The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1910-01-06
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these officers IN conjunction with the
council That IL now In conjunction
with the senate In Joint assembly.
tAmcnd Art i0.l
T. Il provides that they may elect
sherirs These officers must be elect
ed by the people tAmend Art. ih.)
s. II provides that they may elect
judges Of probate These officers
must be elected by the people.
tAmend Art. IT.
=. II provides that they may elect
Justices OF the peace These officers
are elected by the people (Amend
Art. 49,
10, II provides that they may elect
judges OF the county court The as
sistant judges OF the county courts
must be elected by the people.
tAmend. Art. ~
IL. II provides IN one part OF the
section that they may prepare bills
and enact them into laws, In anoth-
er that they may grant charters and
In still another that they shall have
all other powers necessary for tho
legislature OF free and sovereign
state They now can do these things
snd have legislative powers only In
concurrence with the senate.
tAmend Art. 81
The result Is that II one turns to
Section to see what the powers of
the house of representatives are he
will find that II states them ineor-
rectly In at least eleven particulars;
nor can be ascertain what the true
sense OF Section at present is until
he has carefully studied the same In
connection with ten different amend
ments The courts and the bar can of
course determine what the constltu-
tional provision on given point may
be, although some provisions by this
system Of amendments have been left
obscure: but to the average layman
Chapter Of the constitution and It's
amendments abound In inconsistent
cies. and In parts are unintelligible
to those who are not trained In de-
termining whether one provision tech
nically supersedes another or is re-
pugnant thereto,
The fundamental law of the state,
which ought 10 be the simplest and
most easily understood OF all has by
the process OF years become the most
complicated AS a handbook for stu
dents, and surely an acquaintance
with the constitution of our state
ought to be part Of the education OF
at least every high school student. 1t
ls most unsatisfactory.
In the last fifty years we have been
to rewrite our public stat
utes four times, In 1862. 1888 1894
and 1906, simply for the purpose Of
and logically writing into
the statutes the amendments then
existing. The same considera-
and necessary In the case Of the
statutes make II even more desir-
able and necessary in the case OF the
The draft submitted la intended TO
be a simple expression OF the chapter
with its amendments as II In fact now
Is, preserving so faL as possible Its
archaic language. " rearranglng the
order OF sections 80 az to group to-
gether those which relate to one sub
Iect.
CONCLUSION
We recognize that the foregoing
proposals will undoubtedly seem TO
some TO 90 too far and TO others not
o go far enough; but we unanimous
y recommend them TO the careful
Of the next legislature
Ind Of the people OF the state There
S ground for honest difference OF
opinion as TO some Of the details OF
he present plan Of government. There
ire some incongruities which II the
constitution were being generally re-
Used II would probably be thought
'est to remove; and there are other
safeguards than those we have recon-
nended being introduced into the
Of other states which
night perhaps profitably be brought
nto our own. We have not, how
iver. thought II best to propose too
much.
In the first place, although tho
wording Of the resolution In broad
npugh TO permit us TO make any pro-
osals we choose, In fact It's spirit
Id not contemplate that we were TO
tempt any general revision OF the
A general revision
hould be the work. II not Of con-
ututional convention, al least OF
ommission Of general and very repre-
enlatiye character and embody the
esnli Of full, deliberate and open
ublic discussion.
In the next place, we are not per-
uaded that there is In fact al the
resent time and under present con-
itlons necessity for any such gem
raj revision II the time lock clause
eliminated tsee Proposal Onej and
le possibility exists of Initiating
at any session Of the
sislature, the discussion Of consti-
itionai questions viii be encouraged.
I'd whenever the people desire gem
ral revision or radical change II will
{ manifested in some plain way.
To shorten this report. and for the
irpose of the report only. the form
ile proposal ~ 10 some cases In
Gated Without actually repnnting ia
III the section as proposed 10 bs
neuded II the proposals or any Of
em are approved By the legislature
- should express the sections Ia fall
amended 10 the way now most
mm0nly accepted fng the expression
any amendment either 70 eonsti,a-
ms " statates Ia that way any
aendments adopted can be inserted
their proper place without being
Il To be interpreted 10. and the diff