north america-1-第69章

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is　barely　one…　third　that　of　New　York。　　In　Virginia；　there　are　fifty　Senators；　whereas　the　free　population　is　not　one…third　of　that　of　New　York。　As　a　consequence；　the　Senate　of　New　York　is　said　to　be　filled　with　men　of　a　higher　class　than　are　generally　found　in　the　Senates　of　other　States。　　Then　follows　in　the　article　a　list　of　the　districts　which　are　to　return　the　Senators。　　These　districts　consist　of　one；　two；　three；　or　in　one　case　four　counties；　according　to　the　population。　The　article　does　not　give　the　number　of　members　of　the　Lower　House；　nor　does　it　even　state　what　amount　of　population　shall　be　held　as　entitled　to　a　member。　　It　merely　provides　for　the　division　of　the　State　into　districts　which　shall　contain　an　equal　number；　not　of　population；　but　of　voters。　　The　House　of　Assembly　does　consist　of　128　members。　It　is　then　stipulated　that　every　member　of　both　houses　shall　receive　three　dollars　a　day；　or　twelve　shillings；　for　their　services　during　the　sitting　of　the　legislature；　but　this　sum　is　never　to　exceed　300　dollars；　or　sixty　pounds；　in　one　year；　unless　an　extra　session　be　called。　　There　is　also　an　allowance　for　the　traveling　expenses　of　members。　　It　is；　I　presume；　generally　known　that　the　members　of　the　Congress　at　Washington　are　all　paid；　and　that　the　same　is　the　case　with　reference　to　the　legislatures　of　all　the　States。　No　member　of　the　New　York　legislature　can　also　be　a　member　of　the　Washington　Congress；　or　hold　any　civil　or　military　office　under　the　General　States　government。　A　majority　of　each　House　must　be　present；　or；　as　the　article　says；　〃shall　constitute　a　quorum　to　do　business。〃　　Each　House　is　to　keep　a　journal　of　its　proceedings。　　The　doors　are　to　be　openexcept　when　the　public　welfare　shall　require　secrecy。　　A　singular　proviso　this　in　a　country　boasting　so　much　of　freedom！　　For　no　speech　or　debate　in　either　House；　shall　the　legislator　be　called　in　question　in　any　other　place。　　The　legislature　assembles　on　the　first　Tuesday　in　January；　and　sits　for　about　three　months。　　Its　seat　is　at　Albany。　The　executive　power；　Article　IV。；　is　to　be　vested　in　a　Governor　and　a　Lieutenant…Governor；　both　of　whom　shall　be　chosen　for　two　years。　The　Governor　must　be　a　citizen　of　the　United　States；　must　be　thirty　years　of　age；　and　have　lived　for　the　last　four　years　in　the　State。　He　is　to　be　commander…in…chief　of　the　military　and　naval　forces　of　the　State；　as　is　the　President　of　those　of　the　Union。　　I　see　that　this　is　also　the　case　in　inland　States；　which　one　would　say　can　have　no　navies。　　And　with　reference　to　some　States　it　is　enacted　that　the　Governor　is　commander…in…chief　of　the　army；　navy；　and　militia；　showing　that　some　army　over　and　beyond　the　militia　may　be　kept　by　the　State。　　In　Tennessee；　which　is　an　inland　State；　it　is　enacted　that　the　Governor　shall　be　〃commander…in…chief　of　the　army　and　navy　of　this　State；　and　of　the　militia；　except　when　they　shall　be　called　into　the　service　of　the　United　States。〃　　In　Ohio　the　same　is　the　case；　except　that　there　is　no　mention　of　militia。　　In　New　York　there　is　no　proviso　with　reference　to　the　service　of　the　United　States。　　I　mention　this　as　it　bears　with　some　strength　on　the　question　of　the　right　of　secession；　and　indicates　the　jealousy　of　the　individual　States　with　reference　to　the　Federal　government。　The　Governor　can　convene　extra　sessions　of　one　House　or　of　both。　He　makes　a　message　to　the　legislature　when　it　meetsa　sort　of　Queen's　speech；　and　he　receives　for　his　services　a　compensation　to　be　established　by　law。　　In　New　York　this　amounts　to　800l。　a　year。　In　some　States　this　is　as　low　as　200l。　and　300l。　　In　Virginia　it　is　1000l。　　In　California；　1200l。　The　Governor　can　pardon；　except　in　cases　of　treason。　　He　has　also　a　veto　upon　all　bills　sent　up　by　the　legislature。　　If　he　exercise　this　veto　he　returns　the　bill　to　the　legislature　with　his　reasons　for　so　doing。　　If　the　bill　on　reconsideration　by　the　Houses　be　again　passed　by　a　majority　of　two…thirds　in　each　house；　it　becomes　law　in　spite　of　the　Governor's　veto。　　The　veto　of　the　President　at　Washington　is　of　the　same　nature。　　Such　are　the　powers　of　the　Governor。　　