islature;” and, after it is gone, any Counsellor may enter his dissent to the resolution of the majority"! Glorious privilege! But how, or where, shall he "enter his dissent"? Must he trudge after the register into "either house of the Legislature"? or must he disburthen his mind on his pocket memorandum?

Again. "May be called for" &c. Spirits may be called from the vasty deep, but will they come? "Which shall be subject to the call" of either House of the Legislature, would have expressed the meaning intended.

"SECT. 4. No Member of Congress, or of the Legislature of this State, nor any person holding any office under the United States, (post officers excepted) nor any civil officers under this State, (Justices of the Peace and Notaries Public excepted) shall be Counsellors. And no Counsellor shall be appointed to any office during the time, for which he shall have been elected."

"SECT. 5. Justices of the Peace and Notaries Public, shall hold their offices during seven years, if they so long behave themselves well, at the expiration of mhich term, they may be reappointed or others appointed [where? In their stead?] as the public interest may require."

Expunge all after "well," as surplusage.

"SECT. 6. The Justices of the Supreme Judicial Court shall hold no office under the United States, nor any State, nor any other office under this State, except that of Justice of the Peace."

Does not the phrase "nor any State" apply to every State in the Union, respectively? Surely it does. Yet this State is afterwards mentioned, as though it had not been referred to, or was not considered "any State”!

ARTICLE IX.

GENERAL PROVISIONS.

"SECT. 1. Every person elected or appointed to either [any] of the places or offices provided [for] in this Constitution, and every person elected, appointed, or commissioned to any Judicial, Executive, Military, or other office," &c.

"SECT. 4. The Governor shall then be elected if there be [shall have been] no choice by the people, and afterwards the two Houses shall elect the Council."

ARTICLE X.
SCHEDULE.

"SECT. 1. The first Legislature shall meet on the last Wednesday in May next. The elections on the second Monday in September annually shall not commence until the year one thousand eight hundred and twenty-one, and in the meantime [unnecessary] the election for Governor, Senators and Representatives shall be on the first Monday in April, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty, and at this election, the saine proceedings shall be had as are required at the elections, provided for in this Constitution on the second Monday in September annually, and the lists of the votes for the Governor and Senators shall be transmitted, by the town and plantation clerks respectively, to the Secretary of State pro tempore,seventeen days at least before the last Wednesday in May next, and the President of the Convention shall, in presence of the Secretary of State pro tempore, open and examine the attested copies of said lists so returned for Senators, and shall have all the powers, and be subject to all the duties, in ascertaining, notifying, and summoning the Senators, who appear to be elected, as the Governor and Council have, and are subject to, by this Constitution," &c.

Now we very much doubt whether the provisions of this section were ever complied

with. We doubt whether the officers therein named, ever performed the duties required of them. In the first place, "the town and plantation Clerks" were required to transmit to the Secretary of State, "the lists of votes for Governor and Senators;" and, seventeen days before the last Wednesday of May (then next) the President of the Convention was required to "open and examine attested copies of said lists so returned," &c. Where were the "attested copies of said lists of votes," to come from? or who was to make them?

"The election of Governor shall, on the said last Wednesday in May, be determined and declared, in the same manner, as other elections of Governor are by this Constitution; and in case of vacancy in said office, the President of the Senate, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, shall exercise the office as herein otherwise provided, [what is meant by "oth erwise provided"?] and the Counsellors, Secretary and Treasurer shall also be elected on said day, and have the same powers, and be subject to the same duties, as is provided in this Constitution; and in case of the death or other disqualification [?] of the President of this Convention, or of the Secretary of State pro tempore before the election and qualification of the Governor or Secretary of State under this Constitution, the persons for person?] to be designated by this Convention at their session in January next, shall have all the powers and perform all the duties, which the President of this Convention, or the Secretary pro tempore, to be by them appointed, shall have and perform."

"In case of the death, &c. of the President of this Convention, or of the Secretary of State pro tempore,the persons (to be designated by this Convention, &c.) shall have all the

powers and perform all the duties, which the President of this Convention, or Secretary of State pro tempore, &c. shall have and perform."

Had this been perpetrated abroad, it would have been called a "Bull," and heartily laughed at; now it is acknowledged as a part of our Constitution, and of course regarded with veneration!

The plain English of it is this: "If the President or Secretary shall die, the person appointed to fill the vacancy, shall have all the powers and perform all the duties, which he [the defunct President or Secretary] shall have and perform"!

Of the specimens of scholarship and of legal discrimination exhibited in the Constitution of Maine, we will say nothing further at this time. Although but a part of the errors and inconsistencies, with which its pages abound, have been noticed, enough, we think, has been said, to show that the interest and honor of the State would be promoted by a thorough revision of it. But whether the present is a proper time to prepare for this work-whether it shall be done by the present generation, or left for their posterity to perform-we leave for those to decide, to whom this duty belongs.