Feliciana sentinel. [volume] (St. Francisville, La.) 1877-1892, 1880-12-04
A NEW CONSTITUTION.


in the now Constitution which are con-
! stantly arising to vcx the people, to inn
pedc tie working Of the government, and
to produce confusion and uncertainty in
! the administration OF public affairs. The
country press is giving utterance to tho
complaint of tie people anu in their name
| is asking for relief FROM pcrnicious and
detective leGis'atinn. This relief can on.
ly be afforded through Legislative action
by the General assembly in extra session,
! to be convened ut an early day.
Tie repeal of II hun: Der of laws which
| now cucumber the statute books and
which time has demonstrated to he u,l-
wise and inadequate and the enactment
OF such others us the necessities of the
people require would moll fv, in 4 meas
uve, the discon:ent SO generally express
ed. 1t is trne the constitutional defects
| could not be reached except by Con-
vention Of the people. The method pro-
vided for amending the Constitution
by the General Assembly could not be
made operative until the next election
for Representatives, which will not occur
for three years to ccmc. Article 256 of
the Constitution reads:
'Proposition for the amendment Of this
constitution may be made by the General
Assembly at any session thereof, and if
two-thirls of all tie members elected to
such house shall concur tho rein,
after such proposed am cntments have been
read in such respective houscs on three
separate days, such proposed amen;lme mt
or amendments, together y it'll the yeas
and nays thereon, shall he entered on the
journal, and the secretary of State shall
cause the same to be published in two
| newspapers published in the parish of
Orleans and in one paper in each other
parish of the State, for threc months pre-
| cceding TIE rect election for Representatives.,
| at ;rh;ch tiRe The said amendment or amend
| Eteats shdN be Submitted to tie electors for
tier Gpprorrl or rejection and if a major
ity voting on said amendment OF amend
then such amendment or amendments so
approved and ratified shall become a part
of the constitution.
When more than one amendment shall
pc su bmitted at the same time, they shall
bc so submitted as to enable the electors
to vote on each amendment separately.
The result of said election shall lie made
by tho proclamation Of tho Governor"
Under tho provision, then, it is evident
that no amendments to the constitution
can go into effect until after the election
in 1884. &or can an extra session of the
General Assembly call Constitutions!
Convention unless the Governor, in his
| proclamation converting the Legislature,
specially desisnates that act as one of the
propositions for the extra session to con-
slider. Hence only the regular session of
1882, which will not thus DO restricted,
can order Convention of the people.
! The Morgan City Press summarizes, in
spicy and comprehensive editorial, the
political situation lis it appears under the
existing state of legislative affairs. 1t
states Tho case s" pointed'y hat we give
! Tic article i'll fall straw Indicative
Of the current Of public opinion. 1t says ::
! 'lf member of the Legislature from
t.le parish of st. MARY should introduce
an act entitled an act TO promote the
! industrial progress and genercl welfare of
the State of Louisiana, by repuIiating
public debt; by starving out public
schools; by offering premiums to dclin-
| quent taxpayers; by erecting an expen-
sive system Of judiciary; by gerry man
ding legislative districts to overcome
popular ,ua.ortics; by granting extra
| ordinary powers to paroclial returning
officers OF clcctions,' etc, there woIll be
no diversity of opinion in doubling his
| sanity. Yet a constitution Il convention
OF the State of Louisiana solemnly at,-
opted such 4 legislative act, placed it 10
fore tho people, and by laying stress up
on otter issues than were con tanned in
the instrument itself, secured it's vatifca-
ton as the SUI reno law.
Now that a few months have elapsed,
and the document is more sobcrly viewed,
its defects have become apparent, aud we
sec such staunch papers as the New Or
leans States, the Marksvlle Review,
Onachita Telegraph and others bringing
them to public notice. The idea of rcpu-
diati"n is not so popular as it once was.
In Virginia the debt-paycrs buried the
Re adjusters in Tennessee the State
credit men elected q Republican Cover.
nor, III Arkansas u reputation amond-
ment was voted down. Then, too, the
Federal courts do not sustain the ren,,di-
aiionists. Memphis and Mobile abandon
cd their city charters in the vain hope f
escaping their liabilities. but the crcli.
tors soon obtained favorable judgments
III tho courts, which lave ample powers
for collecting. In New Orleans the Fed