The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1869-07-13
How shall our Constitution be Amen-
ded.


An amendment TO the Constitution is
proposed, for the consideration of the
Council of Censors abolshng the Council |
and vesting the power to propose amend
ments in the Legislature. The PROPOSE
ton is this, 'Let the Senate propose
amendments, and if both houses agree by |
q two,third's vote, let it lie over TO the
next Legislature, and if passed again by a
like vote of two>thirds, then be sent to the |
people to be voted on at one of their reg
ular annual meetings, Yea, or Nay, and
this to be final"
We can see no reason why this method
is not tedious enough TO answer the de-
sign Of hedging up the way against inno-
walton and hasty action, and 50 far, Is a
very good method to adopt, provided any
change Is to be made. 1t has one excel
lence about it, certainly-that of being
finally decided by the direct vote of the
people 1t is also more in accordance
with modern usage, perhaps. But are
these considerations sufficient TO compen'
safe Tor change in our organic law We
confess to Discrimination TO change for
the sake of change, or, for the purpose Of
conforming to mere taste in matters OF
form. If any material advantage is TO
accrue, it is well. But what is to be
gained Shall we tinker our constitution
because it differs, in some unimportant
particular, from the organic law of some
other state Shall we change time
honored law for the same reason that
woman dons n new bonnet Are We in
serious danger from method of altering
our constitution which has continued
nearly century with inconvenience to no
one? The objection to our present methS
cd, most frequently urged, is the expense
attending it. This question will, Of course,
be matter OF speculation until the eXper
iment has been tried. But the advocates
of the amendment will, at least, concede
us the privilege of questioning whether
anything will be gained in the matter OF
expense. We must bear in mind that we
have no guaranty that ambitious legisla.
tors will not seek, in the absence Of Other
opportunities, to make themselves famous
by proposing and discussing amendments
TO the constitution, at an expense, to the
state, Of $500 per day. 1t has been
urged that the light vote cast for Council
of Censors, at the last election, Is in itself,
conclusive argument that our present
system is not good one. But we must
consider that there was but one ticket in
the field, and that entirely inohiectionable,
and the failure of the people to vote does
nor even imply lack of interest, 1t may,
perhaps be safely assumed that they were
not especially interested, for if the Consi.
tuition ought to be amended, the need of it
was not yet felt by the people. We DO not
know what revelations may be made by
the Investigations of the Council, but no
grave misdemeanors, or, usurpations, or,
failures to execute law, or, any other
crimes or failures which it is the duty of
the Council to investigate, is now offen1
sively apparent to the people. Hence we
could expect no very great manifestation
of interest. They satisfied themselves
that good men would be selected, and
that was sufficient
The desirability of vesting the power of
originating amendments, in q small body,
is recognized in the proposed amendment,
by assigning that duty 10 the Senate. No
essential change is made in the first pant,
therefore, except that the size fthe body
is doubled. In the second provision there
is less difference. The Constitutional
Convention, ordered by the Council of
Censors, is equal in numbers, and would,
in most cases, be similar in construction,
TO the House of Representatives. 1t GER
tainly would not be composed of less able
material. The natural query, Their, is.
how anything will be gained by submit
ting these constitutional questions to a
body selected for another purpose, rather
than 10 one selected for this especial pur-
pose.
The provision in the proposed amend
ment that the questions shall be submitted
to the second Legislature, amounts TO MOTH
ing, but to increase the difficulty Of chang
ing our organic law, and, for that purpose,
it is a wise one. We cannot guard our
Constitution too carefully. But the mat,
ter is provided for, quite as effeclualy, in
the provision Of our present Constitution,
making the intervals of possible change,
at least seven years.
When we are considering whether the
Council Of Censors should be abolished, we
shonld not confne ourselves to the consid-
Grafton of the question of amendment to
the Constitution, This body has other
functions, quite as important, 1t was a
wise forethought, IN our fathers, to assign
the especial duty Of critcising the work.
ings of the several departments of our gov.
eminent, to small body of selected citi-
zens who should have especial qualities
which fitted them for this service. We
want the investigation made, whether the
Constitution has been preserved inviolatei
the laws duly executed the public taxes
Justly laid and collected the public mon.
ey properly expended; and whether the
Executive Department has assumed or ex-