The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1856-01-24

y Jullclhl departments without legislative
check or limitat on. There can be no i'm
peachment or removal; during that peri
od, of any State officer for any cause now
ever urgent. he Con nstitutiohal respon
sibilijy of State officials, TO the immed,
ate representatives of the people, is thus,
in great part practically nulIitied. A pro-
found writer has well observed that every
departure from annual legislative sessions
Is n approach towards irresponsible gov
ernmenL and despotism.
Numerous occasions must necessarily
arise, IN d State SO large as ours, from past
legislative acts or omissions as we'll AS
from various contingencies OF other de-
scriptions. which. in The aggregate, Will
lmperallyeiy require the al entlon Of the
Legislature, although no one OF them may
constitute SUCH an tx raoriInarv occasion
as viii warrant the exercise oi the ~pe-
clal power vested in the Governor. Expe
dIency, therefore, no less than prrncpi
seems to'recommend annual rather than bi-
ennlal sessions.
There are some collateral considerations
tending to the same conclusion, wi.ch
SuOulQ not Dt overlooked.
The present Consti ution allows no a.
mcndment of its provisions, except such
as may be agreed to by three tiiths of the
members of each House, and by ma ior-
ity OF the elect RS votn. at the next 4
lection for Senators AMI R-pres MT .tives.
It follows that.no amen ment Of the Con-
stltution can be- made, hover unanimously
sanctioned by the Legislature or demand
ed by the people, until two years after it
shall have been proposed The subSttu
ton Of annual FIR biennial sessions will
necessarily require annual elections ior
Senators and Representatives, and will
thus remove this needles and dsparaging
restriction upon the exercise of the popu
lar sovereignty.
1t So happens. also, that the terms Of
Senators, from this State in The Congress
OF the Uni ed States, ex ire during the
second years OF the biennial periods. -
Every elec ion OF Senator, therefore while
our State Constitution shall remain una
mended, must. under ordinary circum-
tances. take place more tn n year
fore The expiration OF de current term,
and nearly two years before the Senator
elect will take his seat. 1t my sometimes
occur that d Senator thus chosen, SO long
in advance of the commencement OF his
term, will by no means represent the sen
timents or the will of the people. when
he actually enters upon the performance
of his official duties.
Those who are customed to look to the
State Governments for the mainten- nee OF
Stale Rights and the security Of personal
rights, will find another reason for pref
erence Of annual, to biennial sessions, IN
the obvious consideration that while the
sessions OF Congress are annual, and those
of the State Legislature are only biennial.
The regards of the people will be more alb
sorbed bv the former, and less and less
attracted by the latter. No well wisher
to the ptrmanence of American institutions
will desire to augment the tendency al
ready too apparent, towards the absorp
ion of the States in centraliz d and con
sollda ed Federal Government.
The greater expense of annual sessions
is sometimes urged as an argument in ia
vor of biennial and every argument
drawn from the important principle OF
public economy, Is, certainly entitled to
respectful consideration But / tn nix II
may we'll be affirmed. that, in this inst ance
the argument from economy is not vaiid
" lthout taking into the account the co>i
to the State at the mischief arising from
the delay OF needed legislation, it must De
fIrp.I 1.i,lra rad hnt i, fl.,.I,
through TWO years, Of business demanding
the attention OF the Geueral Assembly,
Will require protracted session ior its due
consideration. The time nee lei for two
annual sessions is not, necessarily, greater
than that required Tor one biennial session
The argument from expense, therefore,
may be readily obviated by proper imi-
tation of duration. AMI the question OF
preference may be reduced to simple
choice, irrespective OF expense, between
limited annual sessions, and unllmiled bi
ennial with occasional extra se,sion.-
My own judgment is SO thurou, hIy satis-
lied upon the Whole matter. that canno,
hesitate TO Recommend an amenimcnt OF
OF the constitution, providing for limited
annual sessions.
Your first and most earnest attention,
gentlemen, will doubtless be directed to
the important matters within the imme.
diate sphere of your Legislative powers
but you cannot forget that you represent
a sovereign State oe the American onion,
third OF the thisty-one, ia wealth, an.
power, end population. AMI second to
none in patriotic devotion To the welfare
OF the whole Country. The appointment
of Senator to- represent the State in one
branch OF the American Congress devolv-
es upon you, and in making this appoint
ment you will necessarily be required to
consider the Interests of Ohio as IA mem
Der of the Union.
Foremost among these interests is the
preservation of the Union itself Estab-
li>iled by the wisdom of our fathers for
the subimest and noblest political ends.
1t decends to us as asacred trust. Under
It's benign influence our country has stead
lily advanced from strength to strength,
and from greatness to greatness, extend
ing her borders, enlarging her resources,
and augm enting power, until the name of
American citizen has become nobler dis
citizen in the proudest days Of the nigh
test republic of antiquity, To maintain
the integrity of this Union; to defend
the Constitution which is its bond and
to guard against al Invasion from whatev-
er quarter those American Institutions
"A hirh the T1nion and tha Constitution 60