St. Landry democrat., 1890-08-02
The Extent of the Governors Veto
Power.

thorlze its exercise. We said it affected
In and was intended to apply to such bll
5 orders and resolutions only as the Gen
eral Assembly might pass by smpl
u maJOrltles, Of quOraum, or. of all th
members elect to both branches as til
case might be.
We promised to say something Of th
), meaning and true intent of the othe
t article relating to the legislative powe
= of the General Assembly. We den,
that it has any relation whatsoever t,
the articles commented upon, or, that i
in any manner gives to the Governo
: any discretion or power when its provi
: sions have been complied with by tn.
General Assembly.
We quote it entire.
Amendment and revision of the Con.
stitutioD. Art. 256.
Propositions tor the amendment OF
this Constitution may be made bu tht
General assembly at any session thereof
ana IL tUO- -th.rUs Ut an Tie meiuu-Ir
elect To each house shall concur therein
alter such proposed amendments have
botn read Ill such respective houses Oh
three separate days, such proposed
amenunlent Or amendments, together
| with the yeas and nays thereon, shall
be enteIeu on the Journal, and the Sc
cretary OF State shall cause the same TO
be published III two newspapers pub
llshed In the parish OF Orleans, ana III
one paper III each other parish ut the
| State III which Ii newspaper Is published,
| Tor three months preceding the next
| election tor representative, at which
| time the said amendment or amend
meuts shall Ue submitted to the eitc
toIs tor their approval Or rejection; aud
II q mG1Ort D vutiug Oh SAID amendment
| or auenuments shall approve aud ratIfy
the same, tLen sucn amendment OF
amendments so appr0rcd aud ratified
shall become q part OF the Constitution
Malk The expression:
w lien more than one amendment
shall be submitted at tue same time.
they shall be 50 submitted as to enable
tue electors to vote on each amendment
separately. The result OF SAID election
shall be made known by the proclama-
llou ut the GOVERNOR
Now compare this with the language
Of art. 73 Ut the Constitution. Every
bill which shall lave passed both houses
SHALL be presented to tie GOVERNOR, |
quot to the Secretary of State); if he
approve he shall sigu it, if not he shall |
return it with bis objections" &c
Whist amendments Cart. 256) "may be
made by the General Assembly at any
session thereof. by vote of two-tbirds
of all the members thereof, after three
readings, &C., the Secretary of State
shall cause the same to be pubished,'
sc. It the Governors approval were
necessary tc amendments of the Con-
stitution thus proposed and voted on
by the Legislature, why is not the same
duty imposed of presenting them to the
Governor Why ls he not required to
sign them if lie approve aud, if not, to
return them with his objections The
answer is plain enough. 1t is because
two-thirds of all the members elect, !
having already passed upon them, they /
Ire to be sent by the General Assembly
% the Secretary of State for publica- :,
ion, they having thus been made part
# the Constitution as far as it can be Il
lone without the approval of the peo- I
lie. The trainers of the Constitution :
lever intended the Governor should '
ave the power to prevent the people q
rom deciding at the ballot box what U
Hendments they might desire to add +
0 the supreme law.
This right theys resergsA to them Il
elves. They make constitutions and
ley unmake, or, amend them They !,
ave never consented that the Governor a.
hould be more powerful than they. fl
hey have delegated to him tho au- N
lority to reject laws not intended to It It
,rm or to affect the constitution. He II
ay say legislative enactments are un-
Institutional or unadvisable, bat he
lnnot be heard to say that the voters P
TALL not amend their constitution. B
They have fixed that for themselves o'
the article 256, which we have copied, r
Id ohe thing is absolutely certain, <
hick is, that, if the power given to -, ~
@ Legislature to make laws cannot be u
'iegated to any other body, or, au-
ority, NO branch of the government
n constitutionally arrogate to itself =,
gifts and powers not delegated to it. - -
The people have said the Legislature vi
all make laws generally and that the -
,yernor shall see that they are exc O. 9"
ted faithfully. We think it little be- "
mes that functionary to disregard any - -
" he is in duty bound to see faithfully =. ~
ecuted. ="
When, therefore, the General Assem- "p
Y has proposed an amendment to the ~
Institution in the manner the people s .s
Ue solcmnly prescribed it shall be ~
ne, but he should not be permitted to
crpose bis solitary will to prevent -
I'm from saying whether they will ap- y"
ove what their representatives have 20. ,o'
opposed. The veto power belongs ex- TIC
sively to them in such Gaze. na
The power to amend the constitution lFF
be only legislative power they, as a cal
tie, have reserved right to sanction 'a'
disapproye by ballot. Of course ag'
re are other reservations made to pa'
alities under the head of parochial taS
airs and boundaries, bnt they are ex- eal
80 and are not left to inference, in ina
probation and construction. We deem acc
f, q