Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1873-06-05
OUR COLUMBUS LETTER.
COLUMBUS, O., May 31th, 1872.
HOW 1T IS DONE.

Tuesday afternoon. 30 IN the hail
the House so strangely quiet in tn
absence Of the members, anu the al
tending noises of the session, with tn
bright sunshine of this last May day
streaming gladly through the plail
Doric windows, and dancing in bril-
liant rays down among the shadow
around the pillars and flashing owe
the desks and the miscellaneous arra!
of books and paraphenalia that sur
round them; there 1--WE seat ourselve
down, and take our pen in hand tt
write you a few lines" to tell you lit
tie something about what l know
and which perhaps you would like tt
know. Thinking that it may satisfy
common curiosity to give some account
of the way in which the busy bees
gather the constitutional honey, upon
which the people are to feed during
the next twenty years. To person
who has but a slight knowledge OF the
workings OF Il parliamentary body, on
dropping into the Convention to look
on, every thing seems to be in the
happiest confusion, and the inexperi-
enced spectator is reminded cf the lit
tie affair at the Tower of Babel, which
caused SO many families to disagree
and emigrate. We were amused re-
Gently on hearing the conversation OF
several ladies, who were in the Hall,
and who were trying TO become inter
ested. "Whst are they doing now ?''
"Why do they let so many of them
talk at timer" "Wby, 1 never saw
such fussing ?" ''There's no sense in
isw 81 don't understand thing
they are doing;" and they went out,
we fear, with an exceedingly low esti-
nation of the dignity and Importance
of the body.
The rules OF the Convention are very
similar to those of the House of Repre-
sentatives, and a proposed amendment
to the Constitution Andergoss much
the same process of a bill introduced
into the Legislature. When the pre-
sentation of propositions are in order
the crude amendment of the Constitu-
tion is read at the Clerks desk, with
the name of the author. 1t is then
sent to the printer, and when printed
is read the second time at subsequent
session of the Convention, when it is
referred to its appropriate committee,
where it has to undergo the cruel al
test of examination by the committee,
and if there is merit in it, it secures
recognition; the defects are remedied,
the matter is reported to the Conveil-
ton, fixed for hearing, undergoes de-
bate and has to run its chances of adop-
ton by the Convention, and then has
to be submitted to the people for final
Endorsement. From the process any
new amendments to the Constitution
have to 60 through, it seems as if
there were little danger of any perni-
cious clause creeping into that instru-
ment. OF course, with license offered
in the presentation of propositions,
there must naturally be some abuse of
the privilege, and many amendments
are proposed which will never get out
side the committee rooms. During
the past week |
FLOOD OF PROPOSITIONS
Have been passed into the Convention
On every conceivable subject. The to-
.al number thus far foots up 1lS.-I
Nearly dozen have been presented
On the question of permitting counties,
ETC., to lend their aid to railroads, and
20 prevent their doing so. Nearly 20
.elate to the remodelllng of the judici-
Try system, several to abolish capital
and 80 on, to the end
some members, with sense of the
udicrous in their souls, let it crop out
n propositions occasionally. Here is
model amendment of the kind pro-
,osed by the jolly delegate Wilson.
rom Mahoning:
WHEREAS, The laws of the State
hould be uniform and impartial, and
g our fellow-citiZens who are corpora
Ors of railroads are no more to be ia
yored nor any more ereprehensible than
timer citizens:
Therefore, it is the sense of this
that no person elected to
n holding Office under the Constitu-
ion or laws of the State, shall receive
my pass from railroad companies, nor
rec ticket to any theatre OF other
,lace of amusement; nor free boarding
rom any hotel or restaurant keeper;
lor FREQ clothing from any merchant
ailor; nor free seat in any church; nor
'ass from any stage company; nor free
icket to any ball or social party; nor
uffer himself to he treated by any sa-
Don keeper, or other person or corpor-
ton. But in all his dealings he shall
ay as he goes, lest by accepting the
nticing civiIities of refined society he
nay become overpowered or suspected 4,
f being influenced or corrupted"
The Convention will undoubtedly
oon be flooded with remonstrancesI
gainst the adoption of the above,
-om Mott, of Auglaize, Dan Callen,
Iercer, Haag, of Henry, and other {
iembers of the last Legislature, who {
,ok the whiskey straight and free,
nd would like to come back again. i.
THIS WICKED CITY.
For long time Columbus has been !
le SodOm Of Ohio, liable at any time 7
, be visited by the wrath Of Heaven,
nd overwhelmed with fire and brim-
one, on which no tariff could be r
WED, wickedness flourished like a \