Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1868-12-18
THE BURLIN GTO n.

the day appointed for the election OF such Con
venrion, for the previous consideration OF the
people, that they may have an opportunity OF
instructing their delegates On the subject
The Constitution of the State of Pennsylvania
originally had like provision, (the Vermont
section was copied from that but the people Of
that State soon altered their Constitution without
any help from a Council of CensoIs, and left out
Of their new one the provision for any such body.
Vermont has held on to hers, awkward. cum
brous, and expensive as the operation of it has
proved to be- The Council was once considered
a respectable and important body, and through
its means a number Of amendments to the Con-
sti;ution were from time to time recommended
and adopted But in time it fell into disrepute,
and for many years it has been the remark Of
thousands Of the more considerate Of her people
as often as the septannih business Of electing
Council Of Censors has come around, that if the
Council Of Censors would propose to strike out
the section providing forit, and leave the amend
ment Of the Constitution to be effected by some
Of the simpler methods in use in other States, it
would be doing enough, and the best that could
be done, for once.
For long time the nomination Of thirteen
men for Censors, was made by the members
Of the Legislature. For some reason that usage
was departed from in 1850, and the people were
left to get "a, q nomination the best way they
could. Some proposed the nomination Of one
for each Of the larger Counties Of the State.
/ emitting one, the smallest, since there were
( fourteen COUNTIES In one or two Counties no
limitations were made on that plan but the
others did not DO So, and the end of all after the
repsautat.on ola score OF more of tickets and
sixty or more names, was that Council was
pnyately put in nomination and elected by the
hnow-uothing or American lodges. The mem
bers Of the Constitutional Convention, elected
according TO the order of the Council, when as
semblei, to complete the drama, voted in sub
stance that they were 10 Constitutional Couyen-
ton at all-except to draw their pay-and did
not vote pro or con on the provisions for mend
ment submitted to them but took their pay and
went homc-thc whole preceding being very
little to their credit
Seven years rolled on without any particular
damage tothe "Freedom Of the Commonwealth
by reason of the folies and fail ares of the Coun
ell or Of the Convention, and in 1862, the TINT
for choice Of new council came ar uud Thi
time, too. the Legislature omitted to present any
nominations Of censors. There WAS no secre
organization TO take the thing on hand as IL
80. and for a time it looked as ifuocouucil woul.
be chosen But finally an anonymous call APP
re.rei IN the papers, for a mass convention, t.
meet at Burlington, without distinction o.
party TO nominate thirteen men for censors
The " Fl,herlc-- Convention as it was called
met. fifty Or sixty in number, on the 18th C.
March, and uomiu4ted ticket # one man from
a County C.lyia- out poor little Essex County
as follows
Addison, Hora-il Neeiham.
Bennington, Leonard Sargent
Caledonia. T. A. Cqh0au
Chiueud.u. T. r. Hard
Franklin. - Rand
Grand Isle. j. H. Reynolds.
L4mu.Ie. 80. H. q Reynolds.
1-r..-. I T. Fl,,.r,5.
Rutland. s VI. Dorr.
Washington, j. A. Pren'iss-
w.. .l.i''.'l''' ira ID ' rl..-'i..,,
There was we 19le''' never my S''''.'''
o. adj! vote 'A nus ','''' '' IU'''- '.,'--.
t--' an5 'oif '''e1 Tor ''' '1' us ''''-
'''e1 '.' any ..''.' .-