, 1862-04-04

To:al. :. ssa.5so Total .-..--. s24s.33775
THO entire tux levied and collected for reyc-
nue purposes in 1861, from which ell salaries
and tie entire expense OF carrying on tho State
Government, are paid, only amounted to $685.
GEO. After deductlng tEc expense Of collection,
forfcitures, etc, the revenue fund will be
found to net much less tlan SI50,0D
Thus it Will be seen that It is proposed to
saddle upon the people form Of State govern
nient which in the single item Of sallries and
compensation will be three times Is expensive
rs our present one, and this at 4 time when the
business and financial interests Of our State
are proEtratcd By civil war, and tile consequent
collapse OF our banking system. aud when We
are called upon by the General Government to
pay heavy direct tax.
The reasoning adopted in the address (sub-
nlitted with the Constitution Possesses tae
merit Of eandor at least. It is this, that becaase
the Legislature has been heretofore compelled
"by fndirection and subterfuge to accoHplisl
what could not be ccastituto,aly done by direct
lcyis;ation," therefore, it was thought best to
take away al constitutional restriction, aud let
the Legislature plunder as much as it pleased,
has termed "putting the bars up - with a ven
gcance! Ihisanlendment nlay be satisfactory
to tic delegates, but will hardly be so wit Il the
people. Il is further stated in this address,
That " tile whole system is intended to so op-
crate as to prevent any officer hAsing a voice
C1Nu 3uuAICt!t Ill 0EtElAlul4H CHu Etut-
ptnsation.n Letus see. Ii Hadoptcd, the State
officers and the members ofthe Legislature 60
into Office at the same tl1ne-tar eo1npensa-
tion Of the officers is dependent upon the Ley
islature-the action Of the Legislature is de-
pendent upon the State officers, especially up
on the Governor, who has the veto power. Re-
sult-l continual WTangle and controversy br-
| tween the CO ordinate branches, Or what is
| most probable, extrayagant salaries and COM
rensaElop. Again. to show clearly tic Ellslty
| OF the address, and also that cxtrayagant sal
! aries will be voted. at the first session of the
Legislature, every. member will have ut least
| two officers from his own country at his back
| with the full consent of their local influence
thus certainly giving all Of these 2l5 new OIL
GERS an Indirect voice, ut least, in fixing lis
| OWE s3.!arics-
All this and much more can be said against
| tic proposed system, and in flyor of tue plan
| Of fixing Mt least limit in tue Constitution
| beyond which the Legislature cannot go.
Choose ye which plan you ought to adopt
LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT.
Tho proposed Constitution provides for 1;;5
| members of tile Legislature ut s.; per diem,
{iustcad Of 100 as now at s3}, and does not
limit the duration Of its session, as at ut pres
By an increase OF members and pay, and by
leaving the Legislature perfectly free to pro-
long its session for mphths, which tv:Ty one
knows, and the experience Of this and every
ntlitr State proves, will hi doue.
| It Is claimed thAt the members Of the Leg
ielature have voted themselves large sums III
The Nay Of "l'crluisites, yet, although it i;
admitted in tile address: that this was consrar,
to the spiri: and provisions Of the present
Constitution, it is especially provided iu tLe
ore proposed, that Stationery snail be furn-
is1lcd ut the expense Of the State to cach
member Of tic Legislature, and every one
knows that stationery in legislative parlance
means gold pencils, pen-kniycs and the liks
-thns opening the way by actual provision
for the very abuses which the present Consti
| tuition dues not permit, and which the Con
| ycntion was especially called upon to correct
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT.
The principal change made in this depart
mcnt is III shortening the term Of all Siatt
officers to two Years. This is totally uncallet
fir aud no reason is cTt Il alleged for it. Il
every other instance tho terms Of Office as
left as they are now, or have heen extended
It is impossible to conceive why a departur
from the general rule should be made il thi
case. The duties Of all these officers are St
complicated, Involving SO much care, routin
and warchfulpess, that no one in two year
can become sufficiently familiar with his du
= ties to discharge them SD well rs under til
present syste1z. It also i,.uitirlies election
and partisan contests for State officers, whic
ought to he avoided rather than encouraged
The Congressional superintendent by til
Conys ntion, a=ide from any partisan view, is
plain and ralpab}c violation, of the Constitr
lion Of the United States. which provides thu
the Legislatures Of tic States shall pe1forl
this duty. Will the people irdorse such q yil
lation Of the Constitution Of the Unite
| States?
In racating the Offices Of Governor, Audito
and Secretary Of State, providing that d
! ollcr officers who we're elected at the sam
TING and since for four years, shall be retained
the Constitution makes an unjust discrimins
tion, wholly unpTccede1ic cd and unworthy til
countenance Of free people desiring 10 az
fairly between Ean and man. When j! i: Gu.
sidcred that these officers came into power at
crises Unparalleled in tie history IF our Stat
"A civil var Just breaking 0ut-os
: State Threatened with inva5iuu-.he Whol
; country excited and alarn:cd-eycry c;e1!c1
1 Of society disturbed-aEl when il is furtht
considcEed what u2.i1ing efforts have bee
| made by these officers, under tue drcct!o
: and control Of, and in harmony with, the Gu
: trnor, to assist the Government OF our conntr
l in putting down rebellion when it is conSit
5 cred thai, above all the other States III tb
5 neDt in the rlising and cquipping her gullal
c soldiers for the field, her owu brave sous VII
). have won immortal honors on every blood
: ft}d-hsr own brave sons, uoF CO
c cred with dcath1cEs rcnown; when the:
;, things are 81 considered, the conclusion
r forced upon us, that there must have bee
some II ason Oh the part of the majority Of Il
c elegates, which they have not avowed AZ
d which they do not derc 10 avow, for the pa
5 | sage Of this implied ccnsure on the highc
: executive officers in the State. The only re
i son is that the strenuous exertions made t
l. OUT State to aid the Federal Government
4 this war against the traitors who are sceki1
IF its destruction do not command their appr
e bation and support Leaving out Of vie
e tEeir gross assumptions of power, clainil
'e the right to elect United States Senator al
to enact laws, descending even to acts
l. Epccial legislation, the facl OF their attcfpy