Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1874-12-10
SpECIAL LEGfsI,AfInN.

| ny tHeAhS. hunted 10 the nnproHtaDie
consumption Of time, and the cost to
the treasury. which they involve. Such
legislation crtcroaches npon important
principles of government it is almost
4 sure in the end to break down the safe
4 guards of Legislative purity, and it has
proved the fruitful source of the cor
\ rhpti"n which is alleged to have in.
vadea The law max ing power elsewhere.
| In my earnest desire 10 avid all
antagonism, either real or apparent, be
tween the legislative and executive de
partments, have gone quite as far in
yielding my constitutional assent to
acts OF special legislation in the past, al
will be possible under my convictions
of duty. in the future
! If the only evil Of the system we're
its expensiveness, then the Strengthened
condition of the finances aud the de.
mands for practical economy should
arrest it. The legislation of each sess-
ION includes a great mass of separate
acts, affecting only particular individ'
uals or localities or interests, and pro.
vidins special relief in each several
case of continually recurring private
and local grievance. All such cases
are easily distributed into classes, and
all could be covered by few brief gen
eral laws, which would more widely
| and etfectually relieve sech particular
grievances as they arise-thns fore,
| stalihg the necessity for special legis
| l;.tion thereafter. Tire practice, which
| now prevails, encnMbers the annual
! session acts with a great amount of
private and particular legislation, as
| devoid OF general interest as the
minutes of a local court it engrosses a
large portion ofthe time of each session,
II enormously increases the public
printing, besides imposing other serious
burthehs ON the treasury; it induces
many persons to look to the legislative
department i'll the light of a judicial
tribunal and to besiege it with appli-
cations for the hearing and correction
OF particular causes of grievances,
while the terms of the special acts are
often defrctiyely and even mischiev-
oasiy framed because hurriedly enacted.
A yet greater evil Of the system is to
be found in the legislative habit of
granting almost indscrininate charters
! Of incorporation. Those who engage
IN reckless or even pernicious schemes
| OF investment Or speculation, and who
are unwilling to render their private
estates liable for the consequences of
their ventures, often seek charters for
the purpose, not SO much of securing
their gains in case OF success, as of
screening themselves from liability in
case of failure In MANY cases the
charters clothe the corporations with
privileges and inmunsies which are
denied to the body Of the people The
corporation. have perpetual life and
continue indefinitely to accumulate
wealth and strength, until finally they
threaten 10 overshadow the power Of
the State. Under government which
torbids orders of nobility and privileged
classes, which has forever abolished
primogeniture and the entailing OF
estates, such SPECIAL charters invaus its
fundamental pr,nci pies and its safety.
AZ well as sap its purity. The genius
OF American Institutions forbids any
such intermed.ling in the affairs OF
society as creates or fosters nenopolles
asgrsnlizes privileged classes or un>
necessarily or unequaly restraints midi
yidual freedom What is done should
be done by general law open to all
without distinction-ao that every
citizen may be alike interested i'll its
passage, and all may equsly avail
themselves Of whatever privileges it
coufers
CONSTITUTION.
The amendments to the constitution,
voted on at the last election, were rati-
fed BY large majority, and appropri
ate legislation should give them effect
The newly proposed and pending
amendments have been brought to my
attention on behalf Of the joint com
mittee which matured them They
xre cordially commended as good to
the extent Of their intended operation
1t Was hoped, however, that grea-
ter reduction in the numbers Of the
general assembly would be determined
on On the one hand it ia argued that
large Legislative bodies are less liable
to be affected by undue influences; on
The other, that larger constituencies
will be less apt to be biased by per
sonal influences and local combinations.
and in the general will be represented
by greater merit 1t is submitted that
the exhausted finances OF the state
ought to determine such an issue in
favor of the smaller legislative bodies,
at least for some years to come. liz
my opinion, the aggregate of both
houses of the general assembly ough,
not to exceed one hundred members
recommend that the substance and
principle Of the following propositions
he embodied in additional amendments
to the constitutions:
lst. That Excepting bills affecting
the right of eminent domain, also such
other matters as ought to be specially
named and accepted in the constitution
no special, private, or local bill shall be
passed by the general assembly.
I'd. That the power to tax corpora
tons and cooperate property shall not
be surrendered and no bill shall be
passed for the benefit Of any corpora
ton, now exempt from taxation, except
ON condition that such exemption be
surrendered.
3D. That no railroad or other trans
portation conpsny shall grant free
passes. or passes at a discount, TO ans
person except officers and employee |
of the company.
4th. That the general assembly may
exempt from taxation for a LIMITED
time Ito be named in the conssitution)