The Middlebury galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1848-1850, 1849-03-27
THE GALAXY.
MlDDLEBURY, VT.
Tuesday, March 81, 1849.

AMENDMENT OF THE CONSTITUTION.
The Council of Censors las our readers have
noticed from the report of their proceedings, pub
lished some time snce) decided, at their late ses
sion, to call Convention for amending the Con-
stituton, ito be holden at Montpelier on the I'd
day of January NEXT and proposed certain ar
ticles of amendment, to be considered at that
time.
The Constitution provides that the Council of
Censors shall have power to call convention,
to meet within two years after their sitting ifthee
appears to be an absolute necessity of amending any
article of this Constitution which may be defec-
tive, explaining such as may be thought not clear
ly expressed, and of adding such as are necessa-
ny, for the preservation Of The rights and happi.
ness Of the pcople."-The Council seem not to
have been quite unanimous in the opinion that a.
ny such exigency exists at present. and the two
thirds vote required to call such Convention
was barely obtaincd-six voting in the afirma-
tive, and three in the negative.
That part Of the Constitution which defines
the duties Of this Council provides that the ar.
ticles to be amended, and the amendments pro-
posed, and such articles are proposed to be ad-
ded or abolished. shall be promulgated at least six
months before the day appointed for the election
Of such convention, for the previous consideration
of the people, that they may have an opportuni-
ty Of instructing their delegates on the subject"
The Legislature, we presume, are to determine
the time and manner of electing these delegates
and, in the mean time, the several propositions to
be laid before the Convention will be duly exam
ined and discussed by the people at large.
The alteration or amendment Of Constitu-
tion once deliberately adopted as declaration of
rights and a rule of government, is not matter
to be hastily undertaken, and the more important
such changes appear, to those who advocate them,
the more cautious and considerate should be eve
ry movement towards carrying them into effect.
If the changes to be brought about are confessed
ly unimpOrtdnt, it is only trifing with very
grave and serious matter formally to collect the
people to their seat of government, for that pur-
pose.
The first amendment proposed by the Council
contemplates change in the manner of our rep
resentation in the Legislature. AT present, each
town-whatever its population-has one repre-
sentative. This as it is certainly unequal rep
resentation, seems also to be unjust. BY the Cen
sus of 1910, it appears that the county of Essex
had population Of only 4,226-less than the
population of the single fOun of Burlington
and yet that county is entitled to eleren Repre-
sentatives, while Burlington has but one. We can
,nr ut,o ~ a.
gregate population is less than that of Middle
bury, and whose representation is, of course, E.
qually disproportionaie. There are twelve towns
in the State whose average population by the last
census) is over 3.o0O while there are more than
fifty towns of which the average is less than 500
According to this estimate, there arc in the State
$4,000 inhabitants who have only treire represent
ativesi while another $4,000 have fifty. One
town in the State, with only fourteen voters, sends
representative, while another casting screen hun.
dred votes, is entitled to no more.
The amendment proposed by the Council of
Censors is, to allow one representative to each
town having less than $500 inhabitants; to each
town having $500 inhabitants, two representatives;
and one additional representative for every 1900
above that number of inhabitants. This we pre-.
sumo, would entiie one town land probable no
more than that at presently to three representatives.
ten or twelve TO tuo representatives and leave
the remaining towns precisely as they now are.
Will SO slight a change remove the evil which
we have pointed out We certainly think not
Besides, the present number of our representa-
tives,in the lower Housc,a compared with those of
other States, is disproportonately large For prac
teal purposes, smaller body won d be faI moreefi-
Gent we believe-and at least less erpensire to the
State. Why then increase the number at all?
Only two other States in the Union (Msssachu-
sets and New Hampshire) have so large a num-
Der Of Representatives as ours The Ohio House
Of Representatives Whose last session has shown
that, in some circumstances at least, there are
mite enough for the factation OF business, consists
If only p members-while we have more than
lTee times that number: yet the population of
Vermonta at the last census less than one-fifth
hat of Ohio. Or, TO take the example ofan older
State, Pennsylvania, Whose original Constitution
vas the model after which ours was copied, but |
which has since been amcnded,l with popula-
ion of nearly 100000 has but about one third |
is many representatives as we, with population
II 100000 New York, with 100000 inhabit
lnts, has only l2s members in the lower House,
md in the Senate but 30.
A division Of the State into Representative
Districtsis the only way By which just and equal
representation can be secured, without greatly in
reasing the number of representatives.-and it is
hardly probable, we think, that the people of this
State are prepared to adopt this plan, at present
Until such plan can be adopted, we see no ade-
Iuate remedy for the evil in question, though the
method proposed by the Council Of Censors may
'e thought to afford some alienation, and all
hat is now practicable
We design to speak Of the other proposed
hereafter.