The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1850-11-27

ard li.ilr IN saying that the people Of
North csroIins hare mol hiiherso exhibil-
ed sirong desire Cor such an experiment
as ihis upon their Gvsernmenl; and.
therefore, Il behoves their Representa-
lises 20 look wei ioihe mode Trey adopt
introducing refoaus into The Constitution.
II should be the pleasure OF dis As
sembly 10 svoid the insirumenlalny Of a
Convention altogether. you can, ofyour-
selves. initiate an alteration OF the Con-
siitulion, IN virlue Of the secrnd section
Of Alb article ol smrndmsnls 10 the Con-
stiiuiion afls35. Toeilrel a rrlorm By tins
mode Of proceeding. il will be requisite
that the alteration proposed. shall be
sanctioned by majority ofihree fihs Of
all the members OF your body that the
same shall be sanctioned BY two thirds
OF the members Of the Assembly Of 1852:
and afterwards confirmed By majority
OF the people voting at the Polls. Con-
fessedIy our Constitution has thus been
hedged in against has,y or frequent
changes, and there will be no liuIe diff.
Guilty Ia procuring an alteration fh.-
Ought not this consideration TO operate
powerfully upon the minds oflh.se who
sincerely desire .free suffrage" TO pre-
veni, If they can, It's association with
other positions for amendmenlsl Would
II be eIlher wise or proper TO unite into
one bill several and distinct proposition
IL more than one, how many separate
Questions of the kind wall you combine
The precedent 10 BE- set now, will proba.
bly, determine the future practice. and
may il not be asked. whether il will be
fair dealing TO combine two or more pro-
positions into one aci, and so compel The
people to vote against what they desire,
or else to vote for what they do not APP
provel j; is, therefore, commended 10
your serious consideration. whether each
alteration Of the Constitution. when pro-
posed, ought not TO be presented by itseli
-uncoupled with an associate to do il
!. harm, or an ally to help il through. II
has been inlimaled by enlightened men
: ofour State. that according TO the true
spirit and meaning of the Constitution,
the power Of the General Assembly Ia
adopt q specific amendment, is confined
to the case Of a single amendment, and
that il would be a violation of the 2nt
section Of the 4lh article. for the Assem-.
J blyto pass an act embracing in il more
than one alteration oflhe Constitution. =.
II this be so, the duty of acting upon
each proposed alteration separately. and
Of enabling your successor, and, after
wards, the people, to do the same. is inn
pcrative.
\ The opinions which have thus hinted
at, upon this important subject, might be
enforced and illustrated BY many con.
sideraiions which | have mol introduced
into this communication. content my.
self with what has been said. believing
as do, that the Executive OF North Car
lima is properly excluded by the Consti-
tuition from the duty Of taking part in al
tering the Organic Law. What has been
said is barely intended TO awaken your
vigilance and to arrest public attention to
the mGantr, ralLer than 10 discuss the
matter of Constitutional reform. In my
opinion. the manner Of dealing with this
subject is vastly important, and will prove
TO be much more thana question Of mere
form.
In conneyion with this subject, let me
be INDUCED in suggestion relating to
the constitutional period for the inslalla-
tion OF the Governor.
The Governor Of this State is elected
by the People bienniaIly ia August; but
he does not 60 into Office before the LIST
January succeeding. 1.-THE Geneml As
sembly met on the Isl of January. there
would be nothing Objectionable 10 this.
But that body. chosen by the People at
the same fine they elect the Governor,
meet in November, and have nearly COM
pleted their session before the Governor
comes into Office. Moreover, the goes
out Of office on the lst day Of January.
but his successor is elected in August
preceding, and therefore the Executive
Of North Carolina is never called upon
TO express his opinions or to communi>
cate the policy Of his administration, un-
Ill he has been either reelected or super.
seeded by the choice of a competition
This is not right, and il ought 10 be rec
tilted. Whenever Governor shall be
willing TO conceal his policy and avoid
the just responsibility Of his station, he
may be thus enabled to do so. This is
unjust to the people. When he shall be
ready and willing to develop his plans
Of administration, there is but little op-
portunity afforded for il under the exist
ing state Of things; and if he shall be q
candidate for reelection, his enemies and
traducers can perver and misrepresent
him to his constituents, without his being
allowed a legitimate occasion to expose
falsehood by q reference to bis declared
and published opinions. That is i Just
to the chief Executive Of the State. Be-
sides, there is plain absurdity in this :
that where the people change both their
Executive and their Representatives a,
the same election in August, the one