Mississippi Democrat. (Carrollton, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1846-05-06

cans seem 10 nave an tHhdtc ana Woottfutt
hatred of tardtioH, 80 much SO, that they |
often complain of the amount necessary |
Tor the support of government AS pre-
viously remarked, ii Is by taxation only
that the people of this country can be OPP |
pressed. An abuse Of the taxing power
is what they constantly dread ;-conse.
quently when told, that the adoption OF
certain measure would, 10 a certain OK
tent, destroy the necessity OF taxation, II
is easy to see how willingly they would
accept the boon. The trainers Of 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 to borror mo
ny cithom the consent Of the 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 it the constitutional
duty OF the government to submit every
law that contemplated making a debt to
the people, to be by Them rejected or nc
tocd, If they were not disposed to run the
risk of it, or did not approve of the man
ner in which the money was TO be dPpfo'
pridted or disposed Of
So strong is the language of the con.
stilution--that money cannot be borromed,
fUeH in case Of todr, iRrasion, or msar.
rection, without the law being first submit
ted TO the people, and approved by them
in general election. We presume that
no one will contend, that because the peo-
pie sanctioned the borrowing OF money,
or pledging the faith of the State for one
particular and well defined purpose, the
| Legislature could pledge the faith OF the
State, or borrow money, for any and all
purposes. II will hardly be contended,
that the people authorizing The borrowing
of money TO pay Il war debt, would, by
that act, sanction a law making debt to
take stock in corporation, --or, that II
they we're willing TO become the security
of a corporation where they would be
protected against the possibility OF loss by
taxation, tho Legislature could make them
security for the debt OF railroad, where
they had no protection against taxation
except the prudence and honesty Of those
managing the corporation II The debt be
made, or the money used, for any other
purpose than the one sanctioned by me peoo-
pie, or if any of the shields OF guards
thrown around the people by the law bor'
rowing tho money, or p'edgIng the la'lh o.
the State, are taken away, or weakened
by the Legislature, without The consent o.
the people expressly given, the law is ne
cessarIIy null and void, and not binding OF
the people, &c the Legislature have any
, Discretionary powers in such case, th'
| prohibition, in the constitution, is Just 81
, much waste paper. In n case Of this kind
the Legislature can do nothing but regis
ter the edcts Of the people. Law.ma
kers must confne themselves to The stric
. letter OF The constitutions If they are al
Q lowed to violate the fundamental law q
r the State, there is no use in having sue
law. Better elect legislators 10 act 70
= the general good, and not have them tie
e and trammelled with such an lnconvenler
4. thing as constitution. Better have n
( constitution, than have it violated vii
!, Impuniiy. II the general welfare doc
' trlne is TO regulate and control Legislation
. the sooner all constitutions are deslroye
= the better,
e On the 9Th Of February, 1888, th
e chatter, which Joint select committee ba
o reported against altering, became the la
Of the Sla,e, precisely in the form
, which it had been submitted 10 the pooplt
n This law has, 50 far, remained dead 10
y ter on the statute book. Not a bond
I. the State has been sold in pursuance Of
n provisions. Five millions were issue
+ and offered TOR sale, 10 ls4O, but no on
;. would purchase them. Such being tn
case, the reader will very naturally ask
C How came the bonds Of 1888 issuedP-