Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1870-03-10

10 be saiesi VIII cah enough 70 make iVv r'lgs
HES ,es y.73o8f az ,,s...ig 63s /"
Six hundred and thirty-eight names,
Mr.. President, from the entire State,
whose population, upon the above esti-
mate, was s6s 1926. So much for a
measure demanded by the people s
But it is urged, 10 favor of the bill,
that our present system Of county gov
ernment is unconstitutional; and two pro-
visions of Constitution are cited, which
are as follows: a4xs as0j ED no.esis.Ia
The, Legislature may confer upon the boards of
supervisors of the several counties of the State
.The Legislature shall establish but one system
of town and county government, which shall be
as nearly uniform as practicable.
Now, sir, il does seem to me that the
simple reading of these two plain prop
ositions upsets and forever refutes the
very assumption which they are cited to
sustain.
1t is claimed that the words the
boards of supervisors found in the
first provisions. have well defined le-,
gal significa ion, and that they mean and
can mean nothing different than board
comprised Of one supervisor from each
town in the county, so that that the
meaning cannot be other and different
than as though the provision read, The
The Legislature may confer upon the
Board Of Supervisors, composed of one
supervisor from each to,vn in the eoun
ty, such powers DE- ~ sad tFi 81 u
But if this be the meaning of the first
provision, then the second becomes ut.
terly superfluous or nonsensical. For Why
provide that the Legislature shall es.
tablish but one system Of county govern
ment.' when one system and the only
one which can be established has already
become fixed in the organic act itself?-
And why provide that the system to be
established shall be as uniform as practi-
cable, when the system, whether uniform
or not, has already been established ia
the constitution and placed beyond the
power of the legislature. to change?--
These questions carry their own answer,
and need no amplifcation whatever. aa,
Passing from the literal construction
to extrinsic facts. the meaning becomes
apparent, In the early history of New
Hampshire, Vermont and other New
England States, the county judge had
exclusive control of the court house and
other county buildings, while the Sc
lectmen' managed the affairs of the vari-
GUS towns. In the course of time two
associate justices were elected to sit with
the county judge and whose principal du-
ties were to relieve him of the business
affairs Of the county :. And from this,
infer, came the commissioner system,
so-called. But systems Of. county gov
eminent are almost as numerous as the
states themselves. Thus, in Connecticut
three Supervisors or Commissioners for
each county are appointed by the Gen
eral Assembly, and vacancies are filed
by the Governor. 10 Ohio three Com.
missioners are elected from the county
at large. In Minnesota the county is
divided into five districts, according to
population, and one commissioner elected
from each. In the territory of Wiscon-
sin the Commissioner system prevailed,
while in Illinois at one time, as amin.
formed, a potion of the counties elected !
one from each town, while others elected
at large or by districts. Now the fra
mers of our Constitution allowed the
Legislature to select from all these sys-
TENS one which they might establish and
and subject to a single condition, only IT
must be as uniform as practicable.'--a
And in this view. sir, both Of the before
cited provisions of the Constitution be-
come Ineligible and significant. ssies
now pass from the argument in IA
vor Of this measure founded upon the
demand Of the people, from the objec.
ton to the present system of county
government. based on the fepugnance Of
the Constitution an examination Of
the question upon its merits. e47aq pa
The friends Of this bill claim that lis
provisions are more democratic, more re-
publican, more ia accordance With rep
tentative government than the present
system, and If this beptrue. InshalI vote
for the change. For If nation or state