The Agony Over--the Lobby Conquer

The Legiülature, to use a free colloqnialUm, hz " been and gone and done it," tli.it is, alter an incubation of h'f(!ays and a confessed direct expense to the Stato of 11,000- amount of appropriatioD biil - to say nothing of the oosl of or to the Third Housej it has resolved ly jnst ihe requisita voto in the House, and " a spare " n the Senate, to subtnit an amendment to the people, wliiuli, if adopted, is expected to nake gond uil the wild-cat speoulatinf railroad bands ; riglit the great wrong done by the Sprcne Cwirt, and tcach that body that there is " a God in Israel." or in the Radical legislators and tho lobby; ard varnish the fair faino of the State su that it shaU oever, no never, be soilod by the stain of repudiation. I3ut without fuither prcluninary reiaark, we will 'introducé our readers to the legislative baotling, cliristened, " Article 10 - a., entitled ' Of Railroads' " : Joint resoliition propostng an amendment to the Oonstltntlon of Uie Sinte of Michigan by addlng thereto a new artlcie, to stand as Article l'J-a entilleü " Üf Kail■ 'ed Ijl the Senaté and Ho-ase of Representativos . : , 'i'n.-ll 11!.' following amendjpeut to tlio Constitntlou of the 3i!.'; be, and the same is, hereby 'proposed, to gtund as Ártlcle 19-a ot' said itution, and entitled " Oí' Iíailroads." ARTICI.F. XIX- A, I1ATI.KOADS. Section 1. The Leglslature may, from tinio to time, pass laws establlshing rcasonib!e maximum ratea ot charges for the transportatlon of passengen and freigiit on diffureut r,al)road8 in thls State, and .shall prohlbjt i'inmins contracta Ijetween Sttch. milroad compsnlea ïirhereby dlscrlmlnatlon is made In favop of eltUer of snch eompanles as agatDst otber companies o.wning connecttns or intersectiDg li.nesof rallioad. üKc 2. o! rallroad corporación símil consolídate lts stock, property, or bancbis e; witli any other rallroad Corporation, owning a parallel or competí ng line; and in na case shall nii}r consolidation tukc place exeept upon public notice glven at cast slxty days to all stockholders, Iiv sucli uanner as sliall be provlded by law. Skc. 8. The Legislatura m.iy provldeby law f :r the ];avment by tliccouiititcs, townsliips and nnuiicipalities of the Stilte, of all bonds or other obliga tionsheretofore issued or lncurred íd pursuance of acts of the !,;■:;- islatiire, by such counties, townshlps and municipalities severa lij-, ft and in aid of any rallroad compaDV. Such bonds o llgatlons sha;! ijr paid by tliecounty,tovnsiiip or munlclpallty lssnlng or Incuvrlng tho sanie, and in uo event shall l!ia State iKiy oí become Hable for un.y portlon of such bonds or obligattOMk The Legislature sliall Bttbmtt to tho electora of eaoli of said severa! eo.un.tles, townshlps aml nunlclpalltles for tlieir decisión, the qnesIon of payment, together witli tho mode mil miinuer of l!icsnme. The aforcaatd amendraent símil be and s hereby subinltted to tlie people of thts State at tiic uext general electlon to be lolden ':i the Toesrlay sneceeding the lrsl KtoiKkiy in Xí)veml)cr, 17), :s providcd in . arlk'ie tvventy of the son. stltutlou ; a ad the Secretary of State is lereby requlred to.givo nottee of the ;o the shcrlfl o veral coantfeaof thjs state in the Barao manner tiiat heis notr renlrod by law i U in the case of an elec tion of Qovetnor and Lleotenant Goveruor ; and tlie inspectora of election In the severa! (ovnsh?s and citics oftliis Male sliall preare a Mltable lxx for tlie receptlon of jallols cast for