Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1842-10-14
,ApERs DURING THE SESSION
CONSTITUTION OF VERMONT.

CONSTITUTION OF VERMONT.
On the third Tuesday Of November next the
people Of the several towns are TO elect delegates
TO a conventions to iie holden at the State. House
on tho first Wednesday Of January, lSl3 10 con-
slider and adopt or reject the amendments TO the
Constitution, recently proposed by the Council of
Censors, For the purpose of upprizlng our rea'
ders of the proposed amendments, and also of the
timc, place and mode of electing delegates, we
give herewith the Ordinance Of the Council and
their address to the People. The latter document
substantially gives the amendments, and hence
we do not deem it necessary to copy them at
length.
We hope to find universal concurrence in at
least two Of these amendments, viz those provi-
ding for the el .ction of Sherfs, High Bails, and
Justices Of the Peace by the people, aud limiting
the number Of the latter officers. The people can
certainly do this work quite yell as the Iegisa
ture aud relieve that honorable body fom the
form, which it annually goes through, of ratifying
the decisions of party majority in county con
vention. Indeed, in the case OF justices, 1t would
be more proper for lis to say, that tile Legislature
does but ralify the nominations of the member
from each town. As to the limitation the num-
Der Of Justices though The records show about
three thousand justices in the state annually APP
pointed, we suppose that not many more than one
hall qualiy,-i c. take the oath-thus giving
bout 1900 in fact: and this would he about the
number under the proposed amendment.
There are other amendments more serious in
their character, and the expedency of which will
lie doubed-not without reason we think. I'm
der this bead we class Inc extension of the term
OF Senators to three years, and Judges of the STU
preme Court to seven years, and the proposition
10 submit future amendments directly to the peo-
lie. The deigus of the first 10 make the
Senate a more experienced, deberalive and in
dependent body than the House. and that it may
more learlessly revise the proceedings Of the lat
ter body, and give greater stability to legislation
One difficulty in Our view s, that this greater sta
bllity may be given as well to bad laws as TO good
ones Is it in point of fact true, in the first place.
thai there is more instability in the laws of YER
mont than in other states, where the term of Office
is more extended? and in the next, that our laws
will suffer in comparison with those of other
states? If this he so, there may be necessity for
should be slow TO depart from the old rule, which
requires the public officer to remember that he
must often render all account Of his stewardship
&c. too, in relation TO The Judges is the change
rendered necessary, by the lack of any thing in
our present system? If we are not mistaken, few
states can boast better court than ours and the
fact that this court has been so long sustained, by
annual, and not unfreqLently by unanimous, cleo
tons, seems 10 argue against the necessity OF this
change. These are our impressions on first see
ing the propositions of the Council, and may be
entirely erroneous. The third item in this list Of
doubtful questions, is the proposition TO submit a
mendments hereafter directly the people for de-
cision 1t would be a great change, to say the
least The people now pass upon all amendments
Of the constitution, yet their will is finally expires
sed by delegates. These delegates have equal
power, but represent unequal numbers ofthe peo-
ple-anI thus in the result, the will of the people
en- musse may not be fairly represented. A small
town equals in power q large one. This is The
fact in the House of Representatives and TO pre-
vent any injury which might possibly grow out Of
that, the Senate was created-a coordinate
branch, representing population rather than cor
poratons. We can easily see that the small town,
will be fearful of enlrusling,eve to the entire PEG
pie, power to curla their present advantage il
epresentnion-whe on the other hand, the ar
gument may be urged with great force, that tn
majority Of the people have the right to rule.
There is one more amendment TO which "
call tie attention of our readers: it is that alter
ing the day of election 20 the second Tuesday
October, and the meeting Of the legislature to tn
first Thursday in January. 1t seems to us tn,
nothing would he gained by tie change: Octobe
is a busy month for the farmers. There is an oil
jccton TO the change: the weather is more favor
able in the early part of September for aged pee
pie and lnvads TO get out TO the polls. Thel
are thousands Of SUCH and let nothing be don
which may abridge their privileges.