The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-03-11
THE COMMITTEES FEVER.

This disease has found its way from
Washington across the Potomac, and at
tackled our Virginia Legislature heavily.
The National Congress has seldom displayed
more anxiety for " authority to send for
persons and papers" than has been shown
during the past few weeks by some of
the leaders of that Virginia party which
denounces the practices of Congress.
Here, for six weeks, the business of the
General Assembly has been retarded, the
convenience and comfort of private citizens
disregarded, and the newspapers glutted
with dull, dry matter, by special commit
tees.
One was organized to ferret out the
"bribery and corruption" of the Pennsyl-
vsnia Central campaign and has succeeded
in establishing This may not
prove that improper means nave not been
employed, but it surely establishes the fact
that the committee system of inquistion is
entirely without effect.
Another and similar attempt to accom-
plish impossibilities, is developed in the
cumbersome, uninteresting and unmpor-
tant proceedings which have followed the
recommitment of Senate Bill No. to the
House committee on roads. The morning
papers are filled with accounts of the
long -winded testimony of persons in the
interest of either side to the contest now
pending, and what does it all amount to
The committee doesn't listen, and the
public doesn't read.
GOOD WITNESS.
Before the committee of roads, yester-
day afternoon, General Malone was asked
five line question by Mr.. Wood of Hall
fax. The reply of the "Great Railroad
President" occupies two columns and a
quarter Of the small type of the Dispatch.
THE ooLLAR-ER.
"The great Virginian testifes that
Colonel Bridgers, of North Carolina, stated
to him " that in approaching members of
the Legislature of Virginia upon this ques-
ton, be was uniformly met with the in-
quiry, How will this affect the interests
committed to General Malone p"
Now this might have been simply a
sagacious blandness Of manner and pleas
antry of speech on the part of Mr.. Bridgers,
but that General Malone did not SO con-
slider it is evident from his testimony, for
he says: "The reply l made to Mr.. B.
was that Icould not consent that he or his
road, or any authority resident outside of
this State, should control the Richmond
and Petersburg road" Upon what meat
hath this our Caesar fed that he has grown
so great, and upon what milk and water
can he have made our Assembly to subsist
that it has grown so small
But the fact is, the spell has been broken,
if it ever existed. Girth has been relieved
of his collar, even though FaDgs still en-
dures thraldom.
SOMETHING IN RESERVE.
The opponents of Richmond interests
depend nightly upon the faith that Gene
raj Malone has something immense in re-
serve, some bombshell that will blow up
the whole Ellyson and Anderson. sncamp-
ment, and leave not vestige of resistance
to his magnificent schemes.
& We cannot imagine what the new stroke
is to be, unless he either runs in the pocket
himself, or-persuades Mr. Woods
celebrated Tom-cat to have kittens.
WAYS THAT ARE DARK.
The people of Norfolk will please to OBJ
serve that the first alliance which General
Malone made was as against the "Robin-
son dynasty" to which he declared himself
unalterably opposed. Now, it is said
that he is the great champion and
defender of Norfolk's right to mo-
nopoly of Southern trade, by the Sea-
board and Roanoke road. The presi-
dent of the Atlantic, Mississippi and Ohio
company has it seems been on both sides
of the present saplipg, and yet from him
self comes all the righteous indignation
with which certain legislators affect to re-
gard the schemes Of the North and South
lines. And all this convinces us that the
sooher we begin to treat these railway
matters as business questions, and drop all
sentimentality about the patriotism and
generosity of corporations, the better for
Virginia. And if soe can make The interest
Of rich companies identical aoiM our oaon,
aohy not2 We have only heard one answer
yet-that General Malone did not desire
itp