The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-03-29
r,e state and Her Legislature.

The State and Her Legislature.
The legislative session Is drawing TO
c,ose. We wish we could contemplate its
history with more satisfaction. But we re-
gre, to say that the State itself Is not as wen
otf as It would have been had the session
never been held. The reputation OF the
State has 10 no sense been beuedted oy It,
while unauesuonably there has been the
smallest ameNnt done fee her Phys'cai ad'
vantage. -... - ]
The credit of the State has teen injured.
a,he ne.ssres concocted Directly to impair
The State credit have % the main failed; bat
,be effect OF their entertainment by pornsn
Of the rublic representatives, respectaehe az
least for their NUMBERS, has been most Aetrl-
menta, 20 the fame and honor Of Virginia.
Nor does the defeat 81 the coneectorst
of measures to Scpreciste the State credit
seem to be decisive. They still perseSere.
Mex. "Wednesday ends the existence OF the
nresent Legis,sture; yet as late as Saturday
the chief engireer Of 'the destructive pohcy
esssyed to induce the Legislature to take Inc
sense of the people ef the State "hether
they would pay -four per cent or SIX per
cent. upon TIE State debt. Mad you. the
State, bias already declared that West Viz
GINA must be held responsible for one-thlra
of the debt. and that involves Virginia in
four per ceat. interest upon the whole debt
It IL now asked that the people may say
whether We shah pay six or'fsur rs on the
whole per cent. upon this two-thirds OF the
debt.
To submit a & uestion like this to the peo-
ple wouid be an act of utter 9aithlessness 10
the public creditor. The Legislature, the
representative body Of the Commonwealth,
psases laws uuder which money is borrowed
and spent for the good Of the Common
wellth. and the creditor is met bya faitaiess
proposition to allow the people TO say ~he'
Their the contract by which such money mas
been borrowed and expended'shall he carried
out or not. Snall there be no responsibility
In such caseY Shall the Legislature make
contracts that are carried out on the one part
and afterwards submit the question to the
people whether the State shall carry out the
contract OBJ its part at all or not? Is the
State of Virginia alone of all the States 70
have the right to Iegslate through repre-.
sentatives Of the people, or TO legislate by
the people in their assemblies: Does any
man suppose that a single dollar ever couid
have been borrowed by the Safe had it been
known that the delegates Of the people 10
General Assembly had no complete right to
pledge the State for loans for her public i'm
provements, but would be compelled to refer
the matter as to how much they would pay
to the people themselves?
Can there be two opinions onthe subject?
And can there be two opinions Is to the Ut
ter dishonesty ofabrogating the contract with
the public creditor by submitting the ques.
ton as to how much we shall pay him to the
people2 Ms well submit the question Whe-
Their we shall pay him at all or not to popu-
lar decision. Suppose the Federal Govern
ment were to submit to the people the ques'
ton whether the debt incurred in" putting
down the rebellion" should be paid, would
it not be decided against its payment But
would not that be taDtamount 10 e.disSou.
ton of the government: And whenever
Virginia submits such question to The PEG.
pie that, too, would be in fact dissolution
of her existence as asState were it net that
she is held in frame, as it were, by he.. con.
federation with the other States.
If the people Of Virginia approve this
mode of settling the grave question GC, the
plighted honor of Virginia, we confess that
we entirely tail to appreciate them. &e,be-
leYe we know Virginians but if they ssye
for this proposition we know them no., :aad
cannot expect that the Mcrld shall put Ga:th
in them.
independently Of the strange act OF the
Legislature that passed laws and borrowed
money asking the populaee whether it SHALL
be paid or not, the proposition is proposed
subversion of our form of government,
which mikes the State responsible for the
acts of our Legslature-tEat Legislature
which is the representative of the people,
and speaks and acts for them. Never was itt
known in this country that the votes of the.
people of State at the polls were asked to
approve or cancel a contract already made,
and which bad been fully executed by the
party contracting with the State. ShaN we
violate our own laws and form of govern
ment to take advantage of the parties whose
money we have had and used, amE the bepe-
fits of which We are now enjoying? Shall
Virginia be the first to violate her.own Laws
and prove re Ieant to her own ssolemnty.
plghted honor by trick unauthorized by
our system Of government and yrnprece-
dented in the Repubicp
We trust not The Legislature isspoor in
good deeds, and it can hardly desire. 70 add
this act Of dishsaer to its concluding hours.
We may possibly felicitate the country
upon the fact that body so peculiarly con.
s.ituted as the Legislature about to adjourn
has done no more harm than it has Isne.
But in any case, ssith all due respect tcshe
body, and declaring .aur sincere regard fe, a
large number Of them, in whose judsm,,t
We put faith, and whose public devotion We
well know, We must sls- that the close of The
session will probably be hailed with satisssc-
ton by the whole State.
-
Answer to the Dispatch's Question.
IFrom the Petersburg News 25tb1