North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1852, 1851-02-08
REMARKS OF Mr.. BOWER
OF AsHE.

Delivered in the Senate of North CAROLYN.
bill providing for the call of Convention :" NE
Mr.. Bower said he felt it to be his duty IN M,
few remarks on the measure under considersaea
He had been, from tho first, firm friend to lS"cn
ciple of Equal Suffrage; and he had reioicad pug Pln
at the recent passage of the bill through tSa rally
Houses, which, he could have no doubt woni, MO
come in due course of time, part of the Sta,a DE-
stitution. He could see good reason nov 20 ION
for calling a Convention, or for submitting il W et
people at the polls to say whether they would SMs
a Convention or not. He knew of no consiJo nave
portion of the people in any portion of the S,n,e
who had signifed wish for Convention; iDJS"e
he had not heard the question discussed at all 49,
the late campaign. His constituents desired Falag
Suffrage by legislative enactment and accordinSfua
the forms of the Constitution; and since he had
here he had received several letters from bs eea
stltuents. requesting him to press this measn," wv,
Equal Suffrage by Legislative enactment, and s,;
that there no need of Convention. ana ing
such thing was not really desired by his coD,; a
ents. 'u'u'
Mr.. Bower said that as gentlemen. dnr;,.,.
discussion, had spoken with much warmth as,; Mh
amending the Constitution by Legislative enac;,'l
he would take occasion to allude to the opinios y
connection with this subject of gentleman wbo s ID
acknowledged on all sides to be high authorize !;
questions of this character.
He said that, in conversation with JUDGE Co..
in 1885, at the time the present Constitution was
vised, the former remarked that decidedly the ST.
and wisest plan for amending that instrument f ~
future would be by legislative enactment and bv ".
parate bills. If no provision of this sort had Nv
inserted in the Constitution, the repose of The S
might have been constantly interrupted by calls G,
Convention to carry out some popular or dessSt
reform; and then, if Convention had been calj
for the purpose of giving effect to some one popn
measure, other measures of doubtful teDdsD.
might be incorporated, and the people would havsS
take the good measure and the doubtful ONES ~
nnf nF rnIno oil ~
amended, an amendment could be passed, in au5c,'
ale 6fA by threefths of all the members of the r,
Houses-passed again by two-thirds of the suecssd
ing Legislature, and then, after receiving the 7fs
cation of the people at the pole, the amendment ,b
proposed in separate bill would become part NJ
the Constitution. In this way the Constitution couIi
be amended, proposition by proposition, accordnu,
its own provisions and the people would not be mn,
| to the necessity of accepting number of amend
ments-some of which they might desire, and obpr
which they might not wish-or of rejecting all, In
this way, also, the expense and excitement which
must attend Convention, would be avoided and
Convention would not be called in all probability
for a century to come, and then only when total r..
vision and re-modelling of existing forms should be
deemed indispensable. These, continued Mr. Bower
are the opinions of William CASTOR, one of our wi
sest public men, who filled large space in the Con-
vention of 1885. and who, as much as any other man.
aided in revising and amending the present COnsd
tuition.
Mr.. Bower said that in voting against the present
bill he did what he considered it his duty to do as
Senator, and he was satisfied his conduct would meet
the appreciation of his constituents. Equal Suffrage
was now on the high road to success. That was
what his constituents desired, and he did not think
the people wished Convention at this time, for any
new measure that might be named. He was for
Equal Suffrage, and for adhering in good faith 10 all
the compromises of the State Constitution.
Tt L. fbat 81. T..