The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-07-20

uChtiOu do JURORS In Hi Gases VdVH Or
criminal and to their disability to hold
any office Of profit, trust or emolument
in this State. II cannot be said that
these were mere acts OF Legislative
usurpation. The Supreme Judicial
tribunal of this State has declared, that
this whole series of disabling and dis
qualifying acts were passed by the Leg
islature under powers conferred on Il
by the present Constitution OF this
State .., .-5.-gsT : - Efg
3d. Regarding the retrospective politi-
cal test oath as an instrument Of OPP
preston, dangerous to the rights and
liberties of the people, and capable in
any period Of excitement of being used
for the worst purposes of faction; sub
tie and cunning invention Of our recent
disordered times, undreamed Of amidst
all the civil and politicalSrevolutions
and fiery conflicts Of party which have
marked the histories Of England and
France, we should consider any con-
stitution as subject to deep reproach,
that did not, with the experience of tka
last seven years before US, forever pro
hibit a resort to such an expedient, by
any Legislative body for any purpose
whatever. ..... 1884 --.
Resolued, Sd, The omission in our
Constitution of an article forbidding the
Legislature to pass any special laD for
any case for which provision might be
made by a general laD; and requiring
that body to pass general la,os for all
cases where a general law can be made
applicable, has converted our Legisla-
ture into favorite tribunal for the ad-
Indication of private interests; unneces-
sarily protracting the sessions of that
body; causing neglect Of the true OBJ
jects for which Legislative bodies are
created interfering with private rights;
and disturbing the peace of entire COM.
munities by ill-considered, partisan, and
er parts special enactments. Il So.
Resolred, 4th, With an article incor-
porated into our Constitution limiting
the Legislature to its appropriate flnc-
tons, biennial sessions of short duration,
would be adequate to all the purposes
of general legislation, saving for more
important State purposes the money
unnecessarily expended by annual cleo.
tons and annual sessions.
Resolued, 5tb, The experience Of our
State Governments in this country has
shown that one of the most valuable
safeguards against hasty and ill-consid-
cred, not to add partial and corrupt leg
islation, is the obligation imposed by
those Constitutions (but omitted in
ours) req uiring the Governor to atfix his
signature to every bill before it becomes
law. The undivided responsibility Of
the Executive is an important correc.
tive OF that divided responsibility which
each member Of large assembly shares
in common with his numerous associ-
ates. 1t simply refers Objectionable
legislation back to the body for recon
sideration, with the public eye intently
directed to the conflict which has thus
arisen between the Legislative an Elk
ecutive departments of the government.
Resolred, 9th, The frank, open and
manly system Of viva voce voting,
which has been characteristic Of our,
people from the earliest settlement of
Virginia, and which has ever been re.
garded as one Of our most cherished in
situations, should be restored and the
secret ballot under which so many
frauds have been committed and con-
cealed, should be abolished.
Resolved, It'll, The subdivision Of
our counties into townships, rendered
imperative by the present Constitution,
is unsuitable to the average size and gen.
eral arrangement of the counties. tits
an institution Of exotic growth, hastily
incorporated into system with which
it is not congenial, and to which the
people have not become reconciled by
nine years experience Of its results. 1t
needlessly multiplies Offices, and in
creases the burden OF taxation. In
some counties it is barely tolerable; in
others it is a grievous burden. We
have no doubt the wisdom Of the Con-
vention can readily suggest some other
system of county government, more
suitable to our pastoral and agricultural
habits, to our general sparse and scat
tered population, and to our small and
mountainous counties.
Resolyed, 9Th, Since the elevation of
the colored race to the dignity Of citi-
zenship and the right Of suffrage, JUS
tice to those counties in which that
population dwells, requires that the ap-
portionment OF representation in the
Legislature shall be based upon the
entire population, and not exclusively
upon the white population, as the present
Constitution prescribes.
Resolved, 9th, The power given by
the Constitution to majority of the
Legislature to remove the Judges from
office is repugnant to every sound prin-
ciple of government. Every Judge in
this State now holds his Office at the
will and caprice of the Legislature.
From the partisan or improper exercise
of this power there is no appeal or re-
dress. Popular elections and short
terms sufficiently impair the independ-
ence of the Judiciary; this provision
utterly destroys it. 1t may be doubtful
if any instance can be found under the
present Constitution where a Circuit
Court Judge has declared any act OF
the Legislature unconstitutional; and
we believe it has been done but in a
single case by the Supreme Court OF
Appeals, and that one where no interest
or feeling could be excited by the de-
cision.
Resolcsd, 10th, We believe the prin.
ciple of minority representation one OF
the most practicable and valuable dis
coveries which in modern times has
been made in the science Of popular
government; eminently calculated to