But　though　they　are　very　full；　the　Governor　of　each　State　does　not　practically　exercise　any　great　political　power；　nor　is　he；　even　politically；　a　great　man。　　You　might　live　in　a　State　during　the　whole　term　of　his　government　and　hardly　hear　of　him。　There　is　vested　in　him　by　the　language　of　the　constitution　a　much　wider　power　than　that　intrusted　to　the　governor　of　our　colonies。　But　in　our　colonies　everybody　talks；　and　thinks；　and　knows　about　the　governor。　　As　far　as　the　limits　of　the　colony　the　governor　is　a　great　man。　　But　this　is　not　the　case　with　reference　to　the　governors　in　the　different　States。　The　next　article　provides　that　the　Governor's　ministers；　viz；　the　Secretary　of　State；　the　Controller；　Treasurer；　and　Attorney…　General；　shall　be　chosen　every　two　years　at　a　general　election。　　In　this　respect　the　State　constitution　differs　from　that　of　the　national　constitution。　　The　President　at　Washington　names　his　own　ministerssubject　to　the　approbation　of　the　Senate。　　He　makes　many　other　appointments　with　the　same　limitation；　and　the　Senate；　I　believe；　is　not　slow　to　interfere；　but　with　reference　to　the　ministers　it　is　understood　that　the　names　sent　in　by　the　President　shall　stand。　　Of　the　Secretary　of　State；　Controller；　etc。；　belonging　to　the　different　States；　and　who　are　elected　by　the　people；　in　a　general　way；　one　never　hears。　　No　doubt　they　attend　their　offices　and　take　their　pay；　but　they　are　not　political　personages。　The　next　article；　No。　VI。；　refers　to　the　judiciary；　and　is　very　complicated。　　As　I　cannot　understand　it；　I　will　not　attempt　to　explain　it。　　Moreover；　it　is　not　within　the　scope　of　my　ambition　to　convey　here　all　the　details　of　the　State　constitution。　　In　Sec。　20　of　this　article　it　is　provided　that　no　judicial　officer；　except　justices　of　the　peace；　shall　receive　to　his　own　use　any　fees　or　perquisites　of　office。〃　　How　pleasantly　this　enactment　must　sound　in　the　ears　of　the　justices　of　the　peace！　Article　VII。　refers　to　fiscal　matters；　and　is　more　especially　interesting　as　showing　how　greatly　the　State　of　New　York　has　depended　on　its　canals　for　its　wealth。　　These　canals　are　the　property　of　the　State；　and　by　this　article　it　seems　to　be　provided　that　they　shall　not　only　maintain　themselves；　but　maintain　to　a　considerable　extent　the　State　expenditure　also；　and　stand　in　lieu　of　taxation。　　It　is　provided；　Section　6　that　the　〃legislature　shall　not　sell；　lease；　or　otherwise　dispose　of　any　of　the　canals　of　the　State；　but　that　they　shall　remain　the　property　of　the　State；　and　under　its　management　forever。〃　　But　in　spite　of　its　canals　the　State　does　not　seem　to　be　doing　very　well；　for　I　see　that；　in　1860；　its　income　was　4；780；000　dollars；　and　its　expenditure　5；100；000；　whereas　its　debt　was　32；500；000　dollars。　　Of　all　the　States；　Pennsylvania　is　the　most　indebted；　Virginia　the　second；　and　New　York　the　third。　　New　Hampshire；　Connecticut；　Vermont；　Delaware；　and　Texas　owe　no　State　debts。　　All　the　other　State　ships　have　taken　in　ballast。　The　militia　is　supposed　to　consist　of　all　men　capable　of　bearing　arms；　under　forty…five　years　of　age。　　But　no　one　need　be　enrolled；　who　from　scruples　of　conscience　is　averse　to　bearing　arms。　　At　the　present　moment　such　scruples　do　not　seem　to　be　very　general。　　Then　follows；　in　Article　XI。；　a　detailed　enactment　as　to　the　choosing　of　militia　officers。　　It　may　be　perhaps　sufficient　to　say　that　the　privates　are　to　choose　the　captains　and　the　subalterns；　the　captains　and　subalterns　are　to　choose　the　field　officers；　and　the　field　officers　the　brigadier…generals　and　inspectors　of　brigade。　The　Governor；　however；　with　the　consent　of　the　Senate；　shall　nominate　all　major…generals。　　Now　that　real　soldiers　have　unfortunately　become　necessary；　the　above　plan　has　not　been　found　to　work　well。　Such　is　the　constitution　of　the　State　of　New　York；　which　has　been　intended　to　work　and　does　work　quite　separately　from　that　of　the　United　States。　　It　will　be　seen　that　the　purport　has　been　to　make　it　as　widely　democratic　as　possibleto　provide　that　all　power　of　all　description　shall　come　directly　from　the　people；　and　that　such　power　shall　return　to　the　people　at　short　intervals。　　The　Senat