Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-01-05
Constitutional Amendments.

Vi paid within three months.
Constitutional Amendments.
Twenty-one proposals of amendment TO
the constitution were made to the house by
the senate at the recent session Of the leg
isature. Only six of these proposals were
passed by the house in concurrence, and
these relate to matters of comparatively
minor Importance The house seems to have
misapprehended its functions in its treat
ment Of these proposals of amendment. 1t
seems to have regarded its concurrence with
the senate in decision to initiate move
ment TO bring certain proposals of amend
ment to the constitution before the people
for discussion as settling the question of the
actual adoption of the proposals of amend
ment But its office in this particular was
an entirely different one. 1t was not ex-
peoted to settle defnitively the question
whether any proposals of amendment should
be allowed to come formally before the
people for their consideration, but If there
appeared to be feeling by any considerable
portion of the people that certain mooted
changes in the organic law of the state were
desirable, it was their duty TO embody those
changes in tangible form for discussion
and for a formal expression of opinion by
the people. The checks interposed by the
constitution itself against any hasty or i'll
advised change in that instrument are sure
guaranty that no proposal of amendment
not fully sanctioned by the people after re-
peated tests can ultimately become the su-
preme law of the state. Proposals of amend
ment made by the late Legislature would
naturally become the subject of popular dis
cussion during the ensuing biennial term,
and if of grave Importance, the election of
the members of the next legislature would
be made with reference TO their adoption or
rejection by that body. The character of
the amendments would properly receive a
searching investigation by body of men
elected, in part, with special reference to
that duty, but even their approval would not
be decisive The people would still have
the last word in the decision of the question,
as the legislature, after having approved of
any of the proposals Of amendment made by
its predecessor, must submit them to the vote
Of the people for final adoption. Now where
was the harm in formally submitting to pop
ular discussion such proposals of amend
ment as related to the reduction of the men,
bership of the house of representatives to one
hundred and fifty or to one hundred, to the
return to the system Of annual elections and |
sessions after having tried the biennial for
ten years, and the proposition to hold the
state election in November with legislative |
sessions commencing in january Had the
legislature embodied these ideas in well |
digested propositions, these would have
formed the subjects of popular discussions
against which, for ten years to come, the
constitution raises an insuperable barrier,
for there is no special interest or object |
In traversing questions like these which |
cannot be decisively considered again for
ten years. This latter fact alone was a
sufficient reason why the house should
have allowed more of the proposals submit
ted to it by the senate to have passed along
to the next legislature. The fact is, these
proposals in detail and the subject of pro-
posals in general were very inadequately
considered by the house. If matters of grave
consequence like these are to be left to the
final days and then summarily diamisaod
during the heated hours of night session,
as many Of these proposals were, it will be-
come question whether the abolition of the
old council of censors, which gave all pro-
posals Of constitutional change mature and
deliberate consideration, was really the wise
measure it was adjudged to be. In this con-
nection the point may be raised if there is
any sufficient reason for this ten years pro-
vision against proposals of amendment.
Why should the people, after the manner of
cautious bank officials, put chronometer
lock, set for ten years run, on their consti-
tuition Is there a fear that the shekinah of
our liberties will be burglarized if biennially
or quadrennially duly constituted and
guarded power should expose it to the in
spection of the people whose inheritance it
isf Would the sanctity of that instrument
be any more endangered by four amend
ments proposed biennially, or eight quad
rennially, than by twenty-one decennialy,
coming in such an avalanche that no one of
them can receive anything like an adequate
consideration The fear of undue tinker
ing with the constitution which led to the
ten years prohibition is not sustained either
by the history of the national constitution
or by those state constitutions which admit
Of proposals of amendment at any regular
session of their legislative assemblies. A
proposal of amendment by the senate to the
house taking this decennial time-lock from |
the constitution shared the fate of many |
other meritorious things at the hands of that |
inconsiderate body of considerable triAers.
There were days of time spent in consider
ing dog laws, turkey laws, woodpecker laws,
but many measures, like the proposals of
amendments to the constitution and meas
ures looking to the educational and material
prosperity of the state, were picked up and
"dropped like hot iron." Doubtless none
of the proposals would have been finally
adopted, but the discussion of them would
have done the state no harm nor put it to
any expense. On the contrary, good must
have resulted from the agitation and feel
ing Of satisfaction would have followed their
decisive consideration. The course of the
house in this regard will not add to its rep
utation for "wisdom and virtue"
"The Railroad War;
This rather portentous heading is given
to various newspaper items which have ap-