Book-bot.com - read famous books online for free

North America — Volume 1 by Anthony Trollope
page 316 of 440 (71%)
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
DigitalOcean Referral Badge