Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1820-04-19

:, ."A = '"'. ottae
stitution.
These several checks upon the !.
erof amending the Constitution. iftS
sometimes prevent what We wish IA
accomplishcd- as establisbin, &
inform mode of electing Repres,I's
lives to Congress, and Eleciors. n
constitute one OF the features Of Nj
instrument, most worthy of our re,,I 4
lone which. in its operation, has N
led the wisdom and forecast of itsft
mers. There is no doubt that VIII, 4
in itself right will in time be ponn, +
he proverlial evil of procrastipafA
is more than cuunterbalanccd BY H.
benefit Of deliberStion, in a matt. E
important as modification of the nj
damental principles of a Governms'
Where a Constitution is in the na~
of a Legislature, itself the creat mr.
the Constitution. experience has 81. /
it to be Of little duration in form n
Of less validity in fact. Indeed. N.Y.
amendments may he made to Com,
tuition, by the votes OF two LesiJ
lures, and whereis an intermedjate
currence TO the popular suffrage, ssI
Inconvenience is found to result f,I
this facility of innovation. In the s.E
of Mar, land, for example, where sDz
is the law the Constitution has b.f
amended, altered. and interfoliated, q
til, at a late session of the LegislajunI
a proposition was made, to appoint
,umittee to enquire and report Vii
the Constitution now is. If it wl
not for the checks on the power of /
mending the federal Constitution, I
would indeed be, What It has been sIalI
dered by being called, a mere nose /
wax, to be moulded according to nj
fancy of the moment.
With respect to the amendment
point, 1t is in theory so unobjectionabsl
that it certainly would not, had it bed
adopted. have disturbed in any deg,l
the harmony of our system. It's Id
sirable, we freely admit. that appdsI
ments should not frequently be N.Y.
from the two Houses of Congress. B;
admitting this, it would be going tool
perhaps, to make the evidence Of
mans merit (the confidence of bis COZ
stituents) a disqualification for the psE
formance Of the duties of office, geaS
rally of much less importance lla|
those of Legislation. This appears !
be the opinion OF a majority of tI
House Of Representatives. At I'd
same time, the vote in favor Of thei
mendment was so respectable that It'll
probable ii will not he without its ELI
on future appointments.
Vat. hti
The report OF the committee of way
and means, in the House of Repmser
tatives, which accompanied the bill, IT
ported on Friday, for authorizing
Lean of Two Millions of dollars \
not less interesting than any documa
of the present Congress. 1t presFS|
a view of the State of the treasury
the Public Revenue, and of the aPpr'
priatinns made for the year lssA
The balance of income at the end Of 10
last year, it appears, after paying al
expenses, was 767,s5o dollars; IN
available funds in TIE Treasury, a.
665 dollars. The means available 10
the service of the year 1890. includII'
the last item, are estimated at es,5a
665 dollars. The total amount OF el
penditures authorized by law for O.
year 1920, including the fen millions
the Sinking Fund. is estimated at 70
s99,l64 dollars /; leaving a dehclen!'
of means, for the year 1890, oil S,HG
4es dollars. Out of the Sinking funa
there is payable, during the year . o
7lI,5oe dollars II cents. leaving "a o. y
lance which may be applied to sa'r'||
part of the deficit of 2,2s8,497 20, a
leaving .san actual deficit Of funO' !, y
meet the expenditures authorized, ',
law, for $780," Of l,l4S,0OO dolla ~
&c cents. On this amount OF deilcl''D
loan bill is predicated.
The report goes on TO take vle' ~
the receipts and expenditures tor " :.
year 1921 the result of which is an @
timated deficit of 3,655,0O0 dollars
The report then proceeds to ren'' u
upon the state of the finances; earlle'"
recommending retrenChments and ~
n <uV HI