The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1816-07-31

no. be equally true, though every other re-
quisite had been complied with, that he was
not admitted according to the usage Of the
court ! IN the first distance, because at an
unusual time, and the second, at an arasnal
place. Aud might not the public and the bar
justly consider il foul trick 10 run in en- un-,
qualified practitioner |? And would not the
latct have reason TO com plain, that by This
unusual procedure, they were deprived OF an
opportunity Of shelving his incompeteney.
whether from lack of law, ,.or natural slupidi,y!
Ifthis statement do not carly conviction TO the
mind OF &. we lhins his intellect must really
be enclosed in his cube OF iron.
His very consistent remarks relative 70 the
powers of the Assembly deserve notice. Al
one time we ale told, " If it was incumbent
on them (the Assembly, TO provide by posi-
tive statute for the three particulars, they
would be precluded from ever making any al
fer9fion, were ssch q statute once passed.,
And, in the vesy next paragraph, we arc told,
/ that "the Assembly Of 1916 is possessed OF
esmuch power as that Of 1893. II may re-
| peal any statute Of the latter, ot make any neU
one. II is the fountain eT Ian, and under the
present form OF government can DO nothing
| Illegal" And in the next, that the General
| Assembly is "thc highess power in our State,
! power which is, under Heaven, oMSIPo-
TENT, within It's own dominion" We do not
deny but that the General Assembly may
vary the time, place and manner of electing
Senator'S, providing they keep within the con-
st,ulion and The fundamental principles oil
our government. II is the violation OF these
| Of which we complain. But we do deny that
the General Assembly can do nothing MSal,
OF that they are the highest power in the State,
OF politically omnitotenf. Indeed, why all
this parade of reasoning and la5oFed so2his7
try, to justify the iegadty of thsr conduit, il
they arc incapable Of acting illegally Why
attempt TO prove them 7gttHD the constitution,
If we have none why attempt TO prove
them able to destroy BY, if able TO create
world Really, fellow .cilizens, we congtath-
late you on this confession OF the views Of
these men, a. to their rights and powers, over
goa and US, and our rights and privileges. 1t
is useless TO pursue the argument further.
They now openly and unblusbingly claim the
right, not only Of choosing Mr.. b. at the late
June session, be the law and the constitution
as they may, but, If they had thought proper,
| a successor to Mr.. Hunter also. They boldly
+ assert that they noTy have, and will have at
nest October session, the right OF choosing
| successor 10 Mr.. Hunter nay more, OF choos-
ing all tho State officers for years 10 come
I That such procedure would be neither lie
| gal nor unconstitutional, because the Genera
Asse mby are " omnihokenf - That the funda-
! mental principles OF our government, derived
from the charter and the ancient and immem-
ORAL nsagcs OF our State, arc no barrier against
their authority.-Bold and barefaced as this
avowal is, we, rejoice 10 see it. The evil
must always be first known before a remedy
can be applied. ~-And he whose eyes are inca.
pablo OF beholding the evil Of these principles
must be jaundiced indeed. We don't wonder
at the contempt cast on the vital principles
OF our government, which we stated on this
subjco., the principles Of representation. If
the General Assembly possess the highest
Ipower in the State, and are really omnihotens,
II irrcsistably follows, that they may not only
choose to office whom, and when, and for what
length of time they please, but change the
form OF our government, and give the people
to nnaerstand and be informed, that they Nhe
General Assembly, will save them, in future,
rom the trouble and vexation of elections,
and kindly put il into other hands. We had
really supposed that there was difference
between rehealing law, and acting in direct
violation OF il while il remained unrctea!ed
that tho heclt!e, the democracy, so contempt
ously denounced, were "the highcs, power in
the State ;"--that they only had The right OF
altering the form Of government that they
only were for these purposes onrnihotenf. We
honestly confess, on the principles of our op,
poncn,s, they were perfectly correct in choos-
Ing Mr.. B. as they did ; that they will be
equally so in choosing successor to Mr..
Hunter next October, and directing the choice
OF half dozen sets Of Representatives to Con.
grcss: For, il is not the heohie, who are the
misor power, nor their rights or otinions,
which are TO be represented, but the General
'.issen6ly, the highest power, the omnihotenee
ofthe State, as it nosy is, Cor they can do roth-
ing illegal, and being The higbes, power in the
State may provide for all future time! Ex-
usvagan, and hctcrodox Is these positions
| may seem they follow directly from the ayow-