Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1870-09-30

day for 80 days. 800. SIT .0CG
Per diem of Chief Clerk tsiO per day -,
Per diem of Assistant CLERK ts7 per
day for 80 days.. .........::.... 2lO
Per diem of Principal Doorkeeper t*6
per day for go days).. -...-..... lSO
Per diem of two Assistant DOorkeepere,4
as per day for 80 days. $780, 800
sl7. 800
Add mileage extras, expense of ratihca-
ton by the people ........ 81. O10
$40, 900
| We feel sure thirty days will give ample
time for Convention to do ? the people
desire to be done. As soon s it is organ
lied let each article of the Constitution be
referred to an appropriate committee, who
will consider and report what every man
knows the people demand, which is sim
ply return to the old paths In all matters
not affected by the result of tho late war.
This need scarcely consume ten days. Six
months ought not to elapse before every
change is made and the new Constitution
in operation.
Let us see whai it will cost to accom-
plish the same result by Legislative enact
ment and how long. It will require the
consent of two different Legislatures and
also subsequent ratification by the peo-
ple-so that even if the same result be &C
complished in the shortest time possible
by this mode, it will be at least two years
and half before it is done. It must
therefore necessarily take two years long
err Why should we wait all this time
What will it cost to wait these two years
Al 1
of proceedings upon the impeachment of
the various officers guilty of malfeasance
who must be gotten rid of. and who with
out Convention can be gotten rid of
only by impeachment, will more than COW
err the whole cost Of the Convention ten
times over. The history of all impeach-
ment trials shows that the process is a
long and exceedingly tedious one, each
trial generally consuming weeks of time
The saving made by preventing the extern
sion of the sessions of two distinct Legis-
latures, with double sets of presiding Off
GERS, clerk, doorkeepers, &c, will be GER
tainly twice the amount OF the whole cost
OF the Convention, as there can be no
reason to assume that either of the two
Legislatures will be moro expeditions than
the Convention. The saving during the
two years arising from the immediate
abandonment of the present commissioner
and township system and the immediate
abandonment of the present complicated
and costly proceedings III Courts of law,
under the Code of Civil Procedure. will be
almost incalcuiable. But we have some
thing more definite than this. by return
to the cold paths" we save the
salary of two Supreme Court judges for
two years, 50. 500 per annum.. $4,000
Salary of five Superior Court Judges tor
two years, 81, 500 per annum, ..... $4,000
Salary of three Code Commissioners for
two years, 50, 500 per anpqm, ..... $4,000
Salary of Superintendent of Public Works,
So 500, ..,............... 5000
Amount saved IN two years by sbolishing
useless offices. .................. $500
Whole coet of Convention. ........... 10000
Clear gain on this single score ....... $4,000
But the Legislature will not come up to
the full measure Of its duty if it simply
contents itself with removing Radical OF
fee holders and installing Conservatives
in their places. The people will not be
satisfied that their will has been carried
out, even though every Office holder in the
State shall be a man of undoubted capacl-
ty and spotless integrity.
The cause of all our troubles lies deep
rooted in the Constitution ITSELF as we'll as
in the men who are administering it. Such
a Constitution and such a government as
we have, cannot be made, by any set of
men, so WORK satisfactorily to our people.
Conceived in sin and born in 4niauity, lep
us hide its corruption in the deepest grave
wc can find. Let us return at once, as
near as may be. to the Constitution and
Government of our fathers. Let our aim
be, as speedily as possible, to seeA again
the old paths.
Such being our views, we are OF opinion
that the first bill introduced in the next
Legislature ought to be one calling a Con-
vention at ae early a day as possible
to make the alterations in the Gonstitu-
ton demanded by the people.
In conclusion, we take occasion to re-
iterate our declaration that there is no
purpose TO touch the Homestead Law, the
rights of co0red eitizens or to obstruct or
oppose the reconstruction acts Of Con
gress.
The Tribune and Governor Holden
Gn H. -