The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1910-11-05
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
Small Attendance at Public Hearing
Wednesday Evening

ed constitutional amendments than
was manifested by the attendance at
the public hearing in the Senate
chamber on Wednesday evening then
il is not great. Nine was the exact
number present outside of the Sen
ate committee appointed to consider
the proposals and members Of the
commission to prepare the proposals,
F. c. Partridge of Proctor, A. Nj.
Fletcher of Cavendish and f. l..
Greene of st. Adams. The other
members OF the commission which
was created by a joint resolution
passed by the legislature of 1908, VIII
lis n Cady of Middlebury and NJ. g.
Leary Of Burlington were not pres
ent.
The Senate committee is composed
of Senators Gordon, Porter, Adams,
Seayer, Shepardson, Clark and Field.
Mr. Partridge took up the proposals
recommended and first explained the
origin and the reason for the so-called
time lock clause in the constitution
1t was contrary to the practice of all
other states and bad in principle. He
recognized that it ought to be difficult
to change a constitution but check
on initiative is not necessary to ac-
complish il. There are three accept
ed ways of preventing sudden or par
tizen action.
Mr.. Partridge dwet at some length
on the second proposal of amendment
that of increasing the governors We
to power. Mr.. Partridge said that
in 80 states a two-thirds vote was re-
CURED to pass over veto and in only
eight a bare majority. He thought
the only point where the commission
could be criticised on this proposal
was that they had not gone further
and made the veto power stronger by
requiring two-thirds vote of the en-
tire membership instead of simply
! those present.
On the third proposal, that of
changing the date of the biennial
election to November, he thought
that the only argument in favor of
the present time of holding it was
the general attention that was attrac-
ted to a small state. The present
method led to the holding of two
elections in presidential years which
was a loss in time and money and
the proposal was deserving of atten-
tion on economical grounds He also
thought that the change of time of
meeting of the General Assembly to
| January was worthy Of consideration.
This proposal was not very vital but,
on the grounds that the other states
voted in November and held their
General Assembly late, he thought
Vermont could not go far away in do
ing as they did.
Mr.. Greene did not consider the
sentiment a taching to the September
election worth considering and
thought If the assembly met in Janu-
AIRY there would be some desire TO
| go home when il was time for the
springs work.
Mr.. Partridge explained that the
fourth proposal, that of requiring a
greater number for a call of House
or Senate, was to save time in legis-
lation and prevent flibustering.
| Proposal FIVE, 10 take away from
the legislators the right to commute
murder cases, Mr. Partridge discuss
ed at length. He thought that the
power to do so now given the legis-
lature was contrary to the spirit Of
the constitution In that il either in
vaded the prerogatives of judicial or
executive branches OF government OF
both.
The sixth proposal was not an
amendment OF any existing section OF
the constitution. but new section
almost similar TO that in the United
States constitution and that Of 81 OF
the states. This proposal provides
that no senator or representative
shall, during the term for which he
may have been elected. be eligible
10 any office, the election TO which
is vested in the General Assembly
Nor shall he be appointed to any civil
Office OF profit which shall have been
created or the emoluments OF which
shall have been increased during such
term.
The next proposal was to prohibit
any special corporate legislation and
to make II come under some genera
law, the idea being to save the time
OF the legislature. This was not nee
essary in earlier days but now de
manded attention. The tendency
now was toward uniformity of corpor
ate legislation, which would operate
against special privileges. We ar,
behind all of our sister states in thii
matter, 40 states already having
provision against special corporate
| legislation,
Mr.. Partridge said that he though
/ that in the shape the constitution /
] now II was impossible for any one
= saving one skilled in the law, To M
: derstand some portions OF II withou
. considerable study.
II was not possible now to teac
the constitution In the schools int
| ligently He put good deal Of stres
upon this proposal.
| Mr.. Partridge's presentation OF tn
views of the commission was yer
clear and clean cut and gave som
idea Of the vast amount of study h
had given TO the work.
| Mr.. Greene thought that the COZ
stimtion, which had been changed BIT
| little since the days when II was Dor
was not one that was entirely adap
ed to present times. The state ha
been little by little drifting into
parliamentary form OF governmei
and II was one purpose Of the DIT
posed amendments TO separate Il A
to the original conception OF the thrt
branches, executive, legislative an
judicial. He wished the commit,