The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865, 1847-04-16
rror the Dsmossiio Review, for March. 7.
GOVERNMENTS

Tses sa1s,tuiion Of Wisconsin will, how
sysy. W. trsst, be- adopted, and that slate
viii then have the honor Of starting into be-
Ins With moro Just and poPuiar constitution
thsn usy state before il, Illinois will, no
doubt, next year frame and adoft new con-
st,uiion, at lsas, us much IN accordance
With the spirit Of tho ages as that Of Wis
consin. ladilaa IS also progressing towards
sslsrm, and il has baen agliated in Ohio IN
quarter and sei.ha yigor Which promises
suScSts, A motion to submi. the question
Ut 1 sohvcntioa, 10 reform the constitution
bf Ohio, failed in the popular brdncA Of the
legislature, BY a vote Of 3S fof, 10 20 sgainst
Il: two-thirdi being neceisary to pass the
rssoluticn. No state in the Union requires
new constitutions more than Ohio; not 50
much from the necessity Of keeping up with
the progrsas OF constitutional government, as
from ihs fact that she has ouigrown her old
Sas. She. is, judicially like young giant
with boys coat on. Her present censiitu-
,ion was adopted III 1902, whea her popnla-
lion was 4S, ,0OOs it il now near 1000, 900.
The constitution that was framed for the
government Of territory, tina. then csm.
prised the present State Of Ohio and part Of
Michigan, is now strained up TO the wants OF
dense population, rich in multfarious in
terests. Il was not 10 be expected, how vlr-
tuous or wise soever might be the men who
framed the Ohio constitution fory-6ye years
AGO. that they sheuld have had forecast sutii.
cisni 10 provide for the increasing wants OF
This rapidly-growins state. Accordingly,
iroat and manifest evils have long since
svineed the necessity Of reform. The judi
ciary, in particular, is little better than a
mere farce. The courts cannot be legally
held, fiom the mere physical imposslbility OF
complying with the requirements Of the con-
sliluton. The corouers and sheriff are elect
ed BY the people for two years, and the JUS
tees of the peace for three years. Tho
Judges are elected by the legislature for
seven years; ana OF the Supreme Judges
there are four only; tue fern a querum.--
These sro required TO hold aSupreme Court
in every county in the state at least ence 10
year. Ohio has Sc counties, spread over
an area of SO, 500 square miles, 270 miles in
length and l40 in breadth. Hence, these
Judges have 10 travel thousands Of miles, and
hold 90 supreme courts in year. The more
travelling is most severe labor: BIZ. whss
they have performed it, aad attended to the
business Of 1900, 600 people in 50 counties,
thoir labor ia aot done. They are then re-
quirea, collectively, to hold at Columbus,
Ohio, a" Court in Bank for the revision OF
fssir o,sn decisions, made in their galloping
courts through the state during the previous
months OF the year This system was de-
vised As years ago for colony Of $4,000
persons; and % members OF the present le
Z eiAatare of Ohio vated against submittins
10 the people the question; whether con
vsntion should be called to remedy this farce
The practical operation OF this plan was
forcibly set forth by Mr.. Vallandigham, in
the Ohio qegslature, in speech on his mo-
Sion 10 submit TO The people the question o.
aconsettion.
e Such, Il appears, is the hysical activity O.
the Supreme Judges of Ohio. Under such
circumstances, is il not wonderful, tha
members should stand up in their places, anc
vote not against reform, not against bill Il
revise the judiciary, not against bill it
amend the consiiteiion, not against con
1eltiSR 10 revise il, but simply against allow
ing the people to say whether they will have
conventions or moi? II is not surprising
that they should trust the people with elect
ing governor, and refuse TO trust them with
the election OF judge--because, from the
political bias Of the state Of Ohio, the old
leayen of disirist of the people is strong
among her political leaders; but i, is Ger.
iatHiy strange, thasss whea numerous body
should have demanded reform, that aemberi
shculd refuse them the opportunity of ascsr
tanning whether they are IN the majority O.
net. The question is put by numerous
bodies Of the people, and members refuse t.
take the yeas and nays upon il. II is not al
absurd judicial organization alone that al
fscts OHIO; she has, perhaps, more than an.
other state, suffered from the overabundsnc'
Of private legislation, Of cbarermongerine
contract letting, and debt creating. Corrup
ton has, through unstable and hasty legisla
ton, burdened the people with debts an
taxation to most daplorable extent. N
state has greater reason than Ohio to CON
plain Of The itiiquiiy of ME lobby Fo
years, the business Of lobbying fer cowniie
and towns and city charters was lucrativ
one, and private emolumeTt has been III
basis Of five-sixths of The lsgisatiea in Ohio
as we'll as Of other States. At the session Q
lS44-5, the number Of laws passed 10 prom
ole the general welfare was SO, and the Rum
Der Of ihoIe that concerned individuals only
passed to benefit them al The expense Of III
public, was 40 For every law passed {
a legitimate nature, five were enacted fc
private profit, including all descriptions {
corporations. The siats Legislature has com