Wilmington daily gazette., 1872-12-16
A Constitutional Convention = Jta
- Cost. &C.


the Gazette has ..no special objection TO Consti-
tutional Convention" and asks "Then can we
not have one called by this session OF the Legisa'
ture ?" The Commercial had proposed 10 nave
the Representation in the General Assembly
changed by Act Of the legislature ana ''e
Gazette in the article from which our neiehoor
auotes stated that if this change was made by me
Act of Legislature, We could not see the necessity
of Constitutional Convention. We then said
the cost of such u body might reach fifty to sitty
thousand dollars. The CommercjoFs estimate s
greatly under this. ltsays:
"We believe a Convention. iii the members gah
could be reasonably hmtedl could readily frame
new and satisfactory Constitution. III SIX weeks,a'
n cost of not over one-sxh what the Ga.eHe esti-
mates, namely $4,000. This would be liberal
amount"
Haman wants to alter his house nowadays. 1t
is sad he must contract for the job. or expect to
nav for more than the estimate he starts with.
We admit that $4,000 ought TO pay for a"satis-
factory constitution even when made by a Con-
vention: and in former times it woudh have sufliced.
But We prefer to hold to our estimate OF the cost
OF Constitutional Convention. and II the people
are Determined to favour such m unnecessary
movement, We will be very willing TO reduce our
estimate when it is proved too hieh.
Constitutional Conventions have been immense
" costly in all the States within the last lew years
One is being held IN Pennsylvania now, and llar-
rlsburg was found too small and ln"onvenien'
place for it to sit it has ordered church htted
up for its accommodation III Philadelphia
How long it will sit no one knows. The measures
it will adopt depends upon the ascent OF Cameron
Sho Ripp which carried the election
last fall
A Convention in Delaware cannot he held with
out an election; and, with the complaint OF the
bribery and corruption Of the last election fresh
in our ears we do not think il would be advisable
to incur the great expense for the small amount
Of good that is likely to be derived from IT. And,
since the Commercial informs that Representa-
ton in the Legislature may be changed by an act
Of that body,we can see little necessity fora Constr
tutional Convention, and would prefer to wait
until our people express clearly their desire for
o change in their organic law. We have seen no
evidence that the people OF Delaware went Con.
stitutlonal Convention; and the most that We could
expect Of the Legislature at its next session would
be to authorize special election to be held at
which our people should vote Tor or agafnN aC Con-
vention.
II the Legislature, by two-thras vote. would
agree to divide the State into Legislative dis
tricts, and increase he number Of Representa-
tives giving this city and county farcr pro-
portion Of representation, there would be no need
Of Convention. The Constitution could be
changed in this way, provided the succeeding
legislature affirmed the enactments OF the present;
this would be necessary to complete amendments
to the Constitution.
The political sea is turbuent-its waters are
corrupt beyond all conception, and the people OF
Delaware would be reckless to embark upon it
now. If they were to do so they might lind
themselves like the mariner whose compass was
washed away while dark clouds obscured his
northern beacsn, and his ship was nearing break
srs that he could neither see shun.
With an Administration at Washington ready
to sustain the acts OF any political party that will
Low to its will, the people OF Delaware must take
heed how they part with their rights. To elect a
convention is 10 place in the hands OF men the
chart by which We hold all our iranchises-the
urn in which our rights and Liberties are placed.
There may come time, as there has been times,
when we might feel free to advise that this trust
be reposed in partizans chosen at an election bu,
that time is not now.