60 The Financial History of Connecticut. 



The framers of this constitution thought it unnecessary to change 

 the governmental machinery. The legislative body, the general as- 

 sembly, was to consist of two houses as before. The lower 



bystem ot house was to be called the House of Representatives and 

 (xovei-nment ^ 



the upper house the Senate. ^ The number of represen- 

 tatives allowed each town was not changed, but provision was made 

 that no new town which might be incorporated should send more 

 than one representative. The upper house, as in the past, was to 

 consist of twelve members elected by the people at large. ^ There 

 was, however, to be but one regular session annually instead of 

 two sessions as hitherto.^ The treasurer and comptroller of public 

 accounts remained the principal financial officers of the government 

 with unchanged duties and powers. The governor was entrusted 

 with the execution of the laws, but was still given no real power 

 in legislation as his veto could be overruled by a majority vote of 

 the same assembly that originally passed the bill. 



The constitution put all religious denominations on an equality 



and empowered each to tax its own members for the support of 



the ministry, but obliged no person to be a member of 



I'reedom^ an ecclesiastical society. As societies could tax only their 



own members, persons who were not members of a 



society were not compelled to pay a tax for its support.^ 



Only one important financial measure in the constitution remains 

 to be mentioned. The school fund was made a permanent fund, the 

 ^ , , ^ I income of which should be used solely for the support 

 of the public schools.^ It is true that when the fund 

 was created the general assembly voted that it should be a per- 

 manent fund for this purpose,^ but such a vote could be repealed at any 

 time. By incorporating this provision in the constitution, the fund 

 was made much more secure as no change could be made without 

 overcoming all the difficulties attending an attempt to amend the 

 constitution. 



2. Changes in Grand List. 



After framing the constitution and entirely separating church 



and state, the republican party was free to grapple with the 



,,, . ,. taxation system. Some idea of the policy of the re- 



Objections -^ . . . ^ . -^ „ 



to Old List publicans on this question maybe gained from Governor 



^ Conn. Constitution, article iii, sec. 1. 



2 Conn. Constitution, article iii, sec. 3, 4. 



^ Conn. Constitution, article iii, sec. 2. 



^ Conn. Constitution, article vii, sec. 1, 2. 



^ Conn. Constitution, article viii, sec. 2. '^ Cf. p. 36. 



