Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1873-05-10
Delaware State Journal

Delaware Nldl6 JOuTHdl.
wILMINsTON. DBL
Saturday, May 10, 1873.
A Legislature which DID Nearly
Nothing and Cost the state |
$3.50 900.
We printed nearly two weeks ago a |
carefully prepared abstract Of the acts |
and joint resolutions passed at the late |
session of our State Legislature. A care
full examination Of the list affords alum |
dant proof Of the assertion frequently
made In these columns that the enact |
ment of general incorporation and rail-
road laws and of few other laws Of
general character, the transfer Of the
divorce business TO the courts where Ii
belongs, and of the regulation Of roads to
he Levy Courts of the respective eoun-
ties, would reduce the work at the bien-
NAL sessions Of our Legislature to less
than third OF its present volume.
The total number Of bills and joint
resolutions passed at the late session was
4O5. OF this number there were passed
Acts of ncorporation-amend to
or renewals Of such acts, 1S9
Acts Incorporating railroad compa-
MES or amendatery Of such acts, y
Divorce bills, 90
Ao,s for Iayino ont etrstghtenin0 mr.
vacating certain roads, IA
Acts preventing cattle, sheep, horses,
SSc., from running at large in certain
school districts, 20
Resolutions of mere routine, or Of
thanks, or accepting invitations,
&c, not to be considered as of any
public value. 19
Acts authorizing certain school dis
tricts to raise specified amounts by
taxation, which under any respect
able general commou-school law
they would be authorized to do with
out a special law, IL
Acts incorporating towns or changing
streets in such towns, Is
Acts "of private nature" allowing
this man 'tO erect a gate" that
woman ''to make last will aud
testament" or some child to change
its name, 10
Joint resolutions denouneing Summers
Civil Rights Bill, synpathlzing with
Louisiana, &c, such ne would be
moe Appropriate at a town meeting
than IN Legislature,
Acts relating to the city of Whining
ton, which undei proper charter
would not lie needed, Is
Total, SIC
This leaves but % acts passed, which
under good system of general lsjss
need have occupied the attention " the
Legislature, but of this number great
many were acts authorizing the Recorder
o; one or the other county "to copy eet
"tain indices,' or merely changing thu
phraseology Of some previous act, OrlAu
thofzing the appointment of new con
stable or Trustee Of the Poor, or something
of that sort. A thorough tstmiuatiol
fails 10 show more than thirty-three act
passed OF general nature applying
throughout the state, and Of these ueArl
very one proposed in The interests of rc
form, was muli'ated and deprived ofhsl
i;s force and value before. ia had. rnnSh
gauntlet IF hoth Hcusfs
The Legislature was so Occualed VII
this great volume OF privatsJor neigh coi
hood legislation that il could M, had
been disposed, have given pSoper e50sit
alton to the business of a public natul
which came hefas.lt, aid Come Of tt
most important nIenFlwss re,atingto edl
cation, taxation, -. wefe called up
tile las, hurried55ya ai the session, al
one, the seAoot law, was killed after i
reasonable eud just provision for Il
education Y eo.ored children had bes
stricken OFT. auT Che other In relation
taxes "a railroads was passed in such
form slat II h = found to be constit
tloual Il viii teriyrdemorallz- The carr
ing trade Of our- raiiroads or compel Il
calling Of an extra. se,sion of the Legi
lature for its repeai.r
Bat Ito the long chapter of its fallur
to de- justice, or love mercy tor the pc
AID needy, itis needless 10 go. We hs
set out to consider what it did do, and
find that of thelarge number of bills a
joint resolutions less than fifty, that
less than oHe eighth, were ensctments
laws Of general application, for the pub
good, and that most OF these We're wei
or defective.
It FILTERED away its time in diyoreii
people, IN COW driving. in laying O
roads, &c, and so sat, a menace to j,
tice and disappointment tc AL hope,
nuety-seyen days, paying itself theref
in gold, and costing the people direct
nearly twenty thou sand dollars, wasti
thirty thousand more on an old buzzsl
roost for State Capitol, and pledgi
the credit Of the State for 5000, Geo
build railroads in a lower county VIII
refusing to remit one cent Of the onero
md unjust taxation laid on the roa
quilt with their own money by the peol
Of this county.
These are truths which canRot be ga
iayed charges which cannot be m,
but We can hope and expect nothing b
ter SO long as this vile system Of COVE
ment by the minority continues 10 Gu
our State