Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1842-11-11
mont 9DDotntr.
FRfDaY, NorEMBER II, is49.

directly to the people, for their adoption or
rejection by vote IN town meeting. The
vote to be by ballot. Ballots to be provided
for and against each amendment proposed ;
SO that it will be no greater trouble or ex-
pensc, to 20 to the polls and vote yeS or no
on the proposed amendments, than it would
vcnton. This is decided improvement
upon the present system as delegates are Ii
able TO vote on the amendments contrary to
the will of their constituents. In addition
to this the expense Of a Convention, once in
seven years, would be saved by the adoption
of this amendment. A saving TO the tax
payers of the State of at least $4,000, for a
service which the lreemen themselves can
perform better and more to their own liking.
without the additional expense of a single
cent. Moreover, if future councils Of Cen
sors should adopt the more equitable princi-
pie of equal representation IN the Conven-
tons called by them, the number of mem
bers would be greatly increased aud the ex-
pense increased in proportion. There are
about $40 organized towns in the State
forty Of these towns have less than five hun
dred inhabitants each, and less than three
hundred each on an average. Now suppose
future councils of Censors should, Gas they
probably will if this amendments not adopt
ed) adopt the principle Of equalizing the
representation in the Conventions they may
call giving these forty small towns one del
egate each, and all the larger towns a num-
Der of delegates each, nearly in proportion,
according to population. This would give
us Convention of over five hundred MEM
bers and increase the expense to about $780,
900.
The remedy for the present inequality and
all this unnecessary and worse than useless
expense, is to adopt the amendment now
referring all future amendments TO
the people and thereby do away Conventions
altogether. But there are other weiphty
considerations, which should determine the
ireemen to adopt this amendment. The
Constitution is the supreme law of the State.
1t defines the rights and duties of the free
men; limits the powers Of the Legislature
and all other departments Of ihe.government
fixes bounds to the powers of all public
which when exceeded by them,
make their acts null and void-mere usurpa-
ton. Ii is therefore OF the highest impor-
lance that its principles should be thorough
" understood by every freeman so as to en-
able hun to detect at once, all iniringements
OF his Constitutional rights by any and eve
ry department and officer of the Govern
ment. And hence the necessity of adopting
this amendment, that the subject NAV be
brought up and discussed once in seven
years by the people in their private circles,
in their primary assemblies and in the news
papers, as it assuredly would be, if the free
men should DC cailed upon 10 ACT an own
meeting upon amendments TO the Constitu-
ton. Equality OF rights, the dignity and in
terests oil the ireemen, the welfare of the
rising generation and of future posterity, all
imperiously require that we embrace the
present opportunity to take the right of de-
Gliding on all future amendments to the Con-
stitution into our own hands. Ii is well
said in the Address ofthe council of Censors.
that, "a right so vitality important, which can
with so little inconvenience, be exercised by
the freemen themselves. should never be en-
trusted to Others" The Convention. the
members of which are TO be elected Oh the
10Th instant, Is TO consist OF one delegate
from each organized town in the State so
that the forty small towns above referred TO.
with less than twelve thousand inhabitants
VIII exercise the same power over the amend |
ments TO be acted upon by the Convention.
as forty other towns in the State with a pom
liation OF over uinety-one thousand. Yet
such is the corrupting influence of unjust
power upon It's possessors, that there is rea- |
son TO fear that the delegates from these
small towns will oppose this amendment and
refuse to restore to the great body of the
reemen their equal rights on this most i'm
1ortant OF all political subjects. Let me put
ne question 10 every intelligent freeman
whether this unjust, unequal, expensive. rot
system of amending the Con-
'iltution ought longer to be tolerated =
" neither 1t is not our duty TO seize upon the
present opportunity, and make a strenuous
'iiort to elect delegates to the Convention
VINO are pledged to use every honorable effort
o secure the adoption of this amendment of
he Constitution
Ii It should be objected that this Same
amendment was proposed seven wears AGO
md negaiiyed by very large majority of the
,,onvention-still, it should be recolected
hat the question of Senate at that time
"aliowed up every thing else. The friends
hd the opponents of Senate were so much
ngrossed with that subject, that the other
mendments, received little or no considera-
ION from the people at the Convention.-
he TACT therefore that this amendment has
cen proposed by two successive Councils of
Jensors is an argument in favor of its adop-
ION at tins time, Notwithstanding it was
eJected by the convention in 1886.
EQUAL RIGHTS.
ures Dictionary of Arts, Manufactures and
lines The 18th and 10Th Numbers of This learn.
| work have been received. 1t is published bv