The Placer herald., 1862-06-28
Amendments Proposed to the Constitution
of California-..A SWindle Attempted.

ment. One by amendments proposed through
the action of the Legislature; the other by con-
vention of the representatives of the people call
cd for that specific purpose Under the former
mode ''auy amendment or amendments to this
Constitution, may be proposed in the Senate or
Assembly; and if the s;,mc shall he agreed to
10y majority of the members elected to each of
the two Houses, such proposed amendment or
amendments shall be entered on their journals,
with the yeas and nays taken thereon, and referred
to the Legislature then next to be chosen. and
shall be published for three months nert preced-
ing the time of making such choice. And it, i'll
the Legislature next chosen as aforesaid, such
proposed amendment amendments shall be
agreed to by majority Of all the members
elected to each House, then it shall be the duty of
the Legislature to submit such proposed amend
mcnt or amendments to the people. in such man.
ner and such time as the Legislature shall pre-
scribe;" etc. Acting under this clause the Leg is
lature of 1861. proposed some very important
notifications TO the Constitution, which will be
found rs proposed by the Senate. spread upon its
journal. pages 500, 80. 81, 80 and S33. with
the yeas and nays on the passage thereof in that
House. They were then reported to the Assem-
bly, Journals of Assembly 18th session. page
SS3) and referred to the Judiciary Committee
with instructions (page Ss7,) and made the spc-
cial order for the 18th of May. On the 18th of
May. the Judiciary Committee reported them
back with amendments. which were passed (png
S95) amended. Neither the amendments pro-
posed by the Senate. nor the Assembly amend
ments thereto. spread upon the journal of
the House, as required by the said 10Th article
On pages s73-'4 of the Senate will be found what
purports to be the notifications Of the Assembly
and as it there appears were agreed to by the
Senate, and of course became properly IA part of
the proposed amendments. but the proposed
amendments as thus agreed upon, are no where
spread upon the journals of either House.
What the Legislative record for 1862 is. we have
no means OF knowing. the Republican State
Printer has not az yet given the public the print
ed journals or laws, for the past session. 1t is
assumed. however. that something was confirmed
by a vote OF that body, for we find in the Sacra.
mento Union what purports to he the proposed
amendments, published under proclamation of tho
Governor. This same paper published in 1861,
by similar authority. what purports TO be the
those published this year. If they were publish
ed correctly in $751; then the Legislature of 1862
has not passed the same amendments, and if they
were right this year. then the provision requiring
them to be published in 1861. has not been COM
piled with. which makes the whole proclamation
void. In 1861, the Union published section 80
of Article -four, as amended as follows:
"Section 80. Sections 80 and sc OF said Article
four. are hereby abrogated and annulled; and in
order that no inconvenience may result to the
public service from the taking effect of the
amendments proposed to Article four by the Leg
islature Of 1861, no officer shall be suspended
or superseded thereby until the election and qua
LITIGATION Of the several officers provided for in
said am mendments.
This year it publishes it emitting all about
sections 81 and Snow which is the amendment
proposed 10 be voted on by the people? Those
sections are very importand. and read rs follows:
"Sec. 32. Dnes from corporations shall be secured
by such individual liability of tie corporators,
and other means, MS may be prescribed by law.
Sec. &c. Each stockholder of Il corporation or
joint stock association shall be individually and
personally liable for his proportion OF all its
debts and liabilities 1t will be seen th It they
are of inconceivable interest to the people as
they operate as shield against wholesale swind-
ling by such crafty rogues as l. c. Woods, Meiggs
and that style of confidence men, who have with
in their respective spheres diddled the less crafty
out of their honest gains. Only open the door
for that style of men, to engage rs corporators
in some scheme. by which they shall make large
gains upon the credulity of the public. and then
draw out when pay day comes. and live in secu-
rity on their i'll gotten gains, and see what swim
dies will be perpctrated. This in itself is too i'm
portant matter to leave in doubt, yet this with
other equally interesting matters are by the pro-
ceedings already had, left in such muddle, that
if the vote should by chance be declared for the
amendments they ght be claimed to have re-
ceived the sanction of the people There is chance
for big swindle to say the least of it. We do
not charge that the Union is party to this thing,
but from the fact that that paper has always ad-
vocated amendments made by this process and
always opposed q convention of the people for
that purpose. and WAS last year and is now, the
medium OF publication of these amendments we
think some explanation is due to the public from
tina. source. We want to know what the amend
ments are and then we can speak understandingly
on the subject. IF the State Constitution is
'played OUT as well as the Federal. in the esti-
nation of that paper. come out and say SO, and
have done with it. Every citizen of California
without distinction OF party, has vital interest
in understanding this matter closely and cor
recily.
Pacific RAILRoAp.-The passage of
Pacific Railroad Bill through Congress, is
cause for hearty congratuation to the people
Of this coast, provided the law contains a
Hoe Railroad. We will have to wait several