The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1850-03-13

.ha. uS govpaon gOsa .fo, the then majority in
hat AiouSe' N II excite..he anger of place.
}. men. They seldom have T. i, tS;n ~ = y & as;n
a by agitation. s " s''A
But the agitation then commences \.
continued and increased until the Peops
have declared. by majority of ffy-fve
| thousand, that they desire change in
:. their organic institutions; position most
$ boisterously denied upon the introduction
of the above mentioned bill. fyour read
ers will examine the files of the Spirit oi
Democracy issued in past years they will
find the views of the subscriber, on the
subject Of constitutional reform, made
known in some scores of COMMUNICATIONS.
A mere summary is all that can be attemp-
ted here.
We ought to have radical reformation
of our Judiciary system. The Supreme
Court has long been incapable of perform
ing its constitutional functions. Its in
competency first forced upon mems minds,
the conviction of the necessity of calling a
convention.
The Judges of all the cours ought to be
elected by the People A host OF appro-
brious technicalities, which now often de-
feat the ends of justice, would speedily
disappear under such system The Su-
preme Court ought not to consist of an
even number of Judges. All Offices, ex.
cept the most minute and unimportant,
ought to be filled by popular elections. l
do not enter into detail; possibly it may be
found upon investigation, to be too great
labor for the voters at large to be COM
PEELED, to enquire into the qualifications of
every subordinate clerk in the departments
at the seat of the State government But
every place of power and trust ought to be
bestowed by the voice of the People them
selves, in order to secure faithfulness to
their interests
The number of the sessions of the Cen
eral Assembly ought to be diminished
How often that body ought to be in session
and what ought to be the duration of its
sessions, are matters for calm and mature
consideration. The inclination, of my
own mind, is in favor of session once in
two or three years, with power in the
Governor to call them together on extra
ordinary occasions.
Each House ought to consist of an un-
equal number of members so as to pre-
vent the possibility of a stoppage of busi-
ness by an equal division. This has been
an evil of great magnitude in times recent
ly past
A majority of each House ought to be
quorum to do business. This is the con-
stitution of the House OF Representatives
at Washington.
Constitutional provision, ought if possi-
BILE to be made, for fair apportionment
of members of the General Assembly.
The taxing power ought to reside in the
People alone, to be exercised by them
through the instrumentality of their depu-
ties in the General Assembly. But every
proposition to create, continue or increase
tax ought to be decided openly by the
yeas and nays, entered upon the Journals.
The power of appropriating the public
moneys ought to reside in the People alone
to be exercised through the instrumentality
of their deputies in the GENERAL Assembly,
and every proposition to appropriate the
public moneys ought to be decided openly
by the yeas and nays entered upon the
Journals.
These last amendments would involve
the absolute prohibition of those secret
boards oftaxation and expenditure, wheth-
er consisting of one man or Of three men,
which have lavished away so many mil.
lions OF the Peoples treasure, in times past
without public investigation or actual, avail
able responsibility.
The subscriber unhesitatingly believes,
that the creation of these secret boards of
expenditure to grant away the peoples
money under the influence of motives
known only in the recesses of their own
breasts, is not warranted by the old con-
stitution. In other words that those en-
actments are unconstitutional The rea-
sons for this opinion may be found spread
at large on the Journals of the Senate
which are distributed in every township.
Those institutions only live as reproaches
TO our free institutions and CANCERS upon
the body polite in consequence of the
equal division of votes in that body. But
the misfortune has been that the friends of
secret and irresponsible power have been
able to make fine spun, wire-drawn, hair
splitting arguments in favor of those rreg.
ular and ill-boding institutions. They
have been able to make technical argu.
ments in favor of the power of three men,
and even of one man to transact the Peo.
ple's most important business and to de-
eide upon their dearest rights in the dark
of a SYPHILIS cave, without open
investigation, examination or discussion
and without actual responsibility. fi ::
The New Constitution ought to wipe out
this reproach once and forever; and in
language too plain to be misunderstood.
No new public debt for internal improve
ments, ought to be created nor the present {
one increased without vote of the People
at the next general election.
kab H. 81 ~.zx.~ |