and agslnst sueh mieiidnient. Eachperson votlng at sald electloo sliall have written er prlltted on lus ballot hese wordg : For all the propos! tlons of ;!i?, ticket vhicli are aot canceled wlth nk or [fencil, mil riííiünst all whlch are so canceled: ■"or Anido la, entitled " Of Rallroads." For Sec. 1, authorizin:; the Legislatura to regálate passenger and frelght chargí náa. for Sec. 2, prohlbltlng consolldatlon (i['coi:i)'rin.ií linc-i oí rallroad. For Sec. :;, anthorizlog Uv. pAment of bonds or ; ; ons heretofor ch of sald tickets shall be counted as a vote casi. for each proposltion thereon, not can uiihink of pendí, and agatnst each propositíon so canceled. The ballots shall In all respecto be can. and returns be made as In electlons mor and Lleutenant Qoveruor. In the Houso tbo vote stood as follows : YrAs - Annsh'onir. Avery, Barnaby, 13ax ter, Beall, Blake, Bostwlck, G. G. Brlggs, Brownell, Cameron, I!. Clark, Crossraan, Curry, Davls, Do . Eek, Elllott, Penner, Fuller, Qay, Gifford, Good rlcli, Grimt. Qwcn, llar.rin, Hartson, Rolt, Horton, Hibbard, Kurlbiit, HnstOQ, UutchInson, I [nut, Ingerscrfl, Jewell, ],. Eendiick, Laae, Xrr, Lovcll, Mandilo, McCoWen, .)■■ !t rKm, Mead, .Millci', Milclioll, MftSOn, Newman, Nortos, Oebom), Oivcn, Rlford, Sanford, Shaw. Blilér, Stekels, Bmllli, Bnell, brhljre, Vowle.i, Wgner, Walker, uu, Ward, Wcstovur, 67. Ashlry. ■ urray, futuam, Romey ■ , :;i w.-.rd, Sheltlon, Blaytou, ötanntihl, Sí fteür, WendtU, White, WUcox, J. A. Willlams, W. .ü. Wittiam, The v(it' of (lio Seoate wap: Yk.vs - Ailtir, Andrews, Boles, Conl PltzgeraW, Jenks, Jones, Koi Mills, Pearl, Pelrce, Phillips, Hicli, Slocum, T. Ö. Suiith, Tl: ner, Warner, WiUiams, WoocJ, Woodward, -28. Nays - Boniiic, Cavletojl, Horton, Norris. locrats in udics. It will bo uoticcd that Senator NouIU8 nnd lïeprosontativca Kinoslby, Clahk and Sum.noN votod against tho resülution,. aiid Ileprestutntive SülSR for it. - Tho resolution, bcside beïllg Irnnglingly and loosely espressed, though labclcd an " Article " oud nlroduocd with a flourish of truinpets, aima to r.coomplish just ono tliing thut is, if it can, to rever3u tho daoieioo of tbc Supreme Cuurt and cgnlize all tlio Londs voted aod iaaoed iu iüd ol railcoada, and all ohligutions incurred, meaning tbereby Salem and other towns, w!ii:h boring voted, tooic the " sober, Feoond thougbt " nd refused to iísuo. Wc fpeak advisedly, and say tbsit il can accomplish nvthing more. The kernel of the nut is ín the 3d ecction,. nnd sections 1 and '2 are mere niake wcigbts. Thcy give the slature not even a shadow of power tbat body doos not possess to-d:iy. The Legslatmc ma'j, my Saj it 80 pleascs, any and ali the laws so gracionsly permited it ty tbe h'rst eection, and it miij also (.nnct the prohibitory law pmbodk'd in tiio Fecond pcction, unlesa tl'ora a?o provtsioDS incorporated in eertain 8 charters preventlng, and if s?, the seotion wüliict aud can not destroy existing coülraots. The 3d section, though vague and looce and liable to be constrtied every ay, is esigned to cure parst ills, and is legislative in its nature, wliile a cunstitutioual provisión s'aould only lay down principies to govern future legislntion. We ehal! conBider it at leugth hereflftcr ; for the present suffice it to say that it can coiumand neither our gupport nor our vote. Passed to save the Lcgislature from ridicule aud relieve the p;irty iu powor fro:a tlio dilemma in which it bad been placed by Gov. Ijaldwih when ho called the extra Bession, it