New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1846-07-18
New York Constitutional Convention.
SEVENTH wEEK-xXXvII1H DAY.
Evening sittings-The Veto POwer-An Appeal to
the PeopIe-Mr Wright Of Sullivan


To ls Editor of The Tribaa<
SIR: the Convention ia waking Up 10 the work
before it, and has agreed 70 have morning and eve
ming sittings, commencing on Monday next The
morning sittiDgs 10 commence a. NINE the evening
siuings III FOUR The Committee OF Eve have
brought in report stating ther view OF what would
be Inc most advantageous order OF business as re.
CARDS the subjects 10 be discussed.
The great question Of the day was the VETO pow.
er. Messrs Brown, Loomis and Ste,son were in
favor OF toe present Constitutional provision. where
by Governor may veto bill ard give his reasons
for doing; and il two-ihirds Of the members PRE-
sENT-that s, las Mr.. Patterson showed two third
OF 81 Of any higher number. up 10 60. in the As
sembly and two-thirds of - or any higher number,
up 10 90 in the Senae-shs afterw ard pass that oil;
il shall become law bat not otherwise hessTs.
Rhoades Wright OF Sullivan Penniman. DC were in
favor of allowing the Governor TO veto bill and pro-
viding that majorties OF the whole OF the members
elected TO the Senate and to the Assembly might
afterwerd pass il aud hessrs. Patterson, Stow,
Morris and others advocated the 18th section
ported by Mr. Morrs's Committee, which provides
that If The Governor veto bill. two-thirds of the
members PRESENT, in Senate and Assembly, may
nevertheless pass il but that If tvo-ihirds OF the
Legislature should decline thus 10 pass il naori!ies
Of ALL the mem oers elected TO the Senate and the As
sembly may 90 so next session By" next session"
the next elected Assembly is probably intended,
but the next session may be the same men-sn ex-
ira one-there are sometimes two IN tweivemonth
and perhaps the Committee did not intend that
Mr.. Mann proposed TO make the present Cons;itu-
tional veto more stringent by requiring vote Of
two out of every three members elected the Sem
ate, and 10 The Assembly, 20 pass over it Mr..
O'Conor appeared 10 take the same view, as did
the Committee. for il was deliberately adopted, Sc
TO as, Mr.. Morris voting in The affirmative.
Mr. Stow, 10 the course of his well weighed re-
marks. said, that when The Executive and Legis.
IT he differed mn q
bill an APFEAL might be made 10 The People. he
was willing that the Governor should appeal TO the
sovereign People TO decide !. was evident, how
ever that his idea of appeal was. that either by
the Legislature elections, If IN the first year OF
the Executive term or by the same, and by the new
election for Governor ifn the second year, the pub
lie Judgment would be ascenaned but does this re-
suit follow Had he traly stated before, that as
PLURALITY elects, the Senate ard Assembly MAY be
returned and not have majority Of the People TO
vote for them 7 And was not Mr. Van Buren, pu-
raity Governor
was surprised that no Member proposed what
Mr. Stow s language indcated-ihough bis PROPOSE
ton did not-an appeal TO the People
| would retain the veto power-l would make
the Executive responsible for it's homes. exercise
he should not be allowed, as Mr.. Van Buren, was, &c
write approved TO $50 millions of + orda and other
proHigate e3 penditures and then shelter hmsefrom
blame by SAYING ha, although he could have vetoed
popular extravaganza, yet il was unusual to do so.
He ought | think, TO be enabled 10 return 10 the
House whence il originated any bill with his objec
tons and if the Legislature again assented TO that
bill in the teeth of those objections, the appeal 10 the
People ought 10 be direct and REAL. They may be
mistaken in men, bat measures they will rarely
give wrong judgment.
