New-York tribune., 1867-08-30
THE STATE CONVENTION.

The SlAlE NO4N LA' hOA''
rnr DEBATE Of THE POWERS AND DC I. TlEs ,, OF
STATE OFFICEBs-THE SECRETARY OF STATE
rn pr TIFCTED AT THE SAME TINE WITH
rtrr CoyEENOE-THE OFFICES OF STATE EN-
CINEFR AND SURVEYOR AEoLlSHED-IllE
nrpATT on THE POWERS OF THE LEGlSLA-
TTEr-ANNUAL SESSIONS TO BE HELD
~ rrt ForsPH TO TRIBUNE
Aru,lY. Aug 29-The debate upon the election OF
l,. Acknowledgement was renewed this morning.
Mr. George VIM Curtis and Judge Van Cott made
able speeches in favor of appointing that officer ana
esneciallv aimed at the charge that this course
cvinced distru, Of the people. The motion to ap-
mint was lost by vote of 80 to &C. The Convention
then struck out the entire provision requiring the
Attorney General 10 have been counSclo-a-Ia" lo
Zen, wears in this State. The office of state Engineer
and Surveyor was abolished from and aitcr January
! 1sfp bv n very decisive vote. The whole article
was then adopted with no other important changes.
An effort was made 20 postpone the consideration OF
tbo Pcport of the Committee on the Powers and
prtics of the Legislature, but was defeated The
article was taken mp but the Convention adjourned
.,,ifh,ut having acted upon any of its sections
THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE CONVENTION.
Nj HATCH Dem. Erie presented a supplementary
minority report from tine Committee on Finance
,r BARNARD Dem, Kings moved that the I'nl'
i,tc ON Revision De instructed TO amend the article on
towns and counties SO all to be raised IN any
County for the support Of the poor other than for the
erection and rent o buildings shall be separately levied
The Convention then tool, up for consdelauon IN, me
article ou the powers and du,ieS oI lhe Sgcvti'S O IT,
eu,.~ The article provides that these oilcCrs sha bc
elected by the people. city member moved 10 except
Mr f0LGER d p' Ontario, said Il stranger were to
enter here and ask Why this Convention 1dd assembled
i you he told that they were gathered by act OF the
legislature 20 revise aud amend the tont tllo lie
An 20 wears 10 see where there Is any friction IN the
constitutional maelEy ana %]hGii ] @ nC6e Mas TIy
debating whether the AtoInCy,%enoIm Cos sDou,c t5o
he apointed instead ol rond have found theories
irum the closet and from history advanced-bnt Only
ibe"r, There have been no real complaints made that
thr i an Of cectuc this officer has been failure But
even o the ground of theory, the theory Of Cecug the
Attorney Gcneral is the light one II makes INN Inue
prucu of the Governor he should be. Cases VIII oc'
cur. one came Up last Winter where tAG LNcetlVe
tiutaity Of law, which could not occur If he were
whatever advanced fOI changing this plan' mat has
worked vel for % years past. , ,, a., o,,,,,, %
.lr WAkEMAN Rep" 6enesee) IaNored the clccuoh oi
M G0I.Lp lR,I. Columbia) had been informed on
hunt he never called ON The Attorney ior any
official action or advice WLeh me Wih,,U ay St So
P P nc MD noi trI.t his AttOrncv-Gcueral For this
reason and because there afiiigon between the
& $50 oOo since isiG for counsel for the Governor. II
wclllnowu that the AttoTey-GeneIal Is very seldom
i'm ms otFcc here at Albany II the Governor
should ask him TO stay here he would answer that tlc
same mower that elected elected the other. This
should be rclncded by organic law Again the country
0gm,h investigation ba, proved true; Has any Attorney
General inquired into t. matter winch mas nov Dfeu
going for twenty years! Any business man meaning
,rch rruOIs about Dis clerks would have examined INTO
Mn. BAKER Rcp. Montgomery inquired whether any
Governor had ever inquired into these alleged nduds
Mr. GOULD did not know whether he had done So Dui
supposed he had not mas iaHcn as Ine PVg nto ~ I
furnished the Governor WIN ne proper HiCGI =" c A
er for this very rcastn, should he appointed D.! the
Sir CURTIS G}ep Richmond said the theory in re-
gard to this Convention advanced by the gentleman lrOn
ontario Nir Fo.s,D uas radically faioe Oh te r con
t ont by He U,oui, but they were sent here TO
SUI ont ana report 10 tu.n what changes ought tobe
made iu the fundamental law. They had gwen thtli
icrtcs no instructions to those matters. They are
not to deprive the people f any rights or TO uup any
powers, but TO s"y O. me people, lh our JmuS4@eu @
popular government o. If there c0uId De no SIh GOV
ermcnt unless every officer IL directly eIGc,ea nE %@ me ie
people, from the Governor down 10 the ha'u o'lStI.
These ON the contrary a questions OF cNItdehcN euti
fI believed tha the Exec uve who is charged with the
execution OF tie laws should be allowed 20 choose his
avn avs TLis Commttcs Just in the degree that tIoy
present simple fundamental law 10
50 farw they be apt to make it acceptable Gentlemen
,rcac imaginary spuaer here oi people Jealous Oi
heir action in any event lie wished TO add his protest
a., r1nrsenati at J. rc of one Of the great parties
" his state ON behalf Of the nte gence and high moral
corfh which ne rere scuted he wished 10 protest with
all mis- warmth agaiu-J The tusOme hattcry OF tie people
which had been iuda,gol u this hOOr and which was
always the fatal fOTcrIuuer Of moral fal lie Wohlu
designate (WithOut intending 10 find fault the remarks o
4bc gentleman from New York his left MI PciIcpJHl
II was his experience that those who praise the people
most di-trust ana dread tie people most IHgse VINO
lavish their cncCuims the dear people are those VINO
In IN back rooms and pun the wires Of caucues ana con-
vcutious lie lived iu The ucighbCrhOod OF tue CITY OF
Nev-Nor He remembered when the degraded rabble
went through the streets, dragged little children 10
he lampposts, hunted men and women through ue
avenues, and elamOIed for their blood ana smt
4. for other reason but because tAey were
praised the virtue OF the people, and fattcrcd thCb
Find him such man, who dares not correct the faults o
line ucouc and he would show them one who, II he were
u France would bc the ycest tool OF the Emperor Na-
pOeon He said this much because he thought he Con
veutlou i'm danger OF losing its dignity. Let them not
think that the honest plain people do not see through
mis- transparent varnish Of hatCry. Leave this matter
70 thc people and decide the question upon It's real
merits ---,...
Mr. HERMAN Dem, oneida thought that complaint
enough had been made OF the bad working OF the depart
fnents OF the state Government OF late years II had
been conceded that there was no Executive III ts oc
There is AZ present scycI-headed ENctutlNc-eacA hed
acting INDEPENDENTLY They wanted more umty ana
more responsibility. As to the peOpe-the power IN any
event comes from them. The people Will IJocc III an
efficient Government, without regard 10 thell NOthS Ioi
officer more or less - ~, .-..... H..
Tho previous question moved upon the amendment
Carried. .,..o..4
and IL was lost, by vote of 80 20 &C, as follows: