Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1846-02-19

masses, by addresses to them upon the I'M
equal distribution of political power or the
responsiveness Of the government, was held
Why it was that these watchful guardians
| of popular rights and of the public treasure
permitted themselves to slumber upon their
posts during these six years, is somewhat
strange, if the mischief of which such voci-
ferrous complaints are made are SO manifest
and startling as they are, now represented
to be. No sufficient excuse for this apathy
can be found in the fact, that during these
six years more prosperous condition Of
the Treasury diverted their attention from
the alleged extravaganza of the government,
for it was precisely during the period from
the year 1871 to December 1914 that the
deficiency in the revenue 'greatest-the
arrearages of interest on the public debt ac-
cumulating during that interval to $780,
96l 81. And it is equally notorious, that
for the three years prior to 1911, the reve-
nue. was wholly inadequate to meet the de-
tnands upon it. Is it not strange then, we
enquire, that the cry of Reform and Re-
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS to be brought
about by means which will hereafter be
shown not to be warranted by the Consti-
tution-should not have been raised during
these six years, but that Immediately after
the gubernatorial election in the fall Of 1914,
when, for the first time under the amended
Constitution, Wing Governor was elected,
the very vault of heaven is made to ring with
the deafening shouts. ~
The undersigned have already said that
| the Constitution may be susceptible of a.
mendment, and might be advantageously
changed in the mode prescribed in the in
strument itself: of one of the propositions
before them for that purpose, the under
signed will hereafter speak the other will
probably be the subject of report from a
majority of the committee. 80.
1 The convention which was held in Balti-
more in the course of the past summer, and
the memorial addressed to the Legislature
by the gentlemen designated for that pur-
pose, ask that provision may be made by
law for the calling of a convention TO form
a new Constitution.
The undersigned think that the Legisla-
ture has no constitutional power to grant
this application, and that if the power ex-
listed, it would be inexpedient at this time
to exert it.
5 The Declaration of Rights and the Con-
stituton and Form of Government, adopted
on the 18th of August, 1776, with the
t amendments made thereto since, describe
the orbit within which the Legislature of
the State shall move. By the Cd section
of the Declaration of Rights, it is said -
I"That this Declaration of Rights, or the
: Form of Government to be established by
this convention, or any part of either of
them, ought not to be altered, changed or
: abolished, by the Legislature Of this State,
i but in such manner as this convention shall
! prescribe and directs" and the 59h article
d. Of the Constitution declares, 6 That this
Form of Government, and the Declaration
of Rights, and no part thereof, shall be al
tered, changed or abolished, unless bill so
r to alter, change or abolish the same, shall
r pass the General Assembly, and be publish
: ed at least three months before new cleo,
ton, and shall be confirmed by the General
!, Assembly, after a new election of Delegates,
in the first session after such new election !;
Fl provided, that nothing in this Form of Co
: vernment which relates 10 the Eastern Shore
j, particularly, shall, at any time hereafter, be
= altered, unless for the alteration and confr-
t nation thereof at least two-thirds Of all the
t members of each branch of the General
Assembly shall concur"
r It is perfectly clear, therefore, that the
= Legislature have no power to alter, change,
e or abolish the Constitution, except in the
] mode prescribed, that is, by an act for that
purpose, passing at one session and being
confirmed at the next, after publication as
t directed. But it is said that this restriction
is only applicable to the Legislature, and
that the people did not mean to impose Ii
: mutations upon their own power TO alter or
r abolish their Constitution at pleasure. If
!! it is meant by this to say, that the right of
revolution was not intended TO be abandon
: ed by the adoption of the Constitution, the
, proposition will not be denied; but if those
who take this ground mean to be under
stood as contending that bare numerical
) majority of the people Of the State have at
: any time the power to change the Consti-
, tuition, and thus supersede the power of the
!, Legislature over the subject, the undersign-
ed wholly dissent from the proposition.
The undersigned believe that the Consti-
; tuition not only originated from the people,
but was founded in compact, and that part
of the compact into which the people of
Maryland entered in 1776, when the Con-
sttution was adopted, was, that it should