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 meets - a 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.
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