The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1872-11-22
Revising the Constitution,

Revising the Constitution.
Subj ct to ratification by the qualified
voters Of tho Commonwealth, the Con.
vention now in session at Harrisburg
iS invested with nearly all the political
power Of the three and a half millions
of inhabitants of the State of Pennsyl.
vauia. The law and the vote of the
people authorizing the assemblage of
that body reserves but two subjects from
the high powers granted to the Conyen-
ton. One of these prohibits the Con.
ventiOn from changing the language of
or in any way altering the declaration
of rights" set forth in the present Con.
stitution and the other prohibits them
from making any proposition to estab.
ish "A court or courts with "erclkstUe
equity jurisdiction" These excepted,
tie Convention may submit to the peo.
pie amendments to any part of the
Constitution or an entirely new Con.
stituti0n. This is the second time since
the year 1890 that such a Convention
has been called, the first and last pre-.
vious Convention having concluded its
work in 1888. Forty-eight years elaps-
ed before the first general revision, and
thirty folr between the second and
third.
On numerous occasions within the
last eight years, this journal has pointed
out the necessity for some new provis.
ions in the organic law of the State, to
guard against legislative and other
abuses. These abuses were not peculiar
to Pennsylvania, but prevailed to some
extent in many other States, and the
proper remedies for them were as OBJ
viOus there as here. OF the States
which have embodied some of the ess.
ential remedies against abuse, Illinois
has, perhaps, done the best in its revis.
ed Constitution of 1870, and some of
the reforms in that Constitution are
entitled to the highest consideration of
our Convention and the people of the
state. Thus, in order to guard against
what we in this State call "snake" leg.
islation, it is provided in the Illinois
Constitution, that every bill shall be
read in .fuB on three different DAYS, and
before the final passage of the bill 1t
and all amendments thereto shall have
been previously printed and on the
final passage of all bills the votes shall
he by yeas and nays upon each bill
separately, which vote by yeas and
nays shall be entered upon the Journal.
II is clear from this that the people of
Illinois have suffered from preciely the
same methods of scandalous clandes-
tine legislation that we have been
anllcted with here, and the Constituti-
onal provisions we have just referred
10 are well calculated to put an effec.
tive stop to some of them, The same
section in the Illinois Constitution or.
dains that no law shall be revived or
amended by its title only, but the law
revived or the section amended shall be
inserted at length in the new act.
These are all essential provisions for
tne protection OF the people of our own
state, and they were proposed in these
columns years ago.
But 1T is in the section prohibiting
certain kinds of specially mischieyous
legislation that we find in the new Copsti.
tuition OF Illinois, some ofthe most whole.
some reforms. tits therein ordaihed that
the General Assembly shall not pass
local or special laws upon any one of
tWenty-three classes of subjects. Some
OF these prohibited subjects will strike
our people as if intended for PennsyI-
vania. Thus the Legislature is forbid.
den to pass special or local laws: for
granting dirorces for laying out, open.
ing, altering or working roads or
highways; Tor vacating roads, town
plats, streets, alleys and public grounds;
lor locating or changing streets ; for re.
gutdting county and tO,cnship ofairs
for regulating the practice in courts of
justice Tor regulating the jurisdiction
and duties of Justices of the peace. mol.
Ice magistrates and constables for
changing or amending the charter of
any cHy, town or village; for repula.
ting the rate of interest ON money: for
remittlng fines penalties or forfeitures
Tor creating, increasing or decreasing
ices OF public officers during the term
I0r which said officers are elected or
appointed; for granting to any CORPORA
tlon, association or individual the right
TO lay down railroad tracks, or amend.
ing existing charters for such purpose
Tor granting to any corporation, associa.
tion or Individual any special or ex.
elusive privilege, immunity or fran
ehise whatever. All these subjects have
10 be provided for by general laws ex-
tenuing over the whole State, thus pre-
venting the Injurious and scandaiOus
practice OF referring to the unfit or cor.
rupt member or members of any city,
town or county, all the power of the
Legislature over such City, town or
county, or over particular subject.
In the foregoing we have very briefly
referred only to some examples of the
desirable reforms instituted Ia the new
of Illinois. There are a
great many others, some few of which |
may be mentioned. While the Govern.
or of Illinois is still invested with |
the pardoning power, that power can |
only be exercised under "regulations |
provided by law" This is a whole. |
some limitation. While the members |
ofthe Legislature are authorized to fix |
the compensation of the members of |