The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1885-09-26

adopted by the Convention on May
IA, lS45; referred, under ifs prOviS-
iOns,to the people for their approval
or rejection, and was by them Iati.
fled; and all this was done i'll strict
conformity with Article VII, of the
Constitution of 1872, the essential
conditions, according to the PicGyune,
IfOr its validity.
Among the changes in the organic
law of the State, ordained by the
Constitution of 1S45, was that pro
vidins the mode of its 70, isiOn; and,
in this regard, the change was
radical. Instead of allowing the
people to primarily determine upon
the''necessity of amending Or chang
lug this Constitution" and of de-
termining the extent Of such change
through a Convention composed of
delegates specially chosen by them
for that purpose, this right, so care
fully protected by the Constitution
of 1872, was withdrawn.
By it, the right Of changing the
organic law was restricted to the
peoples approval of such separate
and distinct amendments as should
"be agreed to by three tifths of the
members elected to each House, and
approved by the Governor" and by
"a majority of the members to each
House of the Legislature next after
wards chosen" Amendments SO
proposed we're, after due publication,
to be separately submitted at the
nextgeneral election for the approval
or rejection of the voters.
1t is evident, as we'll from its
language as from the debates pre-
ceeding the adoption OF the article,
r that the intention Of the Convention
was to preserve its integrity, by
more effectually guarding it against
inconsiderate change; and to give
to each citizen a direct voice as to
the necessity or ACCESSIBILITY Of each
; proposed change.
Agreeableto this mode ofrevision,
the Legislature, by its resolution of
March 20, 1850, proposed thirteen
} distinct amendments, providing for
+. changing the selection Of the
Supreme and District Judges, State
Treasurer, Secretary of State, aud
/; State Superintendent of Public Edu.
. cation, by the Governor, to an cleo.
r ton by the people, and lessening
: their respective terms OF office.
| The subsequent Legislature, by
!. its resolution, approved, Feb. IL,
g 1862, recognizing by the preamble
. that these ''anendmentS to the con
0 stitutiOn were passed at the last
session of the Legislature by a
constitutional majority; and as the
a Constitution requires that they be
! a. yain passed by the Legislature
! adopted aud proposed them to the
!. people, as amendments to the Con
, stitutiOn.
Up to this time the provision OF
, the Constitution of 1915 had been
, strictly followed. Strange, how
ever, as it may appear, the same
Legislature, within two weeks,
entirely ignoring its action in the
matter OF the amendmentS,a adopted
by itand the proceeding Legislature,
aud proposed to the cople,assnmed
the right of initiating an entire
change in the mode Of REVISION Of
1 the organic law; q mode not only
b unauthorized by the Constitution
7 but in direct conflict with lis lett 81
9 and spirit; having in truth, no war,
Q rant whatever, except it were an
!. extreme application of the doctrine
4 euunciated by the resolution nitro.
= duced by Gen. Campbell in the
g Dakota Convention, so severely
# criticised by our contemporary,
4 "that the people of II state nave the
# right, at all times, to alter, reform
q or abolish their form OfgOvernment
I IN such manner as they may think
. proper.
g Restriction of space, however,
., compels us TO defer to the next
q q issue OF the HERALD, IA reference to
8 this unauthorized change in mode
q of revision adopted by the Legisla
. ture of 1852; simply promising, that il
!, the PicGyWaes theory of the essen.
d tials OF valid change in the Con.
I stitutiOn OF state, be correct and
J which theory the HERALD does not
$ wish to be considered as gainSaying
9 the inevitable conclusion must be,
. that the Constitution of 1845 re.
a mains intact the organic law OF this
a state-tor each of the five subse'
3 qmnt Constitutions by which the
!. people OF tie state have been gov.
i erned, has lacked their COastit@
p tiORGt assent.
Q EDUCATION AND PRoHIBITIoH.