The Nevada journal., 1857-02-06
Gge 0ebaoa yoarnal.
FRIDAY MORNING, FEB. 6, 1857
CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION.

posing to submit the question of con-
stitutional convention to vote of the
people was referred, have reported in
favor of the measure. The report is
quite lengthy one, and sets forth, III
full, the arguments pro and con.
We cannot fully agree with ali the
reasoning and statements of the COM
rrlittee. We think that our constitution
IS, upon the whole, good one; and we
doubt whether convention would get
up better one. There are men in the
state who could do so; but it is very
questionable whether they would be Sc
lected as delegates to the convention.
The period when an American commu-
nifty first passes from territory into a
state, is, in many respects, peculiarly
favorable to the formation of good
constitution. Then, politics has not as
sumed that ferceness, and bitterness,
which it afterwards exhibits. Then,
political lines have not been distinctly
drawn, and parties, as such, are scarce
ly known. The consequence is, that
men are selected for the responsible po-
sition on account of their real qualifca-
tions, and not for their partisan predi-
lections. Afterwards, when the state
has fallen into the regular routine of
political intrigue, and partisan exclu-
siveness, a convention is apt to be com
posed of party favorites, rather than
wise men.
And then, we doubt very much wheth-
er it is necessary to revise and change
this entire constitution" 1t seems to us
that few amendments only are neces-
sary - and not radical change of the
entire Instrument. To our mind, it re-
sembles an edifce well built in the
main, but needing few alterations in
some of its apartments, rather than a
structure with false foundation, and
crooked outer walls, which must be
pulled down, and then rebuilt.
But while we do not agree with the
committee in all their positions, we are
willing to adopt their main conclusion,
i. e. that the question should be sub
mitted to the people. And we do so
for the simple reason, that there are
some amendments which ought to be
made, either by convention. or in the
other mode prescribed by the constitu-
ton, and we don't believe they will ev-
er be made in the latter way, until the
people have decided whether or not
they intend to have a convention
There are some features in the consti-
tuition which all agree to be defective.
Our judicial system particularly needs
amendment Our courts are too numer-
Gus, and badly arranged. Some of them
ought to be abolished, and the jurisdic-
ton of others ought to be increased
The number of members of the legisIa-
ture ought to be lessened, and there are
4 few other matters in which the con-
stitution might be improved All these
amendments might be passed by the
legislature, and submitted separately to
the people, but this will never be done
as long as convention is talked about :;
and the subject of convention uiH be
agitated until the people have had an
opportunity to pass upon it. Bills pro-
posing convention have been intro
duced iuto the legislature, at every ses-
sion for the last four or five wears.
Whenever separate amendments have
been talked about, the answer has been
"wait awhile; we will have constitu-
tional convention next year, and then
these matters can all be attended to at
once" Now, then, let us have bill
passed submitting 1t to the people, and
if they vote against it, why our legisla-
tors can go to word in earnest, and we
can have these necessary amendments
made in the other mode. If they de-
eide in favor of convention, why then
we can take the chances.
The question nor, is, not whether a
convention shall be called, but whether
the people should have a chance to say
whether or not they want one. Let a
bill be passed submitting this vexed
question to the people, and then we will
have time to consider what it is best to
do about it. If, after having thorough
iy canyassed the matter, we come to the
conclusion that a convention is not nee
essary, why, we can vote against it, and
there it ends. Our next legislature will
then know what to do. On the other
hand, as long as the subject remains in