Amending the American Constitution An important change in the American
political system is made by the twentieth amendment to the United States Constitution, ratified this week by the necessary three- fourths of the State legislatures. The interval of four months between the election of the President and his inauguration has been increasingly vexatious under modern conditions ; and not less so the anomalous arrangement by which the Congress elected' in November does not assemble until December of the following year, unless convened in special session. The new amendment makes two improvements. It provides for the inaugura- tion of the President on January 20th, instead of March 4th, thus allowing an interval of ten weeks for the winding-up of the outgoing Administration ; and it abolishes the so-called lame-duck session Of Congress— that is, the short winter session (like the one at present in progress), ending March 4th, during which no serious legislative work could be done, while a great deal of time was wasted and no little mischief wrought.
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