Much was said against hasty Legislation al the
close of the session, and the corruption oil the
Legislature was placed in bold relief by Mr. stet.
son and others hut would not this hasty Legislation
be edectuay remedied by ordering the publication,
in a way 10 enable them 10 reach the People, OF
every BILL for short period before il was acted ont
Suppose that both Houses were to go through with
a BILL except the FINAL vote OF each-aDd It might be
so arranged-and that II were imperative that be-
fore that fual vote and after every amendment had
been made and the measure perfected II had to be
pubished-how many bad measures now hastened
through at the close of session, with many mem
bers half asleep. would be destroyed by premature
publicity!
AS 10 the Veto Thomas Jefferson, in a letter TO
w c. Jarvis dated Monticello Sept. 90, 1921, says:
a." know safe depository OF the ultimate powers
OF the society. bu. the People. whom you think them
not enlightened enough TO exercise their control with
wholesome discretion the remedy s not TO take It from
them but TO inform their discretion by education This
the true corrective of abuses of Constitutional power
Mr. HAwLEY moved that il be, and 1t was
Rsored That the Comptroller be requested to report 10
the Convention the respective sums borrowed and loans
made by virtue OF section number four and subdivisions
numbered one three four five and six OF section num-
Der Ave OF h ACT 10 provide for paying the debt and pre-
serving credit Of the State passed March 29h, 1872
and to what purposes the several sums mus loaned nave
respectively been applied Also the several sums Invested
In certain specific funds of the State authorized by sections
numbered eight nine and ten respectively and the amount
paid into the treasury svas OF the direct tax author
lied by section number OF said act And TO wha! pur
pose or purposes such funds have been applied.
Mr. LOOMS from the Committee to co nsder the
order in which business should be considered, re-
ported as follows;
Executive Department. 2. Election, &c. OF the Leg
isla,uie g. Incorporation other than Banking and NUM-
cipal. l. Currency and Ranking. ). Cans!s. Internal
improvements. Public Debt, SC. 6. The Judiciary :.
Powers and Duties of the Legislature. Appointment or
Election OF Local Officers. g. Election or Appointment oil
Officers whose powers not local 10. Powers .! Coun
,es Towns, &c except Cities and Incorporated Villages
II. Organization and Powers OF Cites, &c H. The
Elective Franchise. H. Education. Common Schools
&C. IA Creation and Division OF Estates IN Land. Is
o.cal oaths and Afirna,ons 10. The Militia and Mil
tary AFFAIR." IL. Rights ana Privileges 0: Citizens. Is
Future Amendments.
Mr. CHArrlELp thought that the Elective Fran
chise and the Rights and Privileges of the Citizens
ought 10 have been placed so very near the bot
tom OF the list.
The Convention went into Committee on Mayor
Morris's Report between nine and ten-adopted
section IL about Sheritis being removable by the
Governor-amended section H. and reported Inc
article of the Constitution with their amendments
Is minutes past Two. The report was informally
received and ordered 10 be printed as amended, and
regret that severe headache prevents me from CIV
ing YOUR readers synopsis Of the argument on The
veto power The subject was OF vast importance;
the several speakers showed an intimate acquain!-
ance with H. and presented 10 the observing citizen
sigh, OF which any State or country might well be
proud. Mr. Rhoades having presented, and ably
advocated an amendment giving majoTities OF all
the members of each House las IN your Common
Counc power TO pass bills objected to by the Gov
e rnor. Nj Wright OF Sullivan. one of the gentle
men named 10 you yesterday as having scarcely spo
ken word during the session. rose and delighted
The Convention with lessons Of wisdom IN new
dress His speech was the speech OF the day-ah
seemed pleased with his elocuuon-he has an ex-
cellen, voice ferlless delivery, clear bead ana
complete command of the words most proper 10
clothe his ideas in. Twas no, nil toward the last
of his remarks thsr perceived he had few notes
for he scarcely ever referred 10 them Every DAY
more and more coRvinces me. that there Is ability
here TO frame Constitution greatly improved, and
ii the people cheer their representatives en- 'hs'
great boon will surely be theirs.
The article on the Executive is by no means dis
posed Of The report will be tested In the Conven.
Iion BY many amendments, but IL Will prooaoiy DOL
be taken up again for some time
In my repor, Of TO morrow will refer farther 10