Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1868-01-17

ted By Iittle delay, we have not been dis
appointed.
The candidate for the Speakership pre-
sented BY the majority has not been with
drawn as We had hoped he would be, bur be
| has given us such pledges and assurances
! that we feel we have gained substantially
| the object we aimed at, and that our course
will be fully justified by the prudent and IN
dependent character of the legislation that
the party in power in thBJ House viii enact
during the present session
Not having, therefore, any further end 60
gain that viii justify longer delay, and de-
string that the House be organized az
speedily rs possible, that the public business
may be transacted, We viii bow respectfully
to the will Of the majority.
ANDREW ARMSTRONG,
J. BoYD EsPY,
AUGUSTUS BECKERT,
SAMUEL M'CANANT,
JOHN r. RICHARDS,
Gro. r. RIDDLE,
DAVID /. SIXTH,
H s. WHARTON.
Davis, on taking the speakers chair, spoke
as follows, in regard to the measure which
these gentlemen had good reason TO sup
pose he would endeavor to defeat:
s'We should also have general railroad
law; liberal, practical. comprehensive one,
under whose operations capital would be
invested to develope the immense resources
of the State Let the Legislature be true
10 what seems to be the almost universal
demand OF the people, of every section Of
the State, BY taking away restrictions to
the liberal system of internal commerce,
get at the ways Of guarding the rights of IN
dividual citizens, invite capital 70 come
freely and develope our inexhaustible fields
Of iron, coal and other minerals, as well as
the immense numbering regions, and other
sources Of wealth and greatness. This can
only be accomplished thoroughly, by giving
the right to open every locality of the State,
containing such sources Of wealth %
free and wholesome competition. That 1t
may be properly understood am in favor.
and hope the House viii speedily pass the
much agitated and greatly needed free
Railroad law.
A number Of journals, We are led to be-
keve, were instigated to attsck these fearless
champions of justice BY improper influences.
but where such influences we're not brought
10 bear aud the merits Of the case eWere fully
understood, they do receive credit for their
efforts TO rid us Of the Railroad monopoIies.
The following comments from the Philadel-
phia Past are in the proper spirit:
''In this case the responsibility appears
10 have been taken With good reason. We
do not know that there was any proof, up
70 the delivery Of his address, that Mr..
Davis would not be found among the appo-
nents of railroad reform-a reform which
the Governor in his message declares nee.
essary to the resources Of the State, and
one which the people uDquestionably de-
mand. Governor GeaFy said-''It viii open
new avenues to distant markets; improve
the value of property; give new impulse to
immigration, and add TO our general pros
perity. Other States have tried the exper-
iment with satisfactory results, and there Is
no reason why Pennsylvania should be
laggard In the grand march Of progress and
improvement. So long as Dir. Davis was
supposed 10 be an enemy of law thus de-
fined by the Governor, so universally called
for by the people-so long as it was not pos
itively certain that he was its friend-the
seven boilers had justification for their
course IF Mr.. Davis has always been an
earnest supporter of railroad reform, VIC can
only regret that be allowed bis position TO
be doubted; If be was in any way interested
In the preservation of monopoly the public
may now rejoice that he has frankly pledged
himself to aid in its destruction. We are
glad that the difficulty is at an end, and
that the Legislature is ready to 20 to work,
but if the bolt has helped the speedy pas
sage Of a general railroad law, we cannot
think that the week has been wasted.