Democratic Sentinel, Volume 3, Number 40, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 November 1879 — The Constitutional Amendments. [ARTICLE]

The Constitutional Amendments.

Seven important amendments to the Constitution of Indiana have been agreed to by * majority of the mem bers elected to each of the two Houses of the General Assemblies of 1877 and 1879, and by an act of the last General Assembly, approved March 10, li>77, these said amendments are to be submitted to the electors of the State of ludiana for ratification or rejection, at an election to be held on the first Monday in April, 1880. The law providing for the submission of these amendments to the electors of the State enacts that “ the secretary of State shall procure ballots or blue paper, on each of which shall be printed the proposed amendments, and below each amendment shall be primed T,he word ‘Yes’ in one line, and in ano.her line the word ‘No;’ that any qualified elector may vote for or against any amendment by depositing one of said baHots in the ballot box. If he intends to vote for any amendment he shall leave thereunder the word ‘Yes,’ and erase the word ‘No’ by drawing a line across it, or otherwise. If he intends to vote against any amendment, the word ‘Yes’ shall in like manner be stricken out and the word ‘No’left; and if both words are allowed to remain without either of them being so erased, the vote shall not be counted either Way. These amendments are designated by numbers, and are numbered 1,2, 3., 4, 5, 6 and 9, numbers 7 and 8 having failed to receive a majority of votes of both branches of the last General Assembly. AMENDMENT NO. 1. Amend section 2 of article 2 so as to read as follows: Section 2. In all elections not otherwise provided for by this constitution, every male citizen of the United States of the age of 21 years and upward, who shall have resided in the State during the six months, and in the township 60 days, and in the ward or precinct 30 days immediately preceding such election, and every male of foreign birth, of the age of 21 years and upward, who shall have resided in the United States one year, and shall have resided in the State during the six months, and in the township 60 days, and in the ward or precinct 30 days immediately preceding said election, and shall have declared his intention to become a citizen of the United States conformably to the laws of the United States on the subject of naturalization, shall be entitled to vote in the towuship ov precinct where he may reside, if he shall have been duly registered according to law. AMENDMENT NO 2 simply provides for striking out the words “No negro or mulatto shall have the right of suffrage,” contained in section 5] of the second article of the constitution. AMENDMENT NO. 3. Amend section 14 of the second article to read: Section 14. All general elections shall be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, but township elections may be held at such time as may be provided by law. Provided, that the General Assembly may provide by law for the election of all judges of courts of general uud appellate jurisdiction by an election to be held for such officers only, at which time no other officers shall be voted for; ar.d shall also provide for the registration of all persons entitled to vote. AMENDMENT NO. 4 amends by striking the word “white” from sections 4 and 5 of article 4, conforming the same to the constitution of the United States. AMENDMENT NO. 5 amends the fourteenth clause of sec tion 22 of article 4 to read as follows: lu relation to fees or salaries, ex eept the laws may be so made as to grade the compensation of offic, rs iu proportion to the population and the necessary services required. AMENDMENT NO. 6. The following amendment is proposed to wit: Amend section 1 of the seventh article to read: Section 1. The judicial power of the State shall be vested in a supreme court,circuit courts, aud such other courts as the General Assembly may establish. The words “such other courts” are suostituted for the words, “such inferior courts.” AMENDMENT NO. 9.' No political or municipal corporation iu this State shall ever become indebted, iu any manner, or for any purpose, to an amount in the aggregate exceeding 2 per centum on the value of the taxable property within said corporation, to be ascertained by the last assessment for State aud county taxes, previous to the incurring of such indebtedness, and all bonds or obligations in excess of such amount given by such corporations shall be void; provided that in time of war, foreign invasion, or other great public calamity, on petition of a majority of the property-owners, in number aud value, within-the limits of such corporation, the public authorities, in their discretion, may incur obligations necessary for public protection aud defense, to such amount as may be reauested in said petition. Hon. Gilbert De La Matyr, National and Democxatic member of Congress for the Indianapolis District, is announced to speak in Monticello, Nov. 20th, next, at 2 o’clock, p. m. Four holidays will come on Sunday in the course of the year 1880: February 22d, Decoration day; July 4th, and Christmas. There are five Sundays iu Februaay, which will not occur again till 1905.