The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-04-24
For the Dispatch.l
The OblIquity Of the Law.
TO the City Council:

10 me Cuy council:
When law conflicts with natural Justice
we have evidence OF IFS obliuuity. for il is
hardly safe to say that our sense Of Justice is
incompatible with the equity Of our natural
interests. The good Of the whole should
not require the sacrifice OF individual in
tsrests without just compensation. II this
j. not automatic, then we may aS well sus-
pend our remarks; but will anybody deny
our propOsitiOnI We claim, then, that the
city in adapting its streets aud grades to
public utility and comfort must in
demniig the citizens who may suf.
| fer individual loss or hardship from
the operation Of such work for the
public interest; aud it is no argu.
ment 10 say that 1 regular system Of grades
will ultimately be beneficial to all. Ii it Is
admitted (and it mus, be) that the adyan-
tages are disproportionate, then simple
justice would require equitable contribu-
ton, 80 that those most benefited should
contribute prOpOrtiOnately more. whilst
those less so should contribute proportion
ately less. Human reason can never be
satisfied with anything less than this; and
whatever may be law in respect to the rlgh;
of city TO exercise jurisdiction over streets,
| the exercise OF such right can only depend
on lis aiming TO promote thereby the public
good and We cannot promote it Qhe public
good without compensation to individual
interests that are SprOportonately made
TO Subserye this end Anything short OF
this would be gross injustice, and can never
fail TO disturb continually public tranquility,
as well as serve TO impair the loyalty or pa
triOIsm OF individuals to city and state.
Public injustice is plainly the most mex
cusable, because the least plausible neces-
Sity for it can ever exist. The wealth OF
the State or city is always equal 10 just pub.
lie needs, while individual means may be
inade quate to reasonable individual vents.
! Now. it's plain to our mind that the city
should in all cases award by fair methods Of
estimation Of them the damages done any
OF It's citizens by cutting deep street-ways,
and leaving houses and yards high and
dry," and almost inaccessible. II could be
no part Of the original plan OF city 10 thus
disarrange the equities OF its inhabitants.
II il had so been understood people would
not have Joined to it theirf0rtunes and resi-
dence. Indemnity is right, and should be
made in all eases; and then incidental in
convenience and disturbances Of comfort
occasioned by such changes, when neces.
say. would always bc borne checrfully and
Without COUlI'lalht'
Recent events in connection with work Of
the kind have Occas Oned to many OF our
citizens not only great loss, but barC>hlps
and troubles Of remarkable nature. They
have been (by the deep cuts that have been
made in many places as good as denied ac-
cess TO their dwellings, aud IN some places
# would be perilOus to attempt TO leave
ones home at night. And these works have
thus become an absolute nuisance ana mef-
ciless atllction on the part OF the city to-
| wards it, citizens thus circum>tanced; and
| il was all in a great measure needless, Tor
either too much was undertaken or the
forces employed were inadequate. or the
Street Committee cut OF the means oLaccOm-
pliShiug in the proper time the work under
taken OF the kind, and II should be known
who is TO blame for il. Through long
winter some OF these streets have been as
GOOD As impossible, and have only been trl-
yelled By struggling teams and terrified
people. For all OF this indemnity Is due
Them. and a speedy relief from the nuisance.
We can hardly believe the cOuncilmen have
visited these places and witnessed the bar
barous spectacle they present. And as we
learn they are this week to make survey
Of the streets, we desire 10 call their attcn-
ton particularly to PIeasanis street, on
Union Hill, where a canal has been dug
and left too narrow for vehicles to turn ~,
and to Twenty-Gfth and Nenable streets,
and Others we saw. They will see an awful
| SIGHT -