The Nevada journal., 1853-03-04
A COmVemtiOu--DivisiOn.

nicia, published on the first page, will be
found interesting. The question of Con.
vention is being very generally discussed in
the State, and most of the press have ex-
pressed opinions upon it. The views in op-
position to this project we declared in Sep.
tcmbcr, 1851, and frequently since, we have
seen 10 reason to change upon reading the
voluminous arguments in the Legislature
and in the press, in favor of n Convention
We have based our opposition principally
upon the point that the main object of this
Convention is to secure division Of the
State. We observe by the admissions Of Mr..
Crabb, the mover of the subject in the Sen
ate, that this is principal object to accom-
plish The question of an expense to the
State in procuring necessary amendments TO
the Constitution is light one, and should
not be so strenuouSly urged as to prevent
important reforms in that instrument. But
as these amendments can be secured consti-
tutonally without Convention, and there
fore in urging Convention as a sine qua
non, the other object must be prominently in
view, it is well for the advocates and op.
posers of the Convention to take their posi-.
lions at once as for or against division of
the State and the favorerS of the Conven-
tion should no longer urge as'its object the
reform of the judiciary, biennial legislative
sessions, SC. The disingenuineness of the
o1y ic
urging their purpose to reform the Constitu
ton Of the State, when their prime object is
TO separate themselves from the State whose
organic law their last act will be to remodel.
Why should Mr.. Crabb, Of San joaquin,
feel such a deep interest in the Constitution
of that part Of the State which his avowed
design is to separate his section from, to or
ganizc it into a territory All his eXposi.
tions of the irregularities of our organic law,
and the necessity Of radical change, must be
viewed with suspicion, for the means he
wishes to set in action TO effect these changes
he designs shall place his section beyond the
reach Q! them. fthe Legislature shall deem
tho recommendations of Gov Digler to be
ofimportance to the State, they can pass lis
and other amendments, and submit them to
the people; and the intelligent voice Of the
people will decide in favor or agaiustthe va
rious amendments With more certainty and
satisfaction than can be arrived at whe~c q
new Constitution perhaps full of crudities,
is submitted to be adopted or rejected in
whole.
Much abuse is heaped upon the original
trainers of the Constitution by the advocates
of the convention. But have we purer or
more enlightened men 20 frame another Con-
stitution? If the present Legislature is to
he taken as an example of what the conven-
ton will be, we opine any advantages that
will be reapcd from its session will be acci-
dental Most searching and accurate por-
traits of the present Legislature have been
drawn by the advocates of this convention in
attempts to describe and denounce the franz
ers Of the Constitution. Until society is
more settled, and the general character OF
our legislators improved, we believe no CON
yention that can be thrown together by the
heaving elements of political and sectional
intrigue, will be better than the original con-
yention, that numbered among it's members,
Gwin, Semple, Gilbert, Larkin, Sherwood,
Snyder Suter, Vallejo, Norton, Ellis, &c.
But we observe new feature is intro
duced into the discussion. The S. T. Mrald
has started the idea that because San Fran.
cisco pays heavier taxes than any several of
the mining counties her representation should
be based upon that and not upon her popu
lation, and complains that the mining coun.
ties are oyer-represented. Accordingly, it
says
If the counties of the interior will hold
this preponderance and will persist in this op-
preston, by means of a mere brute force ma
lority, based upon an unjust apportio nment
which they themselves fix, the sooner we get
rid of their thraldom the better and if this
can be done by no other means than by di.
vision of the State, why then let us have n
division"
San Francisco is better represented in the
Legislature in proportion to its population
than any other large county save Tuolumne,
which is too largely represented. In pros
portion to its population it has nearly double
the representation of I'll Dorado, Calaveras,
Nevada and Yuba. In new and Just ap.
portionpent, these interior counties must
have their representation increased, and will
insist upon it. Population is the only ac-
knowledged basis of representation, thank
God, in republican State. The poorest
man that walks in honesty in the community
is of as much political weight in the eye of
law, as the lordiest capitalist. If an issue is
sprung whereby men shall be Disseminated
against in favor of money, the interior will be
ready TO meet it, even though the resul. ad.