The daily gazette. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1874-1883, 1881-03-01
FOURTH EDITION
Our Legislative Letter.

| THE DELAWAR WESTERN - LOCAL
oPTIoN-DovER's TOWN MEET
ING.
specially reported for the Gazette.
DOVER, Feb. %, 1881.
A great many of those prominent
and conspicuous in their opposition
to the Delaware Western bill OF
Thursday, Friday and Saturday OPP
emily proclaimed that they had ut
opposition to the measure as it now
stands, but upon the announcement
by Enoch Pratt that j. Gould anC
the b. g. o. II. II. had succeeded il
gaining but partial interest in the
stock Of the P. w. & B., thew organ,
lied a lobby with increased venom
and subtle Vaccination. Enoch
Pratt's announcement is at least the
ostensible reason-that which is
cautiously dropped out by these p.
w. & b. men, but we do not believe
it. Forming our conceptions from
the past actions of these men we are
forced to this conclusion. The
truth is new blood bas been inserted
into their corroded virus and to-mor-
row will witness the despairing eff
forts of dying men grasplng at the
current tossed straw or the ever
bursting bubbles raised by their own
submarine efforts.
To-day a special tram was sent as
far down as the terminus of the L.
w. 81 b. II. Il. A great many OF
Sussex dead heads and Maryland
linesjunpcrs come up to bore the
Legislature. What they can effect
is beyond our comprehension. Sus~
sex has sent to the bi. ennial session
of the Legislature, of Delaware a
delegation, the majority OF which is
composed of uneXceptionally good
men and why the opposing railroad
floods our halls with men of medic
ere intellect, unpopular and nonin-
fluential, we cannot tell.
Does the T.. w. & b., think that the
members from Sussex county are fool.e
or are the managers Of the p. w. &. b.
fools themselves? Do they think thai
the voice of the people of the state of
Delaware can be stltled by such men?
Do they for one moment think that the
representatives Of the people can be
throttled or coerced by these blatant
demagogues. "Vain deluded mortals."
New Castle sent her coterie of wire
pullers down to night who with their
pueril strength, expect to swing tue
iron gate and stint the Delaware Yves.
tern bill, Newcastle county len should
remember these fellows and let it be
war to the knife. Kent VIII do grandly
by New Castle and therefore for the
citizens Of her own county and that OF
Sussex.
By the time you read this the Della
ware Western will either be laid in !he
silent sepulcher of political chicanery
or living triumphantly, the bette noire
of her scurrilous enemies. There is
some doubt as to whether the Layton
canal bill will be reported iavorably
by the Committee on Corporations, to
which it was consigned to-day. 1t is
very similar 10 the old bill which has
remained upon The Statutes for thirty
years, more or less. The expense to
the 5 ate iii enrolling and printing is
hardly commensurate with the good
that will result from its passage.
There is no certainty Of its ever being
utilized.
The question of local option is agi-
ting the crowds that gather in select
knots within the corridors and the pre-
vailing opinions are that We should
have "local option or a free liquor
law"
The bill now pending before the
Legislature is the House SPECIAL order
for next Wednesday. We are inform
ed that some of the advocates of local
option are opposed to the bill as it now
reads.
BY call of the Town Council town
NEE ing was held III Court House hail
tonight to discuss the feasibility of pro-
curing apparatus for the extlngWshiug OF
fires. This is said TO have been one oil
the most apathetIc meetings ever held
Had 1t occurred just after tile Capital
Hotel burned our "fathsrs" would have
been all enthusiasm and measures adj
opted 10 protect us from the devouring
element.
II takeI our Dover people but a short
time TO settle down in the old well
worn but untrue ruts Of the security OF
thrlr property from fire b, blind chance
and useless hook and ladder company.
Resolutions were adopted appointing
Messrs John Bockman aLd G.. PenneWill,
H. Collision aud +. Stevenson committee
To fix upon the Lest means Of getting a
water supply, the securing Of the most
useful fire eXlinguishers and to confer
with the Insurance companies the eoun-
ty aad state as to the amount Of money
they would contribute toward the
tu'herance Of the project disc ssed.
The State owns one building Che
state House,, and the county two
buildings III the town, while the In
/ surance companies are generally the
heaviest losers by ire.
A resolution suggesting that the
Legislature grant the Town Council
the privilege OF raising by taxation
$4,000 for tire apparatus was read. =.
IL proceeded finely until il began to
talk about repairing streets aud pay.
ing debts then it was smothered. Thli
reso ution was also adopted.
The meeting adjourned until Wed.
nesday, March 9th.