The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1856-10-22
For the Register.
Constitutional Amendments

| number of Representatives than that of towns
in the state, biennial sessions to lessen state ex-
| penscs, and the new method of calling the Con-
sttutional Convention, presuming, that all the
inhabitants of the small towns will feel alike on
the subject, in their name. | have yenturcd to
present to the freemen of the larger ones this
appeal. Promising that Government is n crea-
turc of rights, a" deriving its just powers from
the consent of the governed and that the
nearer to the people all delegated power is held
the more secure are they in their rights, pro-
ceed to examine the arguments adduced by the
Council in support Of those amendments. Their
address says 1.-The present constitutional pro-
vision, giving each organ zed town one repre-
sentative without regard to population, is wrong
in principle, unjust in operation and unncces-
sarily expensive. The Council adhere to tho
more reasonable doctrine that population and
representation should he equal, and can see no
good reason why equal numbers should be une-
qually represented. They believe, and the jus
tce of that belief is irresistible that if ten thou
sand inhabitants in one section are entitled to
ten representatives. the same number Of inhab-
itants in another section, should not be repre-
scntcd by greater number. But under the
present system one quarter of the inhabitants Of
the state have nearly the same number Of rep
resentatycs as the other three-quartcrs, thereby
giving the controlling power of legislation to II
minority. Such palpablc injustice in n repre-
sentative government, though submitted to with
patient forbcarance for long number of years,
is nevertheless injustice STILL and should be
remedicd." A very high authority states that
all experience hath shown that mankind are
more disposed to suffer while evils are sufTera-
bic, than to right themselves by abolishing the
forms to which they arc accustomed. Under
the present Constitution the Senate is appor-
toned on a popular basis, giving each County
Senators according to its population, plural-
ty eecting. Now let us compare the acts of
this rcdoubtable Council with their arguments.
Article 9TH Of the prcpIScd amendments says
The Senate shall be composed of two Senator's
from each county, and shall be elected for the
term of four years. We contend that the
wrongs complained Of against the Legislative
lody as at present constituted, that one quarter
of the inhabitants of the state have nearly the
same number of representatives. as the other
three-quarters, thereby giving the controlling
power of legislation to minority, applies with
equal force to the Senate as they propose to con.
stitute it, and that argument Of tho Couccil, on
this point is stultifed by their own net. Arti-
Gle 9Th, provides for the election of Representa-
tiycs by plurality, which would 10 more toward
giving the controlling power Of legislation to a
minority, in the event, as is often the case, of
there being three sets Of candidates for the same
Offices, than the present mode, with the MAORI
ty rule. But the acts and arguments Of the
Council preclude the necessity of arguing this
point farther. Let us now look at the econom-
cal part Of the Councils argument Biennial
sessions they claim would be saving to tho
state Of thirty eight thousand dollars annually.
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VIII MAKE room 'or "no'her more hungry swarm,
VINO VIII TOD me ol every remaining orop OF
pioou IN my VEINS inc hiethor 1i cail!ng 'he
convention "uop'e' ot 'hr Noui'c' is o'Ject'o,-
aple, TO say 'he ieas'' II auiehulnch.s 10 the
CONSTITUTION are '|Hg uv"''ilu'" ny .he Pcoric,
therc Is reason ana ihteiligence suiicieh. III 'hat
people 10 No'e ior 'hose aihehuhieh's' ana any
course OF soPhistiy 10 inc contrary Is an iIui-
rect impeachment oil the Judgment ana under
stanu'hS OF lhe people IL pruueh' pupnc c,
economy demands Il new Rouse oi one hundred
ana hi'y members, elected ON tile d'strle' sys-
TEN, does not that same prudence anu economy
require the same number OF delegates TO form
constitutional convention Is II a correct es-
innate to pace upon the PATRIOTISM lhleliigehee
anu understanding which have Always charac-
u y.I Of