Mississippi Democrat., 1846-05-06


IS nothing more pleasant 70 the peOP,s,
than the idea of light taxes. The Amer
cans seem to have an innate and inreteTals.
hatred Of tar rGtiOR,-so much 50, thai jheys
often complain Of the amount necessary
Tor the support Of government Is pre-
viousy remarked, it IS by taxlIIon only
that the people Of this country can be oD-|
pressed. An abuse Of the taxing power
Is what they constantly dread ;-col>e-
quentiy when told, that the adoption 81 a
certain measure would, 10 q certain eX-
tent, destroy the necessity OF taxation. Is
IS easy to see how willingly they would
accept the boon. The trainers e the
constitution of Mississippi had seen the
evils OF borrowing and funding by govern
ments. They had seen the constant dis
position in all governments u b0rrosr no
ny acitbOm The consent Of tie people
They, therefore, wisely determined. that
The government Of Mississippi should not
have the power Of contracting debt with
out the consent of the people. For this
reason, they made il the constitutional
duty OF the government 10 submit everv
law that contemplated making DEB: b
the people, To be by them rejected or re-
toed, If they were not disposed % raa the
risk Of it, or did not approve Of the man
ner in which the money was 70 Be GDy-0-
printed or disposed Of.
So strong Is the language Of the con
stItutlOn-that money cannot be JOrr0rgi.
creR IN case of lrar, ia-asi0n, OF igsEr-
rectiOH, without The law being first submit
ted TO the people, and approved by them
IN general election. We presume Tint
no one will contend, that because the pe0-
pie sanctioned the borrowing OF money.
or pedging the faith Of the State FIR one
particular and well defined purpose, the
Legislature could pledge tie faith Of the
State, or borrow money. for any and al
purposes. Ii will hardly be c1utented.
that the people authorizing The borrowing
of money to pay war debt, would. bv
that acl, sanction law making a debt %
take stock in corporation,--or, that If
they were willing 10 become the security
of a corporation where they would be
protected against the possibility Of loss bv
taxation, the Legislature couli make ;lam
security for the debt Of a rail road, here
they had no protection against taxation
except the prudence and honesty uf ral-e
= managing the corporation. Ii the deb, Be
made, or the money used, lJF anv other
purpose than the one sanctioned By The g=o-
= pie, or il any of the shields OF guards
) thrown around the people by the laT boz
rowing the m 'nev, or P!ejglug the faith pt
! the State, are taken away, or Weekend
I by the Legislature, without the consent ..
= the people expressly given, the .aw 5 ne
{ cessarily null and void, and not binding ca
the people. Il the Legislature have any
} Discretionary powers ~ such a case, the
4 prohibition, IN the constitution, Is lust 50
: much waste paper. In case Of this Elll,
: the Legislature can do nothing but reg-s
ter the edicts Of The people. Llw-mz-
kers must cOniHe themselves % she strict
letter Of the constitution. If ;hey are El-
, lowed to violate the fuudlmeatd law O.
r the State, there Is no use IN having such
a law. Better elect legislators 20 act i1r
: the general good, and not hlve tAem lied
: and tTamme!ieI with such an announcement
thing as a constitution. Better have ua
t constitution, than have Z g.o.atsd wItE
/, impunity. Ii the general welfare Llc.
' trlne Is To regulate and control legislation
+. the sooner all constitutions are desTuye-
r the better
9 On the 9th Of February, IS3S, this
e chatter, which int select committee had
, reported against altering. became the Iaa
of the Sta,e, precisely IN the form il
\ which ii had been submitted % lIe people
r This law has, 50 far, remained a deId Let
g ter on the statute book. Not bJli g
: the State has been sold in pursuance Ot l-.
n provisions. Five millions were i>slej
: and offered for sale, ID 1910, bGl uO one
: would purchase them. Such being The
case, the reader will very naturally ask
e How came the bonds of lS3S iSsuetl-
e We will tell him. Ten days after Ihs
d passage of the above law. this s-ue lie
n gislatGre, after having unanimously al1P,
)fI ed report, declaring that the law cJu-,
4. not be altered without being again re
r ferred TO the people, passed another laW
II and called It a supplement % the origins
e one, for the purpose OF doing the veT
y thing they had declared they could not Oh
is namely, amending the original one IN :,
g most essential and vital parts. Tn's pro
cedure was in violation Of all paE.ianeH
t. tary rule known IN this country, or an
IN other, and can be considered IN no Othe
lg light than legislative fraud, as II violate
al ;he constitution Of the State, according
re their own showing, and also one oi the
to express rules of order, which prohibits q
lg repeal Of any law during the session I
ad which it was passed.
to The first section OF this supplement-
ed bin changed entirely the attitude OF q
Id State towards the bank. by making il
as stakeholder for five millions of dollar