The Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1846-1852, 1849-06-08
politital.
Eor Me Lancasler Gn-ette.

The Present Constitution,
OF fOhio provides that its House of Rep.
resentatives shall not exceed seventy
two, and its Senate 'hirty-six members
limiting both branches Of the General As.
sembly to one hundred and eight mem.
bers
This provision ought to be changed
and the whole number enlarged to $50
members at least-say 100 for the House
Of Representatives and so for the Senate.
In allrepresentative governments, there
should be some proportion maintained
between the number of Representatives
and the constituents. While Repre-.
sentative body should never be so en-,
larged as to become unwieldy and there
by rendered inconvenient for the transac.
tion of business, it should be sufficiently
numerous to enable it fully to represent
the wants and wishes of its constituents.
The smaller the district represented
by member, the greater the probability
OF his being conversant with its necessi
ties. The number above named, $50, we
suppose would make neither branch of
the General Assembly too large for the
transaction ofbusiness, and that it would
also give increased facilities for obtain
ing knowledge of the true condition
and wants of the people, upon which all
sound Legislation is based. ...
The Judiciary system enacted by the
present constitution is defective. For
the proof ofthis assertion we appeal toIthe
Judiciary itself, to the lawyers of the
State, to all intelligent men who have
given any attention to Its operation, and
especially to the numerous laws passed
by our Legislature during the last ten or
fifteen years, designed so to patch up the
system as TO make it available for the time
being, for the wants and necessities ofthe
community. -...
The business ofthe country has entire.
tY outgrown the powers and capacities oil
the courts. Under our existing constitu-
ton we can do nothing more than we
have been doing for years past; patch it
up, by the enacting of new courts, of a
local character, and by changing the ex-
tent of jurisdiction, and by other similar
devices, SO as to make the system answer
any purpose at all, ..s.
The judiciary is one of the most impor.
tant branches of the government-the
protracted delays incident to the transac.
ton of legal business-the great expense
arising therefrom, and the ruin that fire..
quently overtakes suitors. while contend.
ing for their rights, are all evils to great.
er or less extent chargeable to the system
they can only be effectually relieved
by construction Of the system itself
by convention.
1t forms no part of our purpose to pul
forth the detail of a proper judiciary sys.
tenn, The wisdom ofthe convention will
be devoted 10 that subject. What we as,
pire to, is merely to state and prove the
iuadequacy of the present system and
point to the proposed convention as the
only adequate and proper remedy.
The operations Of the representative
system in the United States, have clearly
demonstrated, the propriety of con6dng
to the people themselves, the election oI
many of the official functionaries of the
Government whose places have been fill
ed by some power created for tho pur
pose. Ourpresent constitution con6dei
to our Legislature the election ofour iu
dietary and makes it the dispenser fnear
y all the patronage of the government
lhe Legislature is properly the law.ma
king and law-mending power. fit is re
quired, in any instance, to distribute tn,
patronage Of the government. it SHOULD
only be in those cases, where the peopl,
themselves would find it inconvenieut t,
} elect. The fact that our present cons,i
tuition burdens our Legislative depart
ment, with the appointment ofnearly al
the State officers, military and civil, ha
! oceastonert -ail-the unpleasant conilie,
that have arisen in the midst of part,
strifes, in our Legislature.
1t is rather an uncommon thing, in ,h,