The Northern star, and constitutionalist. [volume] (Warren, R.I.) 1834-1837, 1834-08-30

citizen. This was the opJect vi ~"
s,i,ution. The friends Of political reform
do not ask this House to make n Consli-
tuition, they did not ask this House 10 al
ter lis reprcs-nta ton Oh to fix the quah-
lications of voters for its members Dut
they asked this House to throw open this
Convention to the. people, and 10 iet I'D
what may fairly be called the PEOPLE o'
this State, who are at least majority
He hoped they would come to this ques
ton with firmness and candor. II was
equally interesting to all the existing po-
ltical parties. They were all bound up
ia one common interest upon tins ques-
tlon Whatever they did with regard to II
would affect all alike, and liberal Con-
sttulion would be equally for the good OF
all. He hoped, therefore, that all argu-
mcnts and objections that should be ofler-
ed. would be made and heard IN free
and fair spirit The first question can't
M on the amendment which he now pro-
posed. The first section OF the bill pro-
yides "tbat the lreemen of the several
towns within this State, qualified 10 vote
for General Officers therein, he, and they
hereby are requested to choose at the
semi annual meetings IN August next, so
many delegates and u like qualifications,
as they are nov entitled respectively to
choose Representatives to the General
Assembly, to attend a Convention for the
purpose of framing and proposing to the
lreemcn for adoption, such amendments
of the Constitutional Charter Of the State
as may be found necessary" The iea-
ture of this section which he wished now
to examine was, the purpose for which
this Constitutional Convention was to be
called. 1t is to be called to propose IL
mendments to the Constitutional Charter
of this State. lie proposed to strike oat
this section and substitute the following
Z" Sec. /. BE it enacted, That the per-
eons hereinafter mentioned as voters, be +,
and they are hereby requested, at the en-
suing town meeting in August next, to
choose delegates to attend Convention
for the purpose of forming0 written Con-
slitution OF government for this State. p
He would not stop to debate the question,
whether it was proper to call our present
Charter Constitution or not. 1t was a
Charter from the king of Great Britain
1t was so manitestly imperfect and inade-
quate for the purpose Of Constitution,
that the difficulty Of amending it was
much greater than that of making an en-
tire new Constitution. lie agreed with
the gentleman from Newport, when he
said he was not for restricting the people.
He Mr. Dorr) was not for restricting the
people. Now it did appear to him that
it was restricting them to coniine this
Convention to the mere amendment of
that Charter. On the face Of the Char
ter itself it was SO very imperfec, that it
would be necessary to remodel it entirely
in order to give it the form OF Constitu-
ton. And it was fact, that Lost of the
important provisions for the government
Of the State were not constitutional, as in
other States, but mere legislative enact
menls. The charter is propt up and built
upon by these enactments, and without
them the government would fall to pieces.
1t was fresh in the remembrance of the
members OF this House, that the Legisla-
ture Of this State had been suddenly call
ed together for the purpose of passing an
act to prevent such an accident, upon the
failure Of an election.
1t was shameful, disgracciul fact
that our Government should be perpetu-
ally in danger OF falling into anarchy, and
that the titles to considerable amount oI
property, the decisions of courts, Sc.
should be liable in consequence to be call
ed in question in the way they had been
lie was among the last to suffer any re.
proach to be thrown upon the founders ol
tins State. There were many reflections
come cted with them that were fiat,ering
to our pride, las ireeborn Rhodelsland men
He intended to cast no reflections upon
them. He admitted that the charter was
adapted, at the time it was granted, to
the circumstances Of the people of the
colony. Perhaps it would be well to re.
cur to those circumstances. The colony
at first was divided into three parts, II
Island, Providence Plantations and War.
wick and it was not until 1868 that q
final union was effected by the charter
The great object of the charter was ts
bring together these ditferent parts unde,
IA united Government and it Lad this ef
feet. BY the charter both branches o
the legislature were one body and helc
! their sessions in the same apartment
and it was not Until 1896 that an act vas
passed by which The Go ernor and Sen.
ate, or assistants, as they were thea call.
ed, were separated from this House. -
Repeal that act, and the Senate is
brought back to this House 10 sit arounC
that table. Here was one important con.
stitutional provision supplementary to the
charter. Voting was formerly done al
Newport and the lreemen were former.
" admitted there. The Governor ant
Senate formerly appointed all military
nficers Thus We have rnne ON alierinu