Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1824-04-13
FOR THE SPECTATOR.
NO. II.
MIR. PRINTER.

Ii is remarkable fact, that nearly all
the defective parts oil our state constllu-
ton, hich are SO much complained OF
by the conv enlonlsts, are the work of
distinguished individuals of the conven-
ton party. The Council OF Revision
was the production oil MIR. Kane. This
is one Of The grievances which our OPP
ponents say they want to remove; but
they do not condesctnd to tell US what
harm ii has done. Another grievance is
the county commissioner court, which
is said to be the work of Mr.. Joseph
kichell, another thorough-going CON-
veniionist. A Although not accustomed
TO this kind of courts, yet do not know
what substitute can be provided less OBJ
lectionabie. The con,entionists COM
plain at the eIhense OF this court, and
say that the "counly business could be
done by the magistrates, and SQpe to The
state annually about so 900 dollars.
Now b, what rule of arithmetic this
saving is 10 be effected, am puzzled to
tel. There are probably SIX times as
many magistrates as county commissions
ers IN the state !; and allowing that they
could perform the county business in
the same time that the commissioners
no" do u, sun il would increase the er-
fenSe si,r told. If the pan is to make
Tie magistrates do something for nothing,
| answer that we have nozp Inc same
9aghi To make the commissioners zoork
svithout pay that convention would
have To eXaci similar tax from the MAJ
eistrates. Thus, unless we resort 10 the
unjust measure of compelling the masis
trates to z0ork for nothing, the proposed
measure would produce an annual loss
TO the state, of al least one Hundred aud
.f)fy thousand dollars.
Another pretended fault of the consti-
tuition is, our biennial elections and ses-
sions. These appear TO have been the
work OF the whole convention; for Col.
Greenup's Journal of that body does not
inform US that any member voted against
the measure. The time will probably
come when annual elections aud annual
sessions will be proper and necessary:
bu, a, present, and until we CEN have
the laws and journals OF The assembly
more speedily published than they have
ever been, it would be very bad mea-
sure. The people would Just begin to
become acquainted with the laws, when
succeeding legislature would repeal
them; aud they wotld be called on to
pronounce their verde, upon lie con-
duct OF their repres' natives SIX months
before they could know what that con-
duct was. The expenses OF the state
would also be greatly increased BY the
measure.
1t is also said by the convenlionists
that our constitution " Is no, good gua-
rantee, because il has al d will admin OF
a paper institution, which has already
proved greater curse than slavery it,
sell" ] answer that here was no need
of our constituents prohibiting VIVA, as
| already prohibited by the constitution of
the unied States. Stale paper was cree
aled by the same harty which is bow
striving to call convention for the adj
mission of slavery. 1t was created in
defiance of an express prohibition in the
Federal Constitution; and in corrobora-
ton of this opinion will refer you 10 lie
declarations of Gov. Bond, Mr.. Ksne,
Judges Philips aud Reynolds, Mr.. NJ
Lean, Mr.. Knchell, and Mr.. M'Clinioc,
who, on that occasion, noby refused to
act with the State-haher contention
harty.
Another objection is that the constitu-
ton does not regulate the pay OF the
members of the general assembly, and
that they take too high wages. Let me
ask whose faul, this is Who was it that
passed the law giving the first general
assembly four dollars day, when the
state was in her infancy, and had not
even state paper in her treasury Was
/, not passed by the members of the pre-
sent convention party Did not MIR.
William Kinney, now the leader of the
convention party, use all his influence TO
induce the second general assembly 10
take four dollars day, and this even
when he was not himself a member
Did he not even write an essay for the
Illinois Intelligencer in favor of this
measure; and did he not accuse all who
opposed it of being influenced by " hohu-
lar motiyea 2" You will recollect that
this was at a time when state paper had
not made its appearance among US. AT
the last session, also, it will be seen BY
locking at the Journals, the leading con-
ven,ionists s. wen, the whole" for seven
dollars day.
But there Is very little probability that
any COW ention will ever fix the wages OF