Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-03-20
THE RUTLAND HERALD.
A Good Example.

III not all, Oh OuI IGdllSAo, tb'e = DSN'y -
men, called a constitutional commits
sion" entirely non-partisan In Its charac-
ter, has been in session at Albany, for
for several weeks. with the purpose and
for the object of presenting amendments
to the constitution of New York, for the
consideration of the voters of that State,
and for their adoption or rejection. In
New York, as we'll as in other States,
there have been for years acknowledged
defects In tho organic law, but all at
tempts to remedy item have thus far
been abortive. In 1867, constitutional
convention assembled, convened under
law whose ayowed object and practi-
cal result was to secure non bipartisan
body, and composed Of some of the
ablpst and best men of all parties, avo-
cations and professions in the State,
which presented an entirely new consti-
tuition for the action of the people. The
result was its rejection, as its adoption
or rejection as a whole was the only al
Tentative presented to the people. The
vention was, assuch bodies usually are, too
large and unweildy, and their work was
batch of patch work, being in the IA
ture of compromise, not so much be-
tween diverse and conflicting interests,
in the ordinary acceptation of these
terms, but between advocates of SUBJ
jects entirely foreign to each other. To
illustratl ar meaning, although this
Identical compromise was not effected
The advocates of a general manufactur-
ing law would support a provision look
ing to the prohibition of the sale of
liquors, In consideration of the votes of
the friends Of the former for the latter
Two very good provisions in and Of
themselves, but necessarily standing or
falling by an entirely different class of
argument. We know not what provi-
sion has been made for submitting the
now proposed amendments by the peO-
pie, but we trust that, among other wise
reforms, 1t has not been overlooked,
that while one amendment may be wise
and beneficial and would commend itself
TO the consideration and acceptance of
the people, other propositions may be so
wanting in wisdom or possible good and
may, indeed, be so fraught with harm
that 1t would be preferable to reject the
whole rather than accept the part. This
commission have now closed their la
labors, and some Of their proposed
amendments are so eminently wise, prac-
teal and Of such universal application
that we hope to see them, at no distant
day, incorporated into the organic law
of Vermont and, also, in that of the
general government. 1t will be impos-
sible, of course, in the brief limits of a
newspaper article, to more than call at
tention to few Of these propositions,
without, at this time, stopping to dis
cuss or enlarge thereon. Reserying
comment, therefore, we notice that
power Is conferred upon the Governor in
cases of appropriation bills or other acts
providing for the expenditure of money,
TO approve or disapprovc by items; such
items as he approves to become part
Of the law, the others 10 be stricken out.
This, If adopted, strikes at the root of
an evil which, fortunately, we have not,
as yet, suffered from in Vermont. Other
States, however, have been made the
Victims of great many uBconsciousable
"grabs" by the want of some such pro-
vision. At the very last session of Con-
gress, and almost In its closing hours,
millions Of dollars were taken from the
public treasury and placed In the peck
cts of Senators and Representatives in
Congress, as mere gift and gratuity in
fact, by the appending of the increased
salary provision to the appropriation
bill. The bill as whole must stand or
fall together. Either the bill must be
approved as it was, or the expenses of
an extra session of Congress would be
entailed upon the country with, perhaps,
an entire failure for weeks and months
of the necessary appropriations for car
rying on the expenses of the government.
1t this power had been conferred on the
President, the way would have been
clear, the wrong would have been UNI
consummated and general legislation
could not have been hindered. This
illustration, alone, demonstrates the wis
dom and necessity of the provision. The
Legislature is prohibited from passing
private, special or local bills on certain
subjects, which are enumerated, but it
Is made it9 duty to "pass general laws
providing for the cases enumerated" and
'for all other cases which, in its iudg-
ment, may be provided for by general
laws" Among 1.-THE cases enumerated"
are, charging The names of persons !;
laying out, altering, etc. roads, high
ways and streets! draining swamps,
etc. locating or changing county
seats regulating internal affairs
OF towns and counties; incorporat-
Ing villages, or changing or amend
Ing the charter Of any village, protec-
lection OF game or fish RENTING fines,
penalties, etc. granting to any corpor-
alton, assc citation or individual the right
to lay down railroad tracks; granting TO
any private corporation association or In
dividual any exclusive privilege, immu-
nifty or franchise whatever etc, etc.
That the actual necessity for such aeon
stiiutionsl Inhibition and mandate exists
In Vermont, we have but two arguments
10 offer at this time Our words will be
brief, but our argument, at the same
time, will be complete, impregnabe and
exhaustive The one is found in sec
ton three of an act approved by the Gov
ernor Of Vermont, November 9th, 1872.
and is as follows. "The sum of seven.
ty-6ve thousand dollars is appropriated
for the purpose of paying the dcben-
lures of the Lieutenant-Governor. the
Senate and House of Representatives,
and the contingent expenses of the Gen