Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1853-09-01
The Constitutional Convention The
Amended Constitution;
AN ADDRESS DELIVERED BY
Hon. HENRY WILSON.
10 he Cihzcns of Natick, Aug. %. 1858.

| having daily attended its sitmgs and taken an
humble part in its proceedings, cheerluy comply
with the request of some OF my friends, to present to
you plain and unvarnished, but trust, a clear
and exact statement OF its labors and results pro.
pose to.nghto trace the acts of the Convention
Ia point out he results of It's abors and TO state the
precise and exact position Of the pending issues
the coming election.
! The Convention assembled on the 18th of May; it
! adjourned ON the LIST of August, having been just
ninety days IN session. OF the character Of the
! Convention, need not speak. None will question
the ability that marked its deliberations. For the
Kindness, courtesy and good temper which characa
terlzed It's proceedings ii has not been exceIed by
any deibera;ive body Of our age. No body, of our
time. an sure, ever evinced greater industry and
seepless devotion to public duty. Day after day, in
the heat Of midsummer it held sessions Of eight and
/ nine hours.
The friends Of the Convention hoped to close its
business in seventy FIVE days, but with the mos.
firing devotion TO the public interests, they were I'M
able 10 do So Every proper means were used TO
| shorten the duration OF the sessiOn-the speakers
limited to one hour-aud then to fifteen min
utes-the hours Of the session heightened al.
most beyond the physical ability Of the most igor
ous-and the previous question was put in pracuca
operation quite as often as due regard for the
rights of the minority would justify.
| Those who often complained OF the long daily SEES
sionsi of the limitation Of speakers, and Of the pres.
sure OF the previous question: hardly, with
! good grace, complain Of the length of the SEES.
sion.
The costof the Convention has exceeded by few
thousand dollars the reasonable expectations OF lis
friends. The expenses, however, have not come up
to the sum oracularly fixed BY the opponents OF the
Convention. The leaders OF the Wing party at their
State Convention, in 1851, denounced ii sun.
called for and hazardous project by which 'the irde
peadence Of the fc be broken doagnthe sta
6't'ty of property shaken, and everything which distin
gtnshes Massachusetts, land in the daest''-''A PRO-
JECT CALLED AT A COST OF A QUARTER
| OF MILLION OF DOLLARS" 1t must be a
great disappointment the intelligent gentleman
who made this calculation, to find that the of
the Convention will fall short OF this sum one hun.
dred thousand dollars. As the people voted TO call
the Convention. in spite of their prediction that it
VIZ uld cost ga quarter of million of dolars'' they
may now vote To ratily The dongs of the Convention
spite OF the complaints now made Of its cost,
which is one hundred thousand dollars less than these
complaining gentlemen assured us 1t would be-
These sagacous persons may find that the people
VIII hardly reject the amended Constitution on ac-
count OF the cost Of the Convention. They will find
it a hard matter to induce Yankees TO fling good
thing away because it has cost them great deal of
money.
will now proceed to consider, IN detail, the do.
ings and results Of the Convention.
THE DECLARATION or RIGHTS.
The Declaration OF Rights was referred to a Com.
mIuee oil gentlemen of learning and ability at the
head OF which was placed our accomplished senator
Charles Sumner. Much time was devoed TO the
thirty articles embraced in this Declaration of the
Rights of the Inhabitants of the Commonw ealth of
Matsachuaetts The article concerning the tenure
OF the offices OF the Judges, and the If salaries has
been modified SO to provide that sthe Judges of
the Supreme Judicial Court should hold their Offices
BY TEXTURES ESTABLISHED BY THE CoNsTITU-
TIoN, and should have honorable salaries, which
shall not he + n nj 70
UANcE IN OFFICE
The other articles, penned by the hand Of John
Adams, have been retained untouched
The people, during The past few years, have Justly
complained of the length Of the sessions Of The Leg
lSitluie; men OF all parties, and the presses of all
parties, have united in these COMPLAINTS During
the last six years these sessions have been
prolonged beyond the time necessary 10 do and do
well, the public business. The sessions of the Leo.
Is,ature, during the past four years have averaged
/ lSI days No man believes il necessary, that The
Legislature OF this Com nonWe alh should eli annu
ally l37 days--more than one third Of year-to do
the business that comes before it. The people looked
TO the Convention TO correct these abuses of long
! sessions. Their just expectations have heen fully
| realized. The amended Constitution provides for a
LImITATIoN OF THE SESSIONS TO 100 DAYS.
Article 81 Of chapter 1st declares that no conDe,lsa
hon shall be atowed for attendance Of members, at any
one session, for longer time than 100 days' This
lanes tibHl llt fbisidIle Inc power to
make compensation Or more than 100 DAYS attend.
ance at any one session. A great reform is thus
accomplishment reform thai will, in years. at the
most, save 10 the Commonwealth enough To- pay the
whole expenses of the Convention. This reform
cannot but receive the cordial support of the people
OF all parties Ii the amended Constitution s adopt
ed by the people, the members of the Legislature
will be compelled to close up the business in 100 days
The Will not SIT many days without pay, and they
VIII not dare to adjourn with their business unfn.
ished Public sentiment and sell interest will force
the members TO perform their duty with fidelity The
Governor VIII mol take the responsibility Of calling
an extra session unless some great emergency de-
mands and will justify it. Al leg slalve bodies not
only perform more labor, but they do it better, when
under some little pressure. When deliherarive
body drags It's slow length along, free from all pres
sure, The business it does is not well done This
important amendment was adoptedby the vote of PAP
IN The affirmative TO 40 in the negative.
Another saluary reform is secured by the amend,
ment which provides thatthe
COMPENSATION OF MEMBERs OF THE GENERAL
COURT
Shall be established by standing laws; but no ac,
increasing the compensation shall apply to the Gen.
eral Cour. which passes the act' This wise reform
takes irGm the Legislature the power and empta
ton TO increase The compensation Of It's members
The pay must be fixed by law--any change Of this
aw-any increase OF the compensation viii not inure
" tnc behtHt 81 me members making such change.
This proposition was adopted without dlseentinp
voice.
Article 18th OF chapter 1st Of the amended Con.
suton, provides that in all elections by The Gen.
eral Court, or either branch thereof
THE EEMBERs SHALL VOTE VIVA yocE,
This tends TO carry out the American PRINCIPLES Of
popular sovereignty and representative responsbii,y
The theory Of our institutions i the soyereipnyy
OF the people Representatives are The agents of ths
le-responsibe TO the people, who have riob,
to know how their representatives vote. FRI,
amendment makes il the duly Of Senators and Ren
reseniatiVes to vote in elections openly so that N
people, whose agents they are, may know for WHOM
they vote.
/ The ls Article Of chapter 2d Of The anende
Constitution provides thai the Commonwealth shni
be divided Into
40 SINGLE sEEAToRIAL DISTRICTS
based on population, 'of contiguous errtorv and as
nearly equal IN population may be'--'no town
ward OF any city TO be divided therefprP had In
honor, as Chairman Of large Committee Of tNenl
one members, 10 report this single senatorial disri,
system 10 the Convention. II was reported by IN
r.