New-York daily tribune., 1843-11-16
.constitusional Reform

,,,ent and as we do not care 10 lhli uue' W" "
o,,;ta content to let them go ahead as they liihh
best. By-and-by they may condesceha 10 pe'n''s
o.,.ro ,n advocate the cause which they profess
- have so much at heart and then we expect 10
,ske the decree of Entered Apprentice IN this Ne
form cause. For surely none can have more
decided conviction than we that the document
STYLED the Constitution of the State OF New-f ork
:s an exceedingly imperfect and defective frame
af Government-that it exhibits grievous faults
10th of omission and commission, and that 1t IS
behind the majority of our State Constitutions IN
its adaptation to the spirit Of the age and the
genius of q free people.-But we forbear farther
remark OH this head until we have PERMISSION to
advocate the general proposition. For the present.
having already given place to the points on which
Reform is demanded by the authors OF the move
ment with brief comments thereon, we propose
merely to indicate the points on which zoe desire
changes. They are
I. State Election every second year instead
of every year, with Senators and County Ofhcefs
chosen for two or four years. Representatives tor
two years the Legislature to assemble but once
in two years unless specially convened by the
Goyernor.-This would save to the People the
cost of half our Elections or at least Halt MIL
lion every other year. and prevent much useless
if not pernicious legislation. Now we send one
hundred and sixty men-mostly green-to Al
bany every year to make laws, and are apt to
abuse them for doing any thing or nothing, be 1t
which we may. With biennial elections we
should have greater deliberatlon, greater caution
IN the choice of men, and time to think of some
thing else than elections.
2. A diminution of the power and patronage of
the Executive-We believe all agree to this.
g. Some sort of limitation of the powers of the
Court of Chancery.-It is time those powers had
attained their full growth, at any rate
d. A divorce of the Legislative power from
the Judicial power, now perniciousy blended IN
our (popularly) well-named Court of Errors A
High Court of Appeals, or something of the Sort
might be better nothing could be worse
s. fair division of the State into thtrtytwo
Senatorial and one hundred and twenty ight AS
sembly Districts, each eocting one Member
Said division to be revised every ten years by the
Legislature, acting under the responsibility OF
solemn oath to consult the convenience OF the Peo-
ple, discard all party considerations, and make the
most equitable division possible without dividing
Townships or Wards.
6. The abolition of all qualifications for hold
ing Office except good moral character (if such
rscnisihcn be deemed necessary ai'! . majority
of the leg! ,.oters,'t "a clear that the People
either do or do not know enough to choose their
rulers Ifthey not, then Popular Elections are
blunder; if they do, why should they be re-
ouired to choose a man who lives in their midst,
owns so much property, has attained SO many
wears, or any thing of the sort Either let them
elect Just as they fit, or not trust them at all
1t were lust as reasonable to require that Rep
resentative should have red hair or two good
ewes, as that he should be resident of the Dis
trct that elects him. Of course, he generally
would be without any prescription on the subject;
but should the people of District think they can
be more effectually served by man who lives in
another District on what principle is the right to
choose him denied them
T. A repeal OF all those mistaken provisions OF
our Constitution which declare clergymen nell
sible to office, and exempt certain portion OF
their property from taxation. These are mdeien
sible in principle and perncious IN every way
They tend to invest the clerical character with
legal sacredness which is averso to the genius OF
our institutions, in whose eye all men are equal
before the law Reverence mans personal
character, his deeds, his life, if you please. but
never his mere vocation. We want no Benefit
of Clergy under Republican Government, and
we are confident they want none. Let all be
taxed alike, and all alike eligible to office. If
any mans vocation units him for holding office,
do not the People know enough to elect some
one else z
s. Some sort of Registration of Voters which
shall enable the Inspectors to determine without
mistake who are and who are not entitled to vote,
Such Registry is made every year by the AS
SCISSORS or Select-men in New Hampshire as well
as Massachusetts,, without inconvenience or pri-
vaton to any, and to the entire satisfaction of ALL
After it has been made out, for some days before
each Election, this list is open to inspection and
correction from all quarters, then revised and is
thence the Voting List of the Ward or Township.
What fair man, who values pure Suffrage, can
object to this
9. Last, not least, we demand an abolition OF
the Property Qualification imposed on class of
voters. Either black man worth 5000 IS of
right entitled TO vote, or one worth $3.50 is not.
We suppose this notion savors of Federal Arls-
tocracy as yet, but we hope to be able to convert
~
trary to their established principles.
There are other points on which we would
have the Reformed Constitution differ from the
existing, bat these must suffice for to-day. We