Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1863-12-07
The Legislature.

After brief reeess, the General Assembly Of VIr-
gina oonyerss again to-day. GOveSnor Letcher will,
for the last time, lay before them the general state of
the COmmOnw ealta, and recommend such measures Of
legislation as be DEEM necessary or advantageous We
venture to submit to the members that the Improbable
and evil repute Of their late called session should
be stimulus to q more useful employment Of their
TINA and faculties Tee last session ruined itself by
over much talk. Tns offence must be guarded against
either by the sIercise of better judgment and taste
by the members, or BY the adoption of "gag law"
And it will be we'll too to guard against an evil CON-
mon 70 legislative bodes-thA; Of legsAting too much
and attempting to manage matters not legitimRtSs
within their sphere, beyond the cure Of law. 1t
should be remembered that seasons of great public
peal fruitful Of all sorts of e1pedents, and that
there is danger in the socisude for remedies of adopt
ing some thaA the disease ITSELF This caution
may be of use when propositions submitted to
form the currency FIX prices regulate labor &c. The
views of the Atlanta ConftdSrGey this subject are
sensible. That Ougnal says II has long been prob
lem in egs ton where the line should be drawn be-
tween the due and the undue exercise SOf the law
making power Those who are aveESe 70 excessive
legislation view as the source of much public mis-
chief. Those who deem 1t the r,medy for every evil in
the State imagine that laws cannot DO too greatly null
iplied.
In period of peCunisry embarrassment the law il
looked to for relief by many classes of persons-resu
lAton is regarded its proper fOurce. War rsvO-
luton that gives rise to arrangement of financial rela
tons is prolific of legislative schemes of this character
knowledge, therefore, of the due limits of legislative
pOuer-of the boundary lice where legal interference
in private pursuits is beneficial Injurious is essen.
ta to the functions of the legislator Eledge Of
what should be the true character of the laws them
selves, remedial or preventive. 1t seems natural
that what the people regard as the only source Of
Ief-ths laW-makDg poWsr-Bhoqld be called on to
nterpose those checks that to Do the nauracor
receive Of ayace aud eItorton. AL that cento of en-
sctmens intended not only to be regulstTe DuLrepres
sive that Ill the statute books with penalties at such
uEeure ara which have so largely occupied the attsn-
ton OF our legislative bodies for some months past,
must fail of their intended effect, because they do
reach the origin Of The evil The grand source Of the
mischief which is not only cOrrupting the people, but
imparng the springs of public virtue, lies beyond the
causes assigned for these evils aud the proposed rem
sdies for their removal These all look to pro1mAte
and secondary and not to primary and original crcum
moral sense is perverted, through Eordd impulses,
The appetite for wealth, which is latent and unescted
under ordinary temptations is stimulated by incentives
that address themselves to thu corrupt parts of human
nature by the agency Of irreds,mable paper money.
This is the great cOrrupter That's the source
Of al4debasing instincts that follow in the train OF
avsrics, and assume SO many of It's forms. Let the
leg's'a.or instead of consuming weeks in discussing
every variety Of projects, to redress misOhefs that
spring from this primary source, address himself to the
task of removing this gigantic eyl-his abuse Of paper
money Let this be done with vigorous hand. and
the whole progeny Of sOrdid passions will disappear
The ayarce which is eating ioto the vias of the body
polite will perish of the land The discussions
which are armiDg orators IN conflicting debate will
cease he disputaoRs Of the presss that shame the
principles of commercial freedom viii be admitted on
all hands to be frivolous and hS legislation Of the
country will Be placed on that basis of truth and phO
SOphy that adapted to the beraty Of the epoch in
which We live. We SHALL in short cease 20 exhibit the
spectacle o. enjoying free constitution, and protesting
devotion to the doctrines Of free trade In one BREATH
and those Of restriction In another But the Of
the currency matter entrusted for the present to
other hands than the Legislature