The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1824-07-15

L
| ey called for the sacrifice Of this he,edi.sr!
| privilege: and II was forbid by ers,y pin
ciple Of common rishl and justice. Again
why should your representatives be place,
more beyond your control than they hereto
fore have been why should their dt pendenc,
upon you be dImini,hsd! was your eontfo
| too gfea' could il be their sense OF de2en
| deace. wss il too great could !, be too z eat
| the pfetence was that they would relieve 20,
from tho trouble of f'equen, elections ths
10, the trouble Of seeing 10 your own sffsrs
Of seeing that you had prope' men 10 rsp'e
sent YOU, men p' 'operiy attentive TO your IN
teres,s snd wishes. The trouble Of T. cqutn
elections, was no trouble your town oficef,
made town meetings necessary a. which y "
elections were made; but VI u was q trouble
you were very willing 10 take il, as The p ops'
means OF exercising . whoiesome coDtfo
over your representatives. ~ Who ever bsg q
you compisiD when did yau eve' think ol
complaining of the f'equenty Of elections as
grievsnce II Was q valuable power inyou'
hsnds not liable 10 abuse, and occasionally oi
great use, now unnscssssfily proposed - be
sbridged.
Again, why arc the people 10 be dsnisi he
right of peuiioning for relief to thep Geo-rsl
Assembly, a. heretofore, and why is the Gen
oral Assembly suipt of the powef of giant
ing relief as heretoiores II the people atty
his constituiion such Will be their condition.
The General Assembly, cennot exercise 0
paruolo of tho Judicisy power in any esss
whatever. They cannon xerciso the power
of relief on petitions in cases Of insolvency
under their own in'olveD, low; this Powe'
found neccsss' y in ell societies, for the reiief
OF The hoacs but unfor unate debtor, reduced
by misfo'tunes or csisfnities 10 insolvency,
must ei'her be lost 10 this state, or uaDsieHed
from The Assembly sOd entrusted 10 o;hes
hands,-and who wishes, or would, bear, TO
sec this power entrUsted to Q board Of com.
mis,ioneIs! The General Asse mblJ cannot
exercise any power ove' tho c'lminil ju'is.
prudence Of Tho ss'o. However Distressing
The case may be--howevei impo, tunsle, bow
eve Jus, the cries for relief msy be howev
CT eSpedient 10 every public view, u may be
TO grant relief, mono can be e sntd BY the
Assenb'y--i,'s arm is shortened, and il can.
no, tcscb hand 10 save OF relieve. The
power OF mitigating and commu,pg punish
ments---sn essential power 10 tho sdmiDis,ta.
ton OF criminal justice. Is 90 longef TO exist
IN this stale --ll ii not given TO TIC Execu.
i've, for II is no. included 10 The powers OF 70.
p'ievlng and ps donlng, and i, cannot be .x
c'cised by the Assembly. In tho sdmlnisu a.
tion OF civil ju'i,prudence too, cases will arise,
impericub'y demanding relief whish can only
he given by the interposi,,on Of the sovereign
power ot the sIute, and WHY ,hould this pow
sr be crippled and rende' ed impolen' as to
all such cases, as II will DO II this eon,,itn ion
gees into effecI
Your Convention proceeded upon the Ground
ttN you Charter was . dead letter, rat no
ugat under II was pto'ee,ed by it, tha,t he'd
ceased 10 have cry binding sffec, IN sny 70
every chartered privilege, was now a, he tns'
cy OF the will OF he majority. and nolunger
had any lega! existence /; accordingly eve y
clam of righ, in vutue o, by force OF th,t title
was todden under foot in lhei' p poce,dlngs
Ii you ratily the constitution you adopt the
dast,ino cn which 1t is founded; you declare
that the charter is . dead letter md has n
binding effect whaleret in any case whatever
II so.--on whs, ground can you assert Or de.
fend your claim 10 territorial ju isdic,ion II
you ,esritotisi jurisdiction has been enc osch
ed spon h, any instance, how are you 10 re-
coye' what you hsve.lost !-itt should be en-
ctoached upon in any in,,ence how arc you 20
'esls, the encioschment v,il you ueaor, 10
you char,e' bot that you have DECLARED TO
be dead letter and TO pr o,ect nc right under
II. Do you eYpect il viii bind Others, il It 10
no, binding on yourselves IL 1t is no, binding
10 itself? that oincrs will reverence the obI,,
gsiou which your charter imposes upon
them, when you have declared II has mono on
yourselves aud has none IN itself AlIer hav'
ING 'auhcd this constitution on This G ound
that your charer is dead letter, apd projects
no rgh. under it, you may % we'll send &c
Massachusetts your release and quit claim &c
the jurisdiction Of tho disputed ,errhcty or
you northern boundary. If the charter be Z
dead letter, and protects no right under 4,
wha, becomes Of tho com mon tight, of the
people OF this state to the common use Of out
waters connected With he uso Of tho shors ss
Tor fishing and fowIing that, 10 . charter ed
r'ght-does that too depend upon the will ol
the majoti,yi Have the people Of this stste
no other security for this right, 90 doe, 10
them. so valued by them may /, Q, any mo.