Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1870-05-04
For the Journal.
The amendments. Finally.


stitution, perhaps not one will find more favor
with our citizens generally than that proposing
Biennial Sessions of the Legislature. The first and
principal reason alleged in favor Of this change
from the uniform past course Of annual lcgisla-
tive sessions, is that Of economy The second
and perhaps last consideration is whether bien-
na sessions might not tend to more stable legis-
ation Most evidently these are desirable OBJ
ects, if attainablo in this way, and not other
wise readily attainable.
Economy in the expenses Of government Is what
the mass Of the people greatly desire but as there
uc various causes and means of waste, or i'm
proper application Of the public money, so are
there various means Of prevention Of such waste
The first and most obvious means or method Of
securing economical and judicious use Of the peo-
pies money is to put it in the care and control oil
tr,se, intelligent and honest men. II the people
will elect SUCH and only such, men to Offices Of
trust there will be little trouble about the moGey
the laws, or constitutional amendments II the
free electors choose for Legislators and other off
GERS Of government, men destitute Of integrity
discretion or intelligence, they will find thai
neither laws or constitutions, however good they
have been, or may be hereafter, will give to theii
future interests sufficient security. II "mer
most noted for wisdom and virtue" are elected t,
make laws they will neither waste the public
money by protracting the annual sessions, or by
foolish legislation make laws requiring frequent
amendment or repeal.
The prosperity and happiness Of people depend
not so much on the form Of government, as on the
character and qualifications Of those who admin
ister it, Not that there is no preference in forms
or institutes Of government but that cunning
and corrupt men in office, sooner or later, vii
peryert such government to their own wicke,
purposes, and the positive injury of the people
They will make the most Of their opportunity il
Office, to increase their emoluments in ono way OF
another, or in planning for better future opportu
mites if these be less frequent, they will endeav
or 20 make the more Of them when they occur
If the sessions OF the Legislature are only biennial
they must be protracted in length on the very
plausible ground that the actual amount of legis
lation required by the public necessity is the
same, whether the legislature is in session ever,
year, or only once in two years. If biennial elec
tons and sessions make the office Of egislato
more important and attractive to aspirants, the,
will make more desperate efforts and sacrifices t
secure the Office the bitterness Of electioneerin,
contests will be increased, and the efforts to Sc
cure reelection will be intensified in correspond
ing ratio II more dignity and importance at
tach to the office, an increase per diem pay o
members will be demanded by those conservation
members whose election expenses have been in
yersely proportional to their merited popularity
Forms can avail little 30 secure good government
without integrity of the official To secure wis,
and economical legislation, if that is what tn
people ask let them elect only such to legislat
/ for them as are qualified 10 legislate wisely, an
are willing 10 serve for honest pay Otherwis
all remodelng laws or constitutions will be vain
But are there not good reasons for oontinun
the annual assembling of the legislature? First
the fact that since the origin Of the state govern
ment, (more than ninety years. the law maker
and state executive have been annually elected
and have annually assembled in the discharge O
their constitutional duties would in itself, with
out some urgent reason for change, constitute
good reason for continuing the present arnng,
ment of annually assembling !he wise men
state Secondly, the necessity Of annual legi.
lation is not less than heretofore,
The devices of those for whose restraint an
correction the laws are made, are as ingenious i
controverting them as ever they were New law
are needed to meet the exigencics Of dcyelopin
criminality. Business being more diversified
and people aggregting in villages and cities, an
advancing civilization and knowledge, and multi
plying corporations, make frequent demands 70
additional or more definite legislation
Even the annual session has in several ii
stances, not answered all the requirements lc
legislation, and it would not be over presumptio
TO anticipate there would be extra sessions as Of
ten as once in two years, should the biennis
amendment prevail and thus practically "
should have as many sessions, without perhaT
\ their former regular recurrence Thus we Shout
find, in the result no reduction in the expense ,
legislation, and ten years hence, the average al
nual government expenses would be found great
err for this change in the Constitution. But III
adoption Of this will necessarily bring with it tn
biennial elections another attempted perversio
Of the power of the many for the benefit O
the few
Even granting that greater ecoromy of expense
and more stability in the statutes could be attain
ed by these amendments, which is very problem
atical, they might be purchased at too great COS
Of popular right, and principles of official re
/ sponsibility.
| II ever the influence Of pure christianity shall
50 reform, elevate and enlighten the moral sens
Of the masses, that our legislators shall be wor
thy samples Of wise and yirtuous men, those time
honored features Of the Constitution will nee,
! little amendment
An important question arises relative TO TIN
legal force Of the 9Th article of Constitutions
amendments, proposed by the Council of Censors
This article provides, that at the session Of tn,
General Assembly of this State, A. d. 1850, ant
at the session thereof every tenth year thereafter
the Senate may propose amendments to the Con
stitution, &c. The query is this there being n,
Introduction, no express prohibition against tn,
Senate proposing amendments at other sessions
would this article be construed uniformly b,
lawyers, judges and Legislators, TO restrict tn,
Senate from proposing amendments at other, Of
intermediate sessions? / have heard il from
reputable member of the legal profession, thu
many, if not most, lawyers construe such form
of expression, in law, to interpose no bar to tn,
exercise of powers actually conferred, by such lega
modes of expression, at other than the specified
time, if there be no cypress prohibition. If thi
article is to have such construction, or even
doubt in relation to it, it will be well for the free
men TO consider whether they would adopt it, anC
thus give over the Constitution of the State to b.
subject to the annual or semi-annual manipula
ton Of the legislature, If it comes TO that
doubtless we shall have use Senator's more o.
less of them, who will think themselves compe
tent to improve the organic as well as statut
laws of the State, and our legislature will often
as Congress has, have its attention divided be
tween law-making and constitutions tinkering
We say, let us keep notwithstanding out o
the power of the legislature entirely, by reectin,
miS article, if not all the others.