Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1874-12-02

sumo all lust responsibilities lot LheuseNes IL 10
which promptly e,tingpshcs an evil, puts an END
In contention over it's merits, and its manifested
results aud benefits are sure to proPtlate us OPP
posers For the suppression of the intolerable and
growing evil in question, recommend the passage
of an act with such energetic ana elteNecutHg
sanctions as will make it promptly and certainly
e.ctual, and draw to its enforcement the intelligent
influences interested In its object.
law should he passed creating fund in every
county, to be kept up by liberal tax dogs, out OF
which all losses of sheep from their depredations
should be fully paid for, except in those cases III
which the owners Of the guilty animals eau De
found ont and held responsible.
CENTRAL WATER LINE.
herewith transmit Il memorial OF the James
River and kanawha ''anal Company, asking an-
thorily, by means Of mortgage Of its property, 10
connect the canal at Buchanan with the chesapeake
aud Ohio railroad at Clifton Forge, by an inter-
mediate railway thirty two miles in length. inns
short interconuecting link will bring the grandcst
iron and coal belts OF the whole country into Vir-
tual iuxtaposiion. 1t would at once vita!ize the
incaculabe resources of our great iron belt extend
ing far out on either side Of the Blue RIDGE 10y sup
plying it's sole want Of the cheapest and hest tuel
The scheme is cordially commended to your sane
ton. ,
The proposed connection n.wise conflicts with the
policy which looks to the completion of the new
water line By the common government. 1t IN tact
furthers and expeditcs the same general p0hcy.
None will deny that it is peculiarly incumbent on US
to withhold no possible aid encouragement which
might contribute to the consummatlon OF that great
work.
The states of the great central tier situated on the
middle line of the continent, stretching from the
finest barber in the world nj Hampton Roads, 10 the
centre of the mighty basin OF the Mississippi, have
as yet received less Of attonnn and hcn,crce from
the common government than any o'her c4ua area
of the States covered By It's jurisdiction.
Ir That the completion al the hlitIc
waterway than any other enterprise, arguments
the general wealth, while it c"mp:nSa'ts the past
seeming neglect of great section. On the Inc OF
latitude which pcne;ratcs the heart OF tDe finest cii-
mate and the richest agricultural and mine-a! region
within the Union marked out and actually con-
structed by the hand Of nature along largely the
greater part of lis length: linked to thousands 81
miles of river nav yatlo 1t furnishes the SHORTEST,
healthcs cheapest quickest and best water transit Tor
the products of the great west to the future emporium
on the Atlantic seaboard More than any other
channel of commerce, it will reach out facilities to
States of the continental basin, which, now IN their
infancy, yield annually more than a thousand mil
lions of bushels of grain 1t will cut lneXhaustinie
beds of steam GOALS and with its annual capacity to
transport eight millions Of tons OF coal without di-
minishiug the due proportion of other treishS, 1t
will warm and feed the manufacturing States, and 1t
will locate on the shore Of the Chesapeake the larg-
est, cheapest. and hest coal depot OF the eastern
coast, for the steam shipping of the world.
We have been often and unjustly tainted In the
past Let our answer be given by pioneering the de-
velopment of the whole country. Instead Of prov
ing 10 be abStractioSts without action and obstruc
tionsts without reason, let show to the world that,
while we hold firmly to every guarantee OF the con-
stitution yet go forward anu lnauSurate the era
of practical craftsmanship.
No provincial spirit inspires Virginia. Her own
sons led the work of founding the republic. To-
day, with au impartial mind, she graSPs the equal
,lestiuics of all the sections and states: and she
yearns Tor Justice equality and fraternity through
out The and-trom Maine to California.
SPECIAL LEGISLATION.
The evils of wha, are known as private and local
Acts of assembly are by no means limited to the
profitable consumption OF time, and the cost to the
treasury, which they involve. Such legislation Gu
croaches upon important principles OF government:
il is almost sure in tho end t. break down the safe
guards of legislative purity, and it has proved the
fruitful source of the corruption which is alleged to
have invaded the law king power elsewhere.
In my earnest desire to avoid all antagonlsm,
either real apparent, between the Legislative and
executive departments have gone quite as far IN
Welding NV constitutions; assent to acts Of special
legislation in the past rs will be possible under my
convictions of duty in the future
If the only evil Of the system were Its expensive
ness then the straitened condition OF the finances
and tho demands of practical economy should arrest
it, The legislation Of each session includes great
mass of separate acts, affecting only particular nii
yiduas or localities interests, and providing Src
cal relief in each several case of continually recur
ring private and local grievance All such cases arc
easily distributed into classes, and all could be COW
cred by few brief general laws, which would more
widely and efcctually relieve such particular gricv
auces as they arise thus forcstalling the necessity
for special legislation thereafter. The practice,
which now prevails, encumbcrs the annual Sessions
Acts with great amount OF private ana particular
legislatioe us devoid Of general interest a the min
g
the time of each session; it enormously increases the
public printing, besides imposing other serious
burthcns ON the treasury; it induces many persons
to look to the Legislative department in the hight of
juGiciul tribunal and to besicge it with applications
for TIE hearing and correction Of particular causes
and grievances, while The terms Of the special
often effectively and even nisch=vousiy framed be-
cause hurriedy enacted.
A vet greater evil of the system is to he found in
the legislative habit of granting almost iudScrim-
nato charters Of incorporation. Those VIII" engage
in reckless even pcrncious schemes of investment
or speculltion, and who unwilling to render their
private estates liable for the consequences Of their
ventures often seek characters for the purpose, not
80 much Of securing their gains in case Of success us
of screening themselves from liability in case OF fail
ure In many cases the charters clohc the corpora
tions with privileges and iminunites which are de-
MED to the body of the people. The corporations
have perpetual life and continue indefinitely to accu-
muate wealth and strength until finally they threaten
to overshadow the power of the State. Under gov
eminent which forbids orders of nobility and prvi
legged classes which has forever abolished prmogeni
ture and the entaiing of estates, such special char
tiers invade it's fundamental princi piles and its safety
as well as sap its purity. The genius Of American
institutions forbids any such intermeddlins in the
affairs of society as creates fosters monopolleS az
crandizes privileged classes or unnecessarily or un
equally restraints individual freedom. What is done
should be done by general law-opcn to all without
distinction-so that every citizen may be alike in
tercstcd in its passage. and all may equally avail
themselves of whatever privileged 1t conicrs.
THE GOVERNMENT or CITIES AND TOWNS.
In this connection-aS illustrating the evils of the
system lust mentioned, and touching interests OF very
great and general importancc-1 recall to your attcn
ton the bill "to amend an act to incorporate the
Potomac Land and Improvement Company, passed
February Is, 1873 which passed the General As
scnbly ut the last session on the eve Of its final adj
iournmcnt and from which withheld my approval
for reasons that could them for want of time, he
communicated to the mouse in which 1t originated.
The bill set apart territory said to contain several
thousand acres and including the town o. Potomac;
constituted it separate school district and sepa-
lnclor tho sin ,le