Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1877-03-31
GcOr. Manchester 6. H. Daily UniOu.l
When viii the Amended Constitu-
ton Fake Effect
To me Daily Onion.


In the URioaef Saturday was the state
ment COPIED from the Journars Concord
letter. that the amended Constitution
must go into effect in 1878, for our State
election must fall on the Presidential
years. In that case Ges. Prescott aRd
other State officers win hold over, and
the Legislature will choose a United |
States Senator to succeed Mr.. Wadleigh. |
1t would have been difficult to have
crowded more misstatements into the
same space.
In the first place the amended Constitu-
ton need not necessarily go into effect in
1873. 1t can just as well, and for oblous
reasons is far more likely to go into
effect in 1877 than in 1873 as we shall
show.
Secondly, our State elections need not
necessarily fall on the Presidential years.
There is nothing in the Constitution or
laws of the State, requiring it to be so.
Again, the Legislature just chosen will
not "choose United States Senator to
succeed Mr.. Wadleigh," unless, which is
very unlikely, Mr.. Wadleigh sees fit to re-
: sign his seat in the meantime
rne amended Constitution it viii be,
and is admitted, win go into effect this
, year, or in 1878. If it goes into effect
this year it is not pretended that the
Legislature just chosen will elect a Sena-
e tor. But suppose the first election under
the amended Constitution is held on the
Tuesday after the first Monday inNovem-
Der, 1878, then also the Legislature then
Il chosen will alone have the authority to
d choose United States Senator for the
h. term of six years, commencing on the
fourth day of March 1879, when Mr.
, Wadleigh's term ends. The statute OF
the United States regulating this matter
: is as follows "Sec. IA. The Legislature
n of each State which is chosen next pre-
G ceding the expiration of the times fol
which any Senator was elected to repre-
sent such States in Congress, shall, OF
the second Tuesday after the meeting anC
: organization thereof proceed to elect {
o chosen on the Tuesday after the frs
~ Monday in November, 1878, would un
deniably be the one chosen next precedin!
the expiration of Mr. Wadleighs term
u e., the fourth Of March, 1879.
IL True, the Legislature does not NEE
&c nor does the term of the members com
# mence until the first Wednesday in Jun
ri after the Senatorial term commences
but that is a contingency recurring q
. every election of Senators, if the frs
&c election is in 1873 which the constitution
er fails to guard against The law, it will
ID be seen, relates only to the time when tn
Legislature is chosen; and the time of it
meeting is entirely immaterial so far a
- respects its authority to choose Unite
(; States Senator. That Gov. Prescott woul
t. hold over is by no means certain, bu
in for various reasons we believe the Legis
lature will provide that the amended cor
sttution shall go into effect at an earl
day and that our State election will b
&c held in November, 1877, and every tw
Mt years thereafter. We shall then have tn
" election for Congressman in even year
;, and State elections in odd years, and Ill
less the laws are changed, an election 70
" town officers in March of each year
Us thus having eight elections in every fou
or years, instead of five elections as q
D. present. So that although the peopl
m have expressed themselves in favor of a
election once in two years, they are likel
= to get two elections in each year. B.