Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-01-04

! trust omit nothing of the diligence and devo-
! ton which the most exalted sense of personal
! duty can exact, | apprehend that the remedy
lies deeper, and that the sessions can he shorten
! ed only by a change in the methods of legisla-
ton unless indeed il be under pressure of cOusti-
tutional amendment by the people. Time can
no doubt be wisely saved by less frequent med
! ding with existing laws, by way of amendment
and repeal; but the main problem is how to he
| relieved of this growing load OF special and pri-
! vate legislation. | have already indicated the
| solution. II is substituting for this system Of
| legislation in detail a system Of lcgisating by
| general laws as fast and as far as it is praCti-
| cable. 1t cannot be wise for able committees TO
hear case after case, and report bill after BILL in
YOlYing the same principle and varying only in
detail, and leave the work TO be repeated by their
successors in an endless routine. 1t would be
easier TO do 50 il franchise and privilege were
thus dealt out with Just discrimination and
measure of the public need On the contrary
| they are dispensed with a Wasteiul prOiuSiOn
Much Ofthis special legislation is never a1ailcd
OF for any legitimate purpose, public OF private
| There are, for instance, some four hundred in
SuranCe charters on our statute book. Under
more than half Of them no company was ever
organized. About he same number of railroad
grants have been made. Under three out Of
| four of them not Il mile of railroad has been or
probably ever will be built. On the other hand,
the cases are few, If any exist where opposition
or argument was strong enough to defeat, in The
end q railroad or insurance charter that was
perSisteDily and skiiifully sought. Who will at
tempt TO compute the time wasted in this and
other kindred legislation so laoOriously wrought
out, and, after all, unused?
Who can estimate The contests, the divisions
and combinations, of which it has been the pro
life source, or its influence on other legislation?
The brain OF Massachusetts, always busy with
ideas of progress aud reform, her heart always
intent on making broader her systems of be-
neiceuce, her hand never weary in extending
the DOMAIN Of her material conqucsts, viii give
TO the Legislature questions enough of the wild
est import, TO task to the utmost its time and
wisdom. As Il means of relief, the labor saving
advantage Of general legislation is too plain to
need argument Or proof \ well coutriyed, self
regulating machine is a better device for max
ing nails, than hammeTing them out, one by
one, by hand Equally clear is the economy of
a well considered general law, which covers all
the special eases within the scope OF its provi-
sionS and relieves alike the legislature and the
people. Still higher considerations approve the
policy of general legislation, Not men but law
is the sovereign power of the commonwealth;
and law is no reSpecter OF persons. Under
standing laws, and not by the favor and caprice
of legislators, the public ought to find their
rights and privileges. There is no fest by which
we may discriminate. What is given TO one is
due under the same limitations to all.
Such is the spirit of the bill of rights; in de-
clariug that government is instituted for the
common good and not for the profit
honor or private interest of any one man, family
or class of men; that every subject Of the com.
mOnWealth ought 10 obtain right and Justice
freely, and without being OBLIGED 10 purchase it;
completely and without any denial; promptly
and without delay, conformaby TO the laws"
Our constitution does not, as do those of some
other states, and wisely, as | think, expressly
restrict the use of special legislation, but the
spirit of all its provisions, and the essential idea
of our political system require that we give 10
the people equal and impartial laws, as broad
in their scope as the commonwealth itself. Under
such laws, individual rights and private contro-
verSies are 10 be adjusted in judicial tribunals.
| The legislature was not designed, and is not
adapted to their adjudication. We have here no
provision for their trial as by jury, carefully
guarded against outside pressure or approach.
| The bringing of powerful conflicting Interests,
private or corporate, into direct contact with the
Legislature inevitably tends to influences that are
dangerous and corrup;ing; and so the cOuelud-
lHg article of the bill of rights ealousy divides
the powers OF the several departments of
the government, TO the end that il may be a
government of laws and not of men," While
therefore do not question that cases will arise
which special laws are adapted TO relieve, re-
specially submit thar, as a system and rule,
| general legislation is most consistent with the
| theory OF democratic government and the purity
| Of its administration; that by its intelligent
| use the sessions may easily approximate their
| former length, and that in no other way is it
| practicable to avoid their still further prOIonga-
| ton 1t cannot be possible that so much more
bar sIstn gtatns i@r thc n ,' of visa guy
necessary laws. Gentlemen, have trespassed
too long upon your attention, | can offer M
apoioSy put NY earnest uesLIe tlaI our eIsa
comnietion and beneficial in ifs rcs,its. Tbe
only honor our position holds out 10 us is thar
| winch comes from serving wen q foPmonWeath
, ',, 20 a, ~ ~ pd 20
70 truth humanity and rirhf, TO fbe bope faaf
we all may win some title to her benedction
| permit me to add my cordial wish that jhe bless
to,,t N te sass c ni s NJ SOd d
that its duties aud lahors may give uumingled
| pleasure to each of you
The address of the speaker was received with
| applause by his hearers.
| The election Of clerk was next in order ard
| Mr.. Robinson was reelected by the usual COM
| plimentary vote. He received 1855 votes ont of
| 2O9. Colonel TAYLOR, who would have been an
| opposition candidate against Warrington if he
| had consented TO run. received 16 votes and two
| facetous members voted for Mis-. Mary A. Liy-
crmore. Mr. Robinson was then shown in to
| the governors room by a committee. and came
| back qualified for another term of official ser
,.i,o
| w
! The house next proceeded to elect sergpant-at-