The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1850-11-27
NUMBER 81.

vious vote of the people, ;br' Ills dauatd .or
al'erirc the Cgustl utlon ls The dculrG Of
az i1rIy ot tie feop'e, ttcn of ceufse, the
reress sty for a0 act to ifkc lhe sense of tha
Pc ople vii be Superseded; gnd II Is believed .
YOU ouaht TO act d1ecl, ard " once nron tie
question, iot according 70 he Cosa.uioH.
The Constttuuon las cotAcd yea ~. D roy.
er 10 respoud 10 kuown dstHand f the pco.
pie for constitutional reform. either caii,ns
Convt nton Of The peopr al cree, or ~ 60.
acting specific ameudmeuls, atd stLaIgug
them, f $, TO tie review ard itcl,,oa 81 lcrc
inv edaie successors 10 1852, and tllct Hat,
10 The voters Of lbe Safe, a. tie poli= 10 1888,
There are tevt tral interesting queslcr5
which viii present themselves 10 yous coRsrd.
etuuon, upon this view Of thesol jeet. | shall
-eler h ihsa htjc1 mt -,--esae-r--x
forestah the judgment Of others, nor ~ tho
mere purpose Of lusnrs loiaad ia advance
of iour eclon uy ntetrrtttucn Of the C-n.
.aluuou; pu +. cuss yoor acuou vii! proba
DIV inrsa "a rtrc, dsat tu he iuuie course al,
tie STATE; end itc consC Cqqsoces Of mistake
might be WY J4tous 10 the Repu1'ic.--
lhet,fose, | sgud sire 70 have nothing
dons witbcu. eereu! investigator, rud cul.n
dehbcrtton. Tbs ,saIl all a..
The Cuu-'tuten ut 1880 We know, was
ftautd and adopted UPON p,lne'fIes cf comp'u.
mise. l. 0a. ,ntendsd 70 ati -, up. n a ilta.
be gtcuuas, sectional dl.pssr aud cutiic'.
ue pnllJca' op,rraos, g b ed dd.uaalcd oar
Sale Coputi ~ meay aarr; and COCO lai h
, requires ~ haacs' hsfenee 70 rs tee mean.
ue, uuti < shah have taen trFeb1td or tier
ed hy the sovereign FIhorlly Of The ate,
, secosdu. 70 The cam.FoHise n our amelded
/ Constitution.
i Now, L /, sanu'd be lhc pleasure Of this
Assemb V, lhree e b. q all the members Goa.
n curing, 70 cali convention OF The people, a
/, slight essala3tpn of the Isl section Of the
h Article Of the Amendments viii be sulli
. cent TO ratsa th's question: Can the General
/ Assembly impose any limits or restrictions
. upon Couvcuton call, by them under this
# Aruciel Is the power 20 call Convention
=. By the General Assembly, cot6ued TO the su
ge office Of calling II, OF, can the same lie.
g pl,latu,e limii and coufine the powers Of the
q Convention in the Act for calling GIT As there
N are coutilctn. oprlons upon this question ont
n. Of The Assembly, !, IS probable they Uil exist
. i. Do NJ, think hat This article necessa
he us excludes tie riEhl Of calling limited
+, CoHreHaon b. lie concurrence Of two.hlrds
OF the General Asseaby, provided The act for
ealing the Convention contains llnitRion
upon Its 20 eGs with proper sanctions and IKE
= same shall berdtfed by The Ieop'e, by vote
10 be taken betote their delegates shall be
chosen, under lbe sanctions Of law enacted
~ tor the pose. la such case, II seems TO me-
- that the Inn, prescribed by the act would be
4 at . Fe "a 5csn t,,II In
tie cousIa'u iarai severe. q authority Of tho
State. O.uetNlsa Il cannot be doubted tha,
" Cunycn ION called by lie General Assembly
(tso thirds concurag) would be clothed with
! unlmited discretion over the Constitution
~ The Generu Assembly has power to call a
Convention into being, bu, no porer of them
Stires TO prescribe limit 10 iiS authority.
: hfzlrd ltue in saying that the people Of
= North Carolina have no, hitherto exhibited
!" stfeug desire for such an experiment as this
upon their Gusernm ut; and, therefore, it be-
hooves their Representatives 10 look well 10
:, the mode they adopt for Introducing reforms
- :, into the Constitution.
- If il should be the pleasure Of this Assem-.
: bly, to avoid the instrumen,ality Of a Conven-
" ton altogether, YOU can, OF yourselves, ln.
tiale an alieration Of the Constitution, in viz.
" tue OF the second section of 4h article of a.
io mendmenls 10 the Constitution of S35. To
- effect reform by this mode Of proceeding,
= it will be requisite that the alteration propo.
u sed, shall be sanctioned by majority of
;" three titths Of all the members Of your body +:
~ that the same shall be sanctioned by two
'n thirds Of The members Of the Assembly of
a' 1852; and afterwards confirmed by ma ior.
-, ity Of the people voting at the Polls. Con
- tessedy our Constitution has thus been
y hedged in against has,y or frequent changes
'e, and there will be no little difficulty in procu
q" a. ring an alteration oft Ought not this con
~ sldetation TO operate powerfully upon the
u minds of those who sincerely desire free
al suffrage, 10 prevent, il they can, lis asso.
W ciation wrh o'hcr propositions for amend
''e mcuts u uuld i, be either wise OF proper
"'' to unite into one bill several and distinct
&c proposniorsl Ii more than one, how many
DIS separate qu siions Of the kind will you com
>e' hine The precedent to be set now, vii
N. probably determine the future practice, and
) NAV it net be asked, whether it will be faI
PIE dealing TO combine two or more propositions
'o' into one act, aud so compel The people to
H. vote against what they desire, or else 10 vote
II for what they do not approve tits, there.
al fore, commended to your serious considera.
70 lion, whether each alteration of the Consli,u
be ton, when proposed, ought not TO be present
&C. cd by l,soli- uneoupled with an associate tc
o'' do il harm, or au ally 10 help il through
he 1t has been intinated by enlightened men o
't' our State, that according to the true spirit
oH and meaning of the Constitution, the power
ne Of the General Assembly to adopj specific
'n' amendment, is confined to the case of sin.
gle amendment, and that il would be viola
ton of tie 2nd section Of the 4th article, ioI
la the Assembly to pass an act embracing in il
'n more than one alteration Of the Constitution