Daily national Democrat., 1861-09-17
The Proposed Amendments TO the State
Constitution.

The impression appears 10 prevail to some
extent, that the people should have voted. on
the 4 h lust, upon cerain propussd amend
nlent to the Constitution. The following in
reference d the sal jecI is from the oau Fran
cisco Herald:
| i viii, he refnenL cred. the last Legislature
ordered that ceit taiu specific nmrnducnls TO
the Constitution should he submitted To- vo'e
Of the people. The amendments ere OF
hghIy important character, proposing u COM
plele reform III the judiciary depal tlnent OF
the Government and providing for biennial
Session. OF the Legislature. We do not Ieal n,
however. that they have received any atien-
ton from The people, although they were
frequently discussed aud urged ly the press
! MOI n Notr, we believe, was east In reference
to them in san Francisco, aud the citizens Of
the interior seem 10 have been equally oUli-
yious MS 10 their import 'nce
The last Legislature merely proposed cer-
tain important amendments which. under
the Constitute OF the STATE must. leiore
being voted upon 10y The people, be agreed t"
10y Yet another Lrgi-lhure Here is the pro-
vision 1t is Section |, Article X of the
Any amendment. or amendments to this
Constitution. may be proposed in the Senate
OF Assembly; and if the sulne shall he ngI eed
10 hy majority Of the members elected 10
each of thetwo houses. such proposed amend
menL or auendneuls shall tie entered on
their journals. with The yeas aud nays taken
thereon, aud referred to the Legislature then
next to he chosen, and shall be published for
,I
King such choice. Aud ii III the Legislature
next CHOSEN us Aforesaid. such propused
amendment or amendments, shall be agreed
to by ii N ,jorty of al the members elected
to each hudsr, then 1t shall he the duty of the
Legislature 10 submit such proposed amend
ment or amendments to The people. in such
manner and at such time as the Leg stature
shall preeciite; and if the people shall up-
prove aud ratiy such amendment or amend
ments, hy m'jnrlty of the electors qualified
to vote for members of the Legislature, voting
thereon, such amendment or amen lment5,
shall hecotue part Of the Constitution.
The fact that the proposed amendments
were I'D ertsed led many to suppose. with
out referring to any authority, that they were
to he voted upon at the late election by the
people. The only object in the constitutional
requirement for publication, is that the peo-
pie may, if they choose, make the amend
monls an issue in choosing members Of the
Legislature. The amendments should be dis.
cussed and understood between this time and
the assembling of the Legislature. If that
body agrees to the amendments, the people
will be cniled upon to vote upon them "iu
such manner, aud at such tine us the Lrgi,a
ture shall prescribe" AS there are no State
officers to he chosen next fall, u special el,c
tion viii, in such case, have to be ordered
for voting upon the amendments or the con-
.ideration of them by the people viii have to
be postponed until 1868. The Legislature
will probably adopt the former course, il
they act fvorahly upon the amendments
1t is better that the people should vote upon
alterations of the Constitution at special
elections, when the Importance of the sVhirc,
is not forgotten amidst the din Of excited
Dartizins pushing into off 90