The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1856-05-24
ADDRESS OF THE COUNCIL OF CEN
SORS.

SORS.
10 The p'op'e of' he S'n'e Of Termont:
The Council Of Ccnsors elected on the las,
Wednesday Of March. A. ID. 1855, having
closed their other laborS would submi, to you
THIS Address. referring briefly to the -esuI,
Of their deliberations
The various sui, ,Iccts referred to the Coun-
c'l tor consideration and the duties and bow
"rs assigned us. are enumerated in the forty.
third aIticle Of the Constitution.
We have made inquiry whether the Lr,is-
iative and Executive branches of the govern
mrnt have performed ihe:r duty Is gua,,li.
ans OF the people, snd believe that both of
SAID branches of government in the discharge
OF their rrspcctsvc duties. have end,ayor.d
to oprcserve the right. and promote the peace,
and happiness of this Common wealth. The
attention of the Council, however, has zen
called to the fact, that the Legislature. for
several wears has neglected to elect a State
Superintendent Of Cou,mon schools. hv reaS
on OF which neglect. an important office for a
long period Of time has been and still remain.
vacant The laws now in force which reou
late our system of Common Schools. furnish
satisfactory evidence that the people regard
The sutl"ct OF vita! importance on which de-
pen'. the best interest. and prosperity of the
state. The passage OF the act iy which the
above named Office was created. and :he fact
that several sessions Of the Legislature have
been held since its passage. at which its repeal
might have beer sought for and obtained. il
desired by the people. required the Lesisla-
tire to fill the office aSreeably to the provis-
IONS OF law. which they were under solemn
obligations to support or repeal. In view of
the facts. the Council tecI in,rled to saw that
the neglect OF the Legislature to fill said OF
fee. or to repeal the law hv which il was Gre
atcd, was in violation OF the Constitution and
Laws OF the STATE; subver>iye Of the richt
OF the people; and it has furnished ,r.ce-
dent IN the history OF legislative proceedings.
which no subsequent Legislature should ic-l
al liberty to follow
The Councl have made inquiry whether
'iie public taxes have been Justly laid aud
c"llrc'cd in ali parts CT this Common wealth
and on this subject We find no cause of CON
plant
The Council have had under their consid-
Grafton that part of the Constitution which
requires them toeXaminr whether there is an
absolute necessity of amending. explaining or
adding to the organic law Of the State. and
they have endravorrd to give the subject
that attention which it> Importance demands
The Constitution of Vermont contains all
provisions necessary TO preserve it from evil
consequences OF unnecessary innovation and
the care with which an instrument SO impor-
taht has been and should continue TO he
guarded, renders IL manifest that the people
should be inli. satisfied that the Constitution
Is detective to their in iurv. before they in
trodure and adopt new system But when
II is apparent that substantial defects do ex-
isl in the fundamental aud organic laws of
the State, the dread of innovation should not
promp! us To retain a system which IL incOn-
si>'ent with the most sacred rights Of the
People. The trainers OF TIE Constitution of
Vermont. at an earlier period in the politi-
cal history OF the State, made provisions for
" the preservation ofthc rights and happiness
OF the people" with more particular refer
en"c to the state of the people. and to the pop
u'at'on ot towns at tha, time. and they wisely
provided for making such amendments
10 the Constitution As mi sht in the progress
ot Soclttv. become necessary 10 secure equal
nights. both 10 towns and TO individuals and
II Is manitc>t!y not less oar duty than our in
t'rr>t to accommodate present institutions To-
the pres n rights and wants of the people.
The Council have had under their cousd-
Grafton sevcra important PROPOSITIONS of a
mcnhmcnt to the Constitution. hich they Ic-
>pccttuily oAer for YOUR cunsiderlion and de-
clSiOn.
{ The House of Representatives should hc
made IA more accurate and immediate repre-
sentative OF the public mind. The prc>en;
constitutional provision giving each organi-
z"dtown one without regard
to population, is wrong in principle, unu,'
IN lis operation and unnecessarily expensive
The Council adhere to the mere REASONABLE,
doctrine that population and representation
should be equal. and can see no good reason
why equal numbers should tw uEtqual!v rep
resented. They believe. and the Justice OF
that belief is irresistible, that il ten thou
sand inhabitants in one section are entitled I,
ten representatives. the same number Of In
hahltaEt> IN another section should not b.
represented by greater number Bat undc
the present system one quarter OF
the inhabitants of the State hav
nearly the same numter of representatives a
the other three quarters. thereby giving III
controlling powers of Legislation toa nnorI
ty. Such palpable III Justice in representa-
tive government. though submitted to wit
patient torbearance for long period .. year
is nevertheless injustice STILL and should t.
renrdicd; and the Council believe that ur
less the people prefer to give the minorit,
the Constitutional Convention will adopt tn
proposed amendment 10 make the representa-
ton more in accordance with the population
OF the State. The presen: number OF repre-
senta'ives is altogether too large: a less nun
Der would facilitate the business oflecisla:ior
and lcgIslste more TO the satisfaction OF tn
people in proportion as .heir individual re
SpOnsibllty would be increased.
Another advantage would also be secures
bv sessenlng the number OF representatives
and by holding Biennial instead of Annua
Sessions OF the Legislature. This advantage
though OF a pecuniary nature, AMI conSe
t quently Of less importance, is not for thi
/, cause to be overlooked. 1t is estimated. at
8 ter careful examination. that twenty thou
sand dollars would be saved annually, by a
, dopting biennial sessions of the legislature
and that ten thousand, at least would be saw
ed by lessenine the number Of representa-
! tives as recommended by the Council. Thi
, annual saving Of thirty thousand dollars il
the expenditures Of State having compare
: tivelv no public revenue. and where the ex
penses OF the State are all regarded as OF th,
first importance, should not be wholly with
out its influence in deciding upon the weigh
ty matters. Ii FaPpears to US. that annua
sessions of the legislature. esl,eciaily with III.