Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1883-03-22
Amending the Constitution.


legislature to call State Convention
without any previous action of the
legislature. Two plans are laid down
in the Constitution by which the
Constitution can be amended The
Legislature is now pursuing one Of those
plans, but to us it is the most objection
able Of the two. 1t provides that two
thirds Of each House may with the az =
probation Of the Governor propose
amendments to the Constitution. This
the Legislature is now doing. 1t will
be noticed that from the very outset the
path becomes devious and difficult
The consent Of two thirds Of both
houses must be secured. Thus two
counties can and will combine against
one from the start. In all the legisla-
tiOu OF the State the Governor Is
deprived of a veto, but in this his
sanction is required. Fourteen menu
bers of the House and six members of
the Senate may agree upon plan, but
it must be one that the Governor ap-
proves. In the amendment now
offered district representation except
NJ far as it made Wilmington a
separate election district, was abandon
Ell, though all parties in the late cam
paign favored that principle and the
leading papers Of the democrat party
favored it. But this principle which
had justice and consistency to recon-.
mend it, had to be illuminated to pleas,
a queer within Of Governor Stockley.
The plan requires that the proposed
amendments shall be printed for the
consideration OF the people not less
than three nor more than six months
before the next general election 1t
does not say whether they are to b.,
printed in pamphlets or in news
papers This done what next? Can
the people vote upon them Not Il biz
of it. The election is held all the same
az if no amendment was impending.
The people have nothing to do with it,
They may catachiSe the candidate for
the legislature if they see proper, to see
where they stand upon the question,
but that is all, and that amounts to
nothing when party lines are rigidly
drawn. We are tolerably safe and
within the reasonable bounds Of truth
i'll saying that the people are entirely
an outside consideration in the present
proposed amendments. What next ?
The election is held i'll the usual man
nrr, one or the other Of the two arg,
parties will be successful. Then three
fDurths OF each branch must vote in
favor of the amendments to make them
valid and parts OF the Constitution.
For instance in the House sixteen Of
III" twcnty-Une members Of which il
is composed, and in the Senat,, siA
Of the nine members Of which il is com
posed uSt vote in favor of the amend
mentS 80 give them force and legality.
There We believe the miserable farce
ends. The Constitution i, at last
amended but two years more must
rlapSc before the people get the ad-
vantage Of the amendments thus max
Ing four years from the time the amend
nents were introduced until the repre-
n1,ntation is increased
The other plan of amending the con
stitution, which 10 MS is preferable,
says "No convention shall be called,
but by the authority of the people, and
IN uneXc"ptionable mode of making
their sense known, will be for them at "A
special election on the third Tuesday Of
May in any year, to vote by ballot for
"r against convention as they shall
%ycrally choose Ia do and itthcreIpoM
1t 1ha II appear that majority Of all the
citizens in the STATE, having a right to
vote for representatives, have voted for
convention, the General Assembly
shall accordingly, al their next session,
call IA convention to consist Of at least
aS many members ~ there are in both
HOUSES Of the Legislature, 10 be chosen
in the same manner, 1T the same places,
and ut the same time that representa-
lives are by the citizens entitled to woe
ior representatives, on due notice given
for one month, aud to meet within
ti,rr- months after they shall he elect
I'd"
Even this plan i, shrouded in myStrr-
mS and uncertainties. There are many
VIII" brli"v" the people under the latter
plan can meet voluntarily Ufihrir own
T"fl without prrv>ou,. II ,tire or pr
vion- p'rii!oiuary regulations Nv the
Legislature, 90 ihr third Tuesday Of
May and vot" for or against the calling
Of a convention. Even if this idea was
correct bIlt little advantage could flow
from it, except to show that the people
desired the constitution to be rhanred
By "a constitutional conventinn.
More mystery is thrown around the
batter plan by the following concluding
rlatisr in the CONSTITUTION "And