The Northern star, and constitutionalist. [volume] (Warren, R.I.) 1834-1837, 1834-09-06

/, that actl-Mr B. HAzARp. Il think th'
amendment Objectionable for two reasons
Ia the first place il 10 entirely unnec
essary, it makes no substantial altera
ton in the original resolution. II goe
to provide for calling convention jus
as the other does, and there can b,
no sort Of difference whether tina
convention be called TO propose amend
ments TO the charter. or to form a consti
tuition and being therefore unnecessary
it is Objectionable on that account. Blu
the strongest objection to il Is, that il ha
the object Of saying to the people Of thi'
State you have got no constitution no v
and never had any. think we have NJ
right to cast this reflection upon our an
cestors. We have had, and still have ,
constitution. That charter has alway,
been referred to and respected by thi'
Assembly. 1t has been published at tn.
head Of every digest, as the law Of thi'
State, and two attempts have been made
10 abolish it but the people have reject.
cd the substitutes which were offered and
shown themselves satisfied with this con-
stitutional charter.
Mr. WEEDRN-I second the amend.
ment offered b, the gentleman from Prov
idence, particularly because it is impor.
tant to decide the point whether the. con-
vention shall be called to amend the char
ter, or to form constitution. j hope
we shall consider the subject Of this uct,
point by point, calmly and dspassonate,-
ly. AS to this amendment, it seems to
me to be perfectly in order and entirely
parliamentary. Now sir, as to the ques-
tion itself which is presented by this n
mendment, viz. whether the convention
shall be called to amend the constitution
al charter, or 10 form written consiitu-
ton for this State. That is the question
before us. 1t has been said in invor OF
the proposition TO call a convention to a
mend the charter, that the charter is in
itself binding upon the legislature and tha,
they cannot depart from it. 1t is also
said that the people have a, all times re-
garded it as the constitution of the State.
| shall not enumerate all the departures
from the charter by the General Assem-.
big. BY the charter two annual sessions
of the General Assembly are TO be held
one on the first "Wednesday Of May aDt
the other on the last "Wednesday Of Oc
tober. The October session has beer
altered from the last w ednesday to the lss
Nlonday in that month. The Genera
Assembly have authorised Senator in
certain case, to act az Governor ther'
Is no such provision in the charter, ant
tnothng like it. am opposed to making
amendments to this charter, because sir
however valuable it may be in itself, how.
ever useful to those 10 whom it was grant.
ed, it will be extremely embarrassing to
the conveDtion to attempt to amend it.
lhave examined the charter for the pur.
pose of observing how much Of it is de-
voted to matters which are now entirely
obsolete and useless. Why sir, if you
take so much OF it as refers to the name
and style Of the King, to the temporary
officers Of the crown, and take the provis.
ions for the appointment Of military Off
GERS, those which relate to the reciproca
relations between the crown and HE col
oniats-t,ose which give the right OF fish.
ling, catching "whale, dubertus, or other
igreat fish"-which relate to the encour-
agement Of making wines-to the intro.
duction Of emlgrants, the provision thai
the colonsts shall hold their grants o
the King as the manor Of East Green.
wich, ,&c.-that they shall give to the King
one fifth part Of all the ore OF gold Or sill.
YER take away all these provisions, and
will engage that the residue may be
|, printed in two octave pages Of this statute
book. Many of the most important PaSs
of constitution are not TO be found n
that charter, but are among the acts o
our legislature as the bill Of rights thu
act in relation to religious freedom, worth
more than all the rest the act regulating
the admission Of freemen the laws pre-
scrbing the duties Of governor, which
are in the nature Of constitutional provls
ions, and which separates the Legislature
into two Houses and appoint the times
and places of the sittings of the Genera
Assembly. Now l say, however mucl
we may refer to the charter as monu
ment of history; however much we ma,
wish to psruse il as monument OF tina
love Of liberty which characterized ou
ancestors, we ought not TO incorporate
into our constitution. The gentleman
from Newport alludes TO the antiquity o
the charter. 1t cmanated from British
monarch one Of the most proRigate tha
ever filled the British throne, and who's
imme date predecessor was brought 4
the block in sequence of hrs tyrnnnica
measures. Ipresume that the gentleman
wosld have in some section Of the amend
ments, a clause renouncing all allsgisnc'
to the King and crown Of Grea, Britain.
| ] cannot help remarking the contras
between the liberal spirit which charsc
terizes the measures Of the administration
Of Great Britain under ono Of rae
of monsrchs, and that Of the gov
ernmem Of our own State. They sir
have changed the provisions Of their con
.t;to,;o, Tor tho benefit of their people