The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-02-07
Creditors and Debtors.

If the Legislature Of Virginia really de-
serves, as We trust it does not, all the
harsh and splenetic comments upon its con-
duct with which the press teens in these
days-if it be, indeed, so cowardly, so sell
fish, so stupid, then we should think it
full time to get rid of representative 60
yernment~ altogether, and accept the auto
cratic rule of any despot who would be
good enough to administer a Pride's purge
to our Parliament, turn it out .put the
key in his pocket, and govern US thereafter
by ukases, or by general ORDERS" But
matters have not come to that pass yet.
If there be hesitation and delay IN DIS
posing of those momentous questions
which most deeply concern the welfare Oh
this disorganized and ruined community
it is because of that very DISCRIMINATION
and general ruin, and the perplexity re-
shifting from the having to look in the face
a new order of things, and legislate under
conditions which have no precedent. Ii
some of the eloquent journalists who are
50 loud in their complaints had themselves
the responsibility of legislating for us in
stead of the easy task of producing a scold-
ing article, they would probably be as
much bewildered as anybody else; and if
they did anything we should all earnestly
wish it undone Immediately. Indeed, so
far as concerns the really momentous ques-
tons treated in this session concerning
measures that affect all men in their daily
life and future prospects, We should be In
clined to complain not that our Legisla-
ture has done too little, but rather that it
has done anything at all.
Rather than see them interfering with
credit and impairing the obligation OF
contracts by their I" stay laws" and home
stead bills, one would prefer to see them
spend all their time over wooden legs. II
they can do nothing better with the fool
ish old usury law than to patch and tinker
with it as they have done, it were better
that they confined themselves to debates
upon the Bill to incorporate the Trium-
plant Tent of the Independent Recha-
bites" 1t is true that some measures in
the ordinary course of legislation have
been in~telligently discussed and rightly
disposed of; but the important measures
above spoken Of are exceptional, are
avowedly justified only by the disastrous
consequences of the war and it is greatly
to be feared that the operation of them
upon the social, moral, and industrial con-
dition Of the people will be the very re-
verse Of what is intended. If men are
exempted from all effort to pay their debt,
for one more extended term, will they not
naturally expect at the end Of that term
to have another extension, and so on ad
i~ninitum7 If capital is kept away from
this State, and actually driven out Of it to
seek an investment by the subsisting usury
law, will not this disposition to tamper
with private contracts (instead Of at once
sweeping away the nuisance) deter CAPT.
talists still more effectually from lending
money in a State whose Legislature may
impose new terms and conditions next
year, both upon their profits and their
securityi There is nothing SO timorous
as your capitalist and it is very certain
that this sensitive creature would have
been less effectively frightened away from
our borders by letting the usury law alto
: gether alone, than by making experiment.
tai alterations which may be altered again
next session.
), We shall not follow a bad example, in
charging the members of the Legislature
with the mere selfish design of catching
votes for themselves by their action upop
these measures. II this be indeed the
fact, our prospect Is bad for the future.