwch declared in our office last
week that he expected To vote for Mr.. kilby. and
is not probable that he has changed his opinion,
and still less probable that he would select MIR.
Trcdway, who, from position, is unpopular here.
We hone that no body will he deludcd by this
, eleventh hour party expedicnt, to elect Bowling
Clark over Joel b. leftwich.
We deem it proper also. to correct at this time,
n very prevalent error respecting the power aud
authority Of the Board Of Public Works. Some
people seem to imagine thai this Board can iocate
railroads; provide the money to build them, and
even suspend their operations, if need be. Never
was there greater misapprehcnsion. Here is the
Constitutional power Of the Boarl as prescribed
in the 10th section Of the 9th article Of the Con-
sttution
"rhc Board of Public Works shall appoint all
officers employed the Public Works, and oil
persons representing the interest OF the common.
wealth in works of internal Improvement, and
shall perform such other duties us mny be pre-
scril cl hy law
Thus. it will be perceived, that in pursuance OF
this specific provision Of the Constitution. the
Board can only take the oversight of improve
mcnts mrcaiy constructed, appoint officers md
State proxies &c. A, incident To these. the Legisln-
turc has authorized the Board to negotiate loars,
and pny State subscriptions for the obstruction oil
works Of internal improvement and here their
power is at an end. They are the agents and
creature. Of the Legislature, without whose au-
! thority they can do nothing not specified IN the
clause aforesaid. They have no power to say
riere lines II Improvement SHAH be maeie, or ~Hh-
hcid. nor To refuse the payment II money appropri-
n,ed by the Legislature though they were
! satisfied that any given impro, emcnt would he
rninous. not only 10 II section. but to the whole
State. They cannot 90 behind au act of the Leg
islaturc. to whom they ARE answcrahlc and whic,
can at any time remove them from Office, and
abolish the Board altogether. 1t is idle. then. IL
talk Of the power of any member Of the B"nrd o
| Public Works. or Of the whole Board combined
We speak al,iscdlv. and give tho result Of our
own observation and experience, when we assert
,lnt the Bonrd has very little, if any influence
with the Legislature. A representative from til,
city of Lynchburg in the Legislature, is worth n
thousand times as much to Us. ny II representative
! powercss to advance interests in the slightest
deg,cc. We remember. and were m eye witnc>,
! Of the fact that few years ago, there was n Sc
rious purpose, upon the part oi the Legislature
/ to abolish the Board altogether; and prominent
! amongst those who advocated this measure. wa
NJ. X. II. Garneit Esq, prominent Democrat,
! member Tho Board has not been in good ODD,
with the Legislature sncc the dcnourmcnt of it
celebrated financial arrangement with the bogu
conrcrn 81 S.id"n, Withcro n a.,
We mention these facts to correct II urc,llcn
error. aud To show that it is matter Of the lcas
! possible Importance Ia Us, who is elected II Com
missioner Tor this District in the Board Of Puhli,
Works. AT the same time, should Withhold,
our support from gentleman notoriously com
mittcd to a scheme supposed I" he injurious to "
NOT because his influence in the Bard wouic
effect anything against us, Int onl, lest our sun
port Of him would indicate an endorsement of hi
policy. Further than this, we should not care
straw who is elected, provided the candidate of thu
"Rump" is defeated, aud the few wire pullers who
have essaycd to take this election ont of the hnnd
of the people, and give it a party complexion, arr
rebuked.
p S.-Sincc the Above was in type, we hay,
learned 10 certainty. that Col. Lcftwich ncvc
intended to vote for Mr.. Tredwuy.