Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1855-01-18
p. THOMPSON Editor
AMENDMENTS OF OUR STATE CoNsTI-
TUITION.

AMENDMENTS OF OUR STATE CoNsTI-
TUITION.
This, being the year for the election and ac
ton Of Council of Censors in this State, the
question whether our Constitution may not be
amended for the better, has naturally and very
properly been quite generally discussed by our
leading Journals; and, as is usual on such oe-
casions, a variety of amendments have al
ready been proposed and discussed. These, as
for as we have noted them are s-... ..-.
LIST. The abolition of the Council of Censors.
I'd A change In our saystem OF representa-
tion which shall apportion the number OF rep
resentatives to the population of towns, giving
the large towns more, and the small towns less
Sd. Biennial session of the Legislature.
4th A change in the time of the meeting of
che Legislature from October to January
9Th. A change in the tenure of Office for two
or more years, instead of the present system of
annual elections -
With regard to the frst-the abolition of the
Council of Censors, which, though peculiar,
is not, we think, bad fea urc in our State Con-
stitution. On the contrary, We have always
believed it good one. 1t is a special body COM
ing directly from the people; and, being elected
for the express purpose of considering the work.
ings of the constitution and the expediency of
amending it, would naturally be more apt to do
better justice to the subject, and better repre-
sent the views of the people, than legislature,
who must otherwise move in the matter, and
who will, be likely to be selected with less care,
and for other purposes. There must be
some way for moving northumberland for the
reasons above given, we think the present mode
as good, and even better than any other; and
we would therefore let it stand ..
AS to tho second proposition, whether gener-
ally favored or opposed by the press, it will
never prevail. The small towns will never con-
sent to part with their power in the Legislature;
nor do we believe they should. The present
system Of allowing them all to be represented as
much as the larger towns, unquestonably ope-
rates both as an encouragement and means of
their increase in population and wealth, which
should be ever our policy. and which will soon
mako them all that any would require to be fit
organizations to be represented in the Legisla-
ture. The large towns have already enough in
fluence. Owing to certain imaginary, or facti-
tious Importance, which always attaches to the
Representatives of our large towns to the gen.
orally able and more legally experienced men
chosen to represent them, and the appliances Of
The wealth, tne employed legal skill and cum
ming brought to bear on those representatives,
and the representative of other wns-through
lobby intrigues and influence coming from these
same great towns; they generally. in the main,
contrive, even as the system now stands, to have
matterspretty much in their own way. We are
therefore no advocate for that proposition.
With respect to the third-sessons once in
two yoars-we believe our rairily multiplying
interests, already require, and will continue
more and more to require the meeting of the
legislature each year. Nor do we believe it
would be, in the long run, any economy or wis
dom to adopt it. We have all read of the
misery sick man, who, to save one third of the
expense, concluded to take the two boedngs in
one operation, instead of the two, of four ounces
of blood each, at different times, as the doctor
advised and just about such economy and wis
dom would be, in our opinion, the substitu ton
of biennial for annual legislatures
The fourth proposition is the change of time
for the meeting of the legislature from Fall tc
Winter. We can see no great object in this
as the fall harvest can easily be got out Of the
way by farmer representatives before session
time; and it can effect no other class. On the Other
hand, we think we can see positive objections to
change A session in winter must necessarily
involve greater expense Of fuel and lights in til,
State House, and at tho same time and for thu
same cause, lead to an advance in the price O
board. Besides this, it would be dilHcnlt tc
keep the ar-already bad enough in the Repre-
sentatives Hall, as good as now under the great
er heat required to keep the room comfortable
in winter, and the greater danger of letting il
cold air by way of ventilation. AS. difficult al
II is now for the members to preserve thei
health, we apprehend it would much more S,
in winter sessions.
Inc oth proposition we regard differently from
all the rest. 1t involves change which we have
:...,'I. w ,"''',''' u community
,n;t thot w.. gu "'' i','S 10 "u
.l.,1. mon WV mas u'0n properly eiec'eo
fnv ,ha oI;a l.OD' '.nv' ''i' MS capacities
in our most important of;ce, suoh "a J,laa II