The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1871-01-13


EighM.-There should be a funda
inehtai limitation to the powers of cor
porations.
MINI. There is absolute necessity
Tor greater security for the public fund,
and for their proper distribution.
Ienth.-Thc State Treasurer. Superin
tendent of Common Schools, and 4
Lieutenant Governor, the latter to pre-
side over the Senate, and perform the
duties of Governor, in case of his alb.
sence, sickness or death, should be elect
ed by the people. The Attorney Gen.
eral, Secretary Of State, and the Adiu.
tant General should, for obvious rea.
sons, continue to be appointed by the
Governor
E2ecenM. The day for holding the
annual elections could, with great pro
priety, be changed from the second
Tuesday in October to the same day i'm
November on which nearly all the sur.
rounding States now hold theirs. This
would dispense with one election every
fourth year, and prevent invasion from
other States for the purpose of inter.
iering with our elections, as the citi.
zen5 of each State would be occupied
with their own. The season, too, would
be more satisfactory to the people of the
agricultural districts, as it would not
interfere with the harvesting of their
corn and other summer productions.
IN" necessity for constitutional re
form is appreciated and admitted by all
who have reflected Upcn the subject,
ana without distinction Of party, Inc
press has been out-spoken, and has al
most unanimously sanctioned the call
ing, at an early day, of a constitutional
convention.
For these reasons, and many others
equally important which might be emu.
mcrated, | earnestly recommend that
the Legislature make provision for n
convention to thoroughly revise and
amend the Constitution of the State.
REVISION OF THE CIVIL CODE.
The commissioners to revise the Stat
uteS have completed their work. The
entire laws of the Commonwealth, in
GLIDING those of British origin, except
such rs relate to crime, have been re-
Vlsed, cOliated and systematically ar
ranged in Il volume of less than three
hundred pages, or about one-third the
size OF Purdon's Digest. Our laws are
the accrotionS of one hundred and sew
enty years. Many of them are incon-
gruouS and disjointed enactments, which
have been Increasing, from time TO time
by fragmentary legislation, without any
attempt at system, logical arrangement,
or cOnciseness of language. From the
examination / have been able to rive
the revision, | am satisfied that in the
discharge of their duty, the commits.
sloners have exercised great diligence,
ability and conscientious desire for
its successful accomplishment 1t can
not be presumed that a work of such
magnitude is perfect in every partcu.
lar; and how far it may answer the
purpose for which it was undertaken,
remains to be determined. That it il
an improvement upon what it is inten.
ded to supply there is no room fol
doubt. 1t adhereS in the main to the
text of existing laws, with occasional
changes TO meet present demands, but
which were not needed when they were
first enacted, and also additional pro
visions which the progress of the age
requires. The work, AS presented
might properly be adopted, without
material changes, making it the basis
for such amendments rs lime and nc
cessity may suggest, or a. may be rec
ommendcd by the joint committee t
which it was referred for examination
by the Legislature of last year. 1t viii
be seen that some ofits provisions have
been framed with view to throw mucl
Of our special legislation into the court.
where 1t may be disposed Of with les.
inconvenience to interested parties
and great saving in our annual eX
pendtures.
wRITs OF ERROR IN CRIMINAL CASES
AT the last session of the Legislature
IN act was passed, entitled " An Act tC
allow writS of error in cases Of murder
and voluntary manslaughter." The
first section provides that writ OF er-
rOr " shall be of right, and may be sued
out upon the oath of the defendant OF
defendants, as in GIRL cases."
The secoud section makes it the duty
of the judges Of the Supreme Court. in
all such cases, to review both the law
and the evidence.
Before this enactment the law re-
quired the defendant to allcGc that some
error had been committed by the court
on the trial, and to show cause, within
thirty days, why the writ Of error
sOuld be granted but this law gives Il
writ, whether any error is alleged or
not, and allows the defendant seven
years in which to Issue it, OccOrdi3g 10
jEe yr0cfjce in cjj'n cuSgs IIerptofora
thn Everutivr did NOT orIinarilv issue
thn warrant FIR nvecution of nnv crj,ni.
naI mill The eynjrotion of The thirty
J"vs with,n whlrh hn was nprmittrd t1
omf,lv rnr his writ of 'rror Thnt limit.
MIX! az ,hirtv dnvs hnino NOW vi,tn,i.
iv rnunaIpd and sven vnars substituted
tbarafnr IL If cvnnrird the warrant
shall he withheld tnr tho seven years >
If No, when nay If nroncrlv issue .
NnI If issnei nt Inv time within The
seven years may not tho criminal su.
uerscdg il at any time he pleasps by his
writ of error , And may if not be- rea-
sonablv eypected that this will be the
urocticol result in every such case ,
Thls would seem like trltilpr with very
serious matters; and respcctfully
submit whether the net of last session
shnnlL moi he renraIeI. or very mnteri.
alIv modified. Without DELAY, In NV
message of 10Th February. $50 rnturn.
inc the bill with INV objections | gaye
sundry reasons WHY II should not be
and the views therein ex.
pressed remain unchanged and the
Supreme Court of the State, in the re-
cent ShGppe case, express their opinion
~ : Al. a., 4,