The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865, 1847-04-02
MIR. VALLANDIGHAM'S SPEECH
sl YHHf ON THE
Amendment Of the Constitution.
OHIO LEGISLATURE, I847. ..
CONCLUDED.

rH OHlO LEGlSLAlUhE, l04f. ..,..
lw wat t. tsI f'
CONCLUDED. ..-
L turn now from the Judiciary, 10 point out
defects in other pans of the constitution
And first, THE WANT OF cHEcK UPON THE
LEGISLATIVE POWER TO INCUR PUBLIC DEBTs.
Made wise by wholesome but severe, expert
ence in nearly every constitution adop-
ted wthinthelast ten years, the people have
provided some such restriction: and sure
ly vein Ohio have had good cause TO lament
the want oft in ours. The principle of the
check is plain. The property Of the whole
peopleis confscdted in tho shape of taxes,
TO provide forthe liquidation Of the debt
Foremost indeed, morgaged, pledged
and then the alternative is either payment or
Reputation: the first is onerous; The last
iniquitous and disgraceful New assnredly
it is but fair that they who must pay, should
first give express consent TO the debt, and
The especial reason why express consent
should, in this case, first be obtained, by di-
rect vote Of the people, is 10 be sought for
in the fact, that epery citizen is compelled
to bear his proportion of burden from which,
except in hopeless poverty, there is no es-
cape. desire 10 be understood; the penal
ty of the law against murder may readily be
avoided by retaining from the perpetralion
of murder. Not SO with tax laws. Now TO
unlimited power in the legislature over this
subject, object. Combinations and local
influences and interests, have too powerful a
control in legislative assemblies, tes make
them the repositories Of so tremendous a
power. Provdently, therefore, and wisely
did the constitution recently submitted to
the people OF Missouri Qhough rejectod)
provide that,
"IHe General Assembly shall hare no
power to pass any law auhereby any debt
shall be created, that shall cause the entire
Indebtedness of the state contracted under
this Constitution, to erceed at any one time,
tventy.fUe thousaad dollars, except in cases
of war, insurrection or invasion. Ca -.s
"But The General Assembly may propose
by a vote Of a majority Of all the members
elected TO both branches thereof, the creation
Of debt for any specified purpose, which
shall be submitted to the direct vote of the
people at the next general election there
after, and if approved by a majority of the
qualified voters voting on such question,
shall be of full force and effect; provided,
that each proposition shall be for one object
alone, and shall propose the ways and means
by taxation for the payment Of the debt and
interest as they become due; and provded
Ga, tl,ot than I'M
shall be submitted by any ono session Of the
General Assembly, and that the debt pro-
posed shall not have u longer time to run
than twenty years" u
Somewhat similar, also, is the restriction
in the recent constitution of New York.
Now, whether such provision were adopted
in so many words or not, some restriction
certainly, ought to be imposed upon the le-
gisaive exercise Of a power SO delicate and
momentuus.
Tho requirement of AN ANNUAL SESSION OF
THE LEGISLATURE is the defect in the present
constitution ts which mex, advert; and the
remedy proposed will, | know, meet the al
most unanimous concurrence of the House.
| neon BIENNIAs SESSIONS, with provision
for extraordinary sessions in great emer-
gencies. This, also, is modern and highly
popular improvement in constitutional science
Into most Of the constitutions recently or
ganizsd, it has been freely admitted, and al
the late general election in Maryland 1t was
ordered by large minority 10 be incorporat-
cd into the constitution of that State by spe-
cia amendment. Though by no means per-
suaded that il is the all healing remedy for
the many ills of Legislation, need not argue
long to satisfy this house iha, those worst
and most costly Of all the evils Of a repres
ontative system ef government hasty erces-
sipe, and unstable legislation must, Of netes-
sity, be greatly diminished were the legisla-
ture to assemble but once in two or three
years. Most also Of this legislation is spe-
cial and private. Here, sir, is the velume of
local laws for the session Of 1914 and As,
numbering in all, together with the resolu-
tions, four hundred and seuenty, while the
number Of laws of general character pass
ed al the same session, reached to but eighty
nine. The former embrace almost every
variety ofsubject from the incorporation OF a
bank down 10 the changing of a mans name,
or the laying out Of back alley is Paltry
village, The assembling annually of the le-
gsature would seem to remind to citizens
of this State that they may now find ready
instrument wherewith to have that done
which nobody and nothing else will do. A
thousand schemes of crude, or absurd, or
useless, perhaps ubiquitous legislation are
thus projected, which otherwise would never
have been thought Of SelSrsliance is for
gotten. The individual man, living, breath
ing, cGod-created, exulting in might, and
shaking himself in the majesty Of an iminor-
al,and almost ,omnipoient nature--tbe man
God made in his ewn image, and into whose