remntus to be seen wLether or no the people will confirai tbe action. We don'fbelieve they will, - The jouruais of the session nre ae goo'd roading as a farce. It is amusiug to trace the wiring in find wiring out of membors, to see their uames rcoorded dow for a resolution, and now agaiml tbo same " with aligbt vaiia,tion" but of this not now. - The Leg'wlatare ndjourned sine die at dood on Wednes'hiy, the members drew thcir pay, - all agreed on thot,-shook the dust of Lansing from their garmrnts, nnd returned to their hoiüos - "Wïll some legislativo endorser be sr good as to ad viso lis and the public of the dits of the special niessaga in i whieh Gov. Baldwin suggested or advised the adoption of the first two sections of the amendatory resolution. We have been unablo to discover auy rceommendation of bis giving the Legislature j-urisdiction. Tbc Ann Arbor Argus say: " Tlie ríate has not plëdged lts credit., its Iluancial honor Is not at ttakti, umi tinfailure of seattered towns aml raanlclpalltics to pay a mllllon or so ol dollars on bonds Illègally voted aiul Illegally Issaed will not tarnlsh the goud name of the Statu in tli o least." W1I1 tbe Argüe explaln Slien why ft ia that ttie fraudulent operatlons of Fiak and üouUl In the management of oiie American rallroad, the -New York and Erle, have depredated the valué ofall Amerlcau rallroad In ttreat Brltalu and made ucgotlatlona of American rallroad bonds there alm'oat Injpoaalble? - Detroit Tribune. Yes, the Argus will. Tho FiskGüüi.d speculations in Erle aflfoct sinálar projeets and like stocks, that is railroads aod railroad stocks, lie t ween whu-h fürcigners havo do means of disoritnioation. But "the fraudulent operíitionn of 1'isk and Gocld" in ik nianner or waj aiïect the credit or the stocks of the State of New York. JustBO with the municipal railroad aid bonds. All town and city bonds, issucd for such purposes. not only iti Michigan but out of it, linve do doubt been afiected by Ihe position in which our Suprerne Court has placed the class of legislation authoriziog sucii bonds to bc isaued. Bat we venture t say tliat State Treasurer (Jk.orvj:xok will be unable to buy up the State bouds he desires to retiro, the smallest fraction of a cent oheaper becauso a refusal to amend tho constitution ehull not give new value to the muoioipal bonds. Just so, the failure of a few merchants in Detroit, Anti Arbor, Jaokaon, Grand liiipids, etc, uiiglit injuro the credit of othiT Miobigan merchants, and subject tliem to closor scrutiny. Uut the Tribune will, hardly say tbat tho credit of the State, as a State, would be thereby injurod, and its bonds made eithor worth less or worthless in the markot. -Kor, we njipreheud, will it say that becau.se ihe credit of our merchanis at largo has been injurcd by a fuiluro to protlïptly pay dchts legaliy contracted, tbeir neighbors, who yere not responsiblo for their coutraction, siiould bo compe'led to lielp pay them, and the constitutioo bc amondcd in order to purinit such injustice. Ia the Tribnne answered ? Tin: Prince Imporiul, not desiring nnothor " baptism of fire " bos arrived in London, in chargo of W. P. Smith, tho Eniperor's confidential aent. Tho saiiio Sjuïii - how Yankcoiied tiio name sounds - lias in chargo tho jovvels of the Euipress Euijonio, and tho famous I monds of the Duko of Brunswick. The Queen pforogued Parliament on the lOth. In her address sho statcd that a treaty had been uado with l'rus siaand Franoe, guarauteoing Ihe neutrality of Bolgiam.