Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1869-02-13
The Texas Con,ention---t.en-
TRAL LEIisLAflON--IENEhAL pEV-

.
Considering how a majority oi
the present Convention were elect
cd, aud hy whom, il was hardly
reasonable Ia expect much good
from ils assembling, but, in ] 10 rvek'
lees pcrnicious duings, il has far
transcribed the apprehensions Of
the most fearful, Deriving its eX'
islenee not from the body ofthe rial
people of Texas but from Acts of
Con frcss, il ought 10 be clear 10
every sound mind that il can have
no power not given by these acts,
which are the limits of its legal au-
thoriIy. 1t was called 10 recon
strucl, that is, 10 frame Constilu
ton or fundamental law for the
State, which, when accepted by the
people thereof would be the basis,
the guide, aud the restriction of leg,
islaiion. Instead OF doing this, il
has been Tor five months, in tho in,
torvals OF quarrcls and fights alike
disgraccinl TO itself and the State,
engaged in all sorts of general leg.
islation, us III IL were n real Lcgis.
lalurc, properly and fairly elected
for all the genuine objects and pur.
poses Of legislation. II has assum.
cd to have full powers with an nc.
countabiity only to Congress, which
il expects to sanction all il unau.
thorizcd proceedings. 1t has divi.
ded aud made new counties, and
undertaken to divide the State
Owing to the imperfect and jumb.
ling manner of its proceedings and
their publication in tho newspapers,
il is impossible to know, us yet, all
or what it really has done but it is
certain that, in some way or other,
it has meddled with all kinds of leg.
islation. One ofits crowning works
of this character is the declaration,
so called, to incorporate the Liver
pool and Texas Steamship Company,
which was carried through that
body triumphantly few days since.
This declaration assumes to author
ize issue of 100000 State bonds,
bearing six per cent. interest, and
to donate 100000 acres of land for
tho benefit of this company, to en-
able it to run II line of steamers to
Galveston, and to land therein q
certain number Of immigrants. 1t
is known that we have always "a,
vorcd some encouragement to i'm
migration, so important to the
State, and to the establishment of n
direct line of steamers as one of the
surcst means to secure it, but we
protest most earnestly and solcmnly
against this action of the Conven-
ton, or any other in the way of acts
Of incorporation, as outside of its
powers and duties, and wholly un-
authorized.
We warn the holders of these
bonds, should they bo issued, that
their validity VIZ be questioned
and will have to be tried and deci-
ded by the Courts of the country.
We would not give copper for
cart-load Of them, except to sell as
waste paper, nor do we believe that
any Of the purely legislative acts of
this Convention will stand the test
of any decent court of law hereafter.
Who ever heard of such legislation
in any State ftho Union by sim
gle body without any check and as
sembled for a distinct and entirely
different purpose? Why, even this
Convention itself, has more than
once adopted reports ofits Commit
tees denying legislative powers to
its legitimate functions, and yet it
has gone on wildly and recklessly
legislating on all matters, regard
less Of consequences. We are sorry
TO say that men and corporators,
who ought to know better, and who
do, have been found to encourage
the Convention in this unauthoriz
cd action, being ready to profit by
it, running the risk of a future sane
tion by legal authority. All this
is wrong and goes to show the gen,
eral disorganization and infection
of society, resulting from our past
and present situation.