M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1860-02-16
From CoiuInbus.
CoLUMBUs, Feb. IL, !

VI luO eSoolpE ia N"ihS0H S"A'S .
number OF measures have been dis
posed ofduring the past week, yet the
business accMmulates. One hundred
and filty-two bills have been intro
duced in the House and about one
hundred in the Senate, and 'tlre cry
IS, still they come"
Among the me asurcs passed thro'
both Houses, do not know Of one
save the partial appropriation bills,
that is of special importance to the
readers OF the Democrat. "a bill for
tho relief Of the creditors and stock,
holders OF the Marietta and Cincinnati
Railroad Company" which passed the
Senate, will probably be acted upon
in the House next week. 1t proposes
to confirm the decree for the sale Of
the Road, passing the road, together
with the charter of the Company, to
She purchaser or purchasers, who may
then reorganiEc under such arrange
ments as they may see proper to make
in regard 10 the capital stock, &c, &c.
Objections, based upon it's unconsti-
tutionality were strongly urged in the
Senate, and the bill passed that body
by one over the requisite number Of
votes. The Constitution provides that
the General Assembly shall not con-
fer corporate powers by special act
1t is question whether this bill, if
passed, will be constitutional, as it
provides for the organization of a cor.
poration by special act, coaterring up.
on il the franchizes of the old compa.
ny. 1t seems to me that q law of gen.
eral application to insolvent Railroad
Companies might bcpassed, that wO'd
relieve the Legislature from the con-
sideration Of measures Of this nature
every year; for it is understood that
other companies are in a condition
similar to that of the M. & G. Tie
people will rocollect that one OF the
main objects in calling the Conyen-
tion in 1850, was that the Constitu-
tion might be SO amended as 10 pro-
hibit special legislation, which had
become Il crying evil, large majority
of the acts passed being Of that par.
ticular class, 1t is to be regretted
that Legislators sometimes forget our
experience in this kind ofles sislation, OF
sink their scruples and doubts in wh at
is now-a,d days termed the necessities
] of the case" | do not mean to ex,
press my opposition to the o3jects oI
the bill referred to, but simply to dis
approve of special legislation for cor.
porations when general law, unques
tionably constitutional, would answer
quite as well.
| am glad to sec, by tho order o
sale that the proceeds of the sale arr
to be applied, in part, to the paymeh
Of the taxes charged against the Com
pany-thns securing to our county
some S1,700, the loss of which ha,
caused some embarrassment to oul
Treasury. Thirty thousand dollars
are also set apart to pay for work OF
the Road prior to the time the Re
ceiver was appointed, and the ques
ton OF a further allowance was lef
open for the Court to decide upOI
hereafter. All liabilities which hav,
accrued since the Receiver was ap
pointed-about year since,--are t(
bo fully paid.
A joint resolution passed the Sen
ate, Friday morning, (after ali sort
OF tactics were resorted to by a portion
OF the Republicans to defeat it,) to ad
4 journ sine die on the 9TH of March. =
1t came down to the House, and at tn
proper time for taking up message
from the Senate, the Republicans yot
ed to go into a Committee of tn
Whole, and afterwards t. ad journ-.
thus preventing the resolution from
coming up. To-day, however, it wa
read and referred to select Commit
tee OF five with instructions to repor
by Wednesday next. The Democrat
are all ready to vote for the resolution
believing that the sooner this Repub
lican Legislature adjourns the bette
tor the people.
/, Congress is about ready for bust