Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1854-12-22

ceiyed,
As to the qualifications Of the members
the only limitation Of the Constitution is, that
the members of the General Assembly for
this year are ineligible
The members Of the Council should he men
of intelligence and comprehension Of views,
of honest purposes, and thoroughly imbued
with such fundamental principles as the peo-
pie of the State are attached to. But no one |
ought to be chosen simply because he is wing |
or democrat, or republican--or because
he is farmer or lawyer, or a mechanic,
or preacher or a trader,--or because he is u |
baptist OF a methodist, or an episcopalian, |
or because he is an old fogy or young
American--or because he is of any political
religious or business stripe. The State is
for us all to live in. All have an equal con-
Germ in having its Constitution good one.
All such differences are consistent with good
citizenship, and with an earnest desire to
have the government based upon the best pos
sible foundation for tho promotion Of civil,
political, and religious freedom in an inteli-
gent and virtuous people, and with an abili-
ty to look candidly and inteligently at the
Constitution as it is, and to weigh all argu-
mcnts for and against any changes in it.
For this reason the people, not as residents
of ToWas or of Counties butas residents of the
STATE, should take part in the nomination and
election Of the members of the Council -
Heretofore, the practice has been, often if
not always, to have nomination of the mem
bers OF the Council made by the members OF
the General Assembly, and to tax. one from
each county This year ii meeting was called
40 usual and there might have been thirty or
forty persons present, but no one seemed then
ready tor any action, all prciering to leave
the matter to the people. Lot the nomina-
tions be made in some way by the people, say
ws--tne people acting in sucn way az to give
tain weight to their relative numbers
We nave also a word to say about tho Con-
renton to which the Council of Censors are
to submit their proposed amendments.
Tho Council Of Ceusors are empowered " to
call Convention" but in no specified wav
Nothing in tho Constitution hints q. how
]
Their than it is implied that the people are to
q have an opportunity to instruct their dele.
gates on the subject" ofthe proposed amend
ments, which are to be published for their
information, at least six months beforo the
delegates are elected
1t has always seemed strange that the
Council Of Censurs have seen fit to constitute
that Convention Of one delegate from each
toicn Nothing in the Constitution says or
implies that any such thing should be done
/ Nothing there points 10 such 4 preceding
The whole arrangement is left to the discre-
,iou of the C0un0l0f Ccnsors, who should be
guided by the fundamental principle Of jus
tice and equity especially as they are set
forth in the Declaration Of the Rights Of
the Inhabitants of the State Of Vermont
Now the whole language and spirit Of that
chapter is such, as to point directly 10 M'
reople, as those for whom the government il
organized--as those who are to see to it thai
the government is such as shall secur,
equal rights TO the people AS members Of
one community, the StGte. Towns and
counties are neither named nor alluded
to in the chapter By the second part
of the Constitution, containing the frame
of the government, it is provided that
the House Of Representatives. is to consis: o.
one member from each Toton and SO long az
that stands SO, the Torns have equal powers
in the business Of the General Assembly,
But that gives them no power in the business
Of altering the Constitution itself. Tina
ought to rest with the Pcople--anl the Con
vcntion which the Council of Censors is tc
call, should be 90 constituted as to give Il
the p,ople, as far as can be, equal right, t
act ON the business Of that Convention.
The last Council Of Censors proposed al
amendment of the Constitution, whereby fu
ture amendments proposed should be sub
, united directly - to the Freemen Of tn
State" This was right but they ought al
50 to have called Convention, the delegate
Of which should have been representatives. 0
the Peop!e, not representatives, Of Tolcn Cor
poration, The giving to ten men in on
corporation the same weight in deciding wha
+ the Constitution of the State shall be, as
hundred men or five hundred men in anothc
corporation have, is violation of the plain
est principles on which the Constitution i
| founded. We are sure that the subject neod
$ only to be carefully examined to insure gen
B eral conviction that the course taken hereto
fore on that SUBJECTS wrong, and ought t
be continued no longer. The wrong eours
taken before, induced the defeat Of the propo
i sed amendment referred to, and very natural
. ly, for wrong always strives to perpetual
/ itself. As to amendments, we shall hay
. something to say hereafter.
In another column a correspondent. has
word to say worth thinking Of.