Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-01-29
THE CONVENTION.
sEvENTEENTH DAY.

sEVENTEENTH DAY.
FRIDAY, Jan. %, 1s70.-The Conyen-
ton met at $50 O'Clock A. NJ, President
Brown in the chair.
The Journal was read and approved.
NEW COUNTY.
Nr. Jones, of Lincoln, presented pc
tition from citizens of Lincoln, Franklin
and Bedford, asking that the Constitution
be so amended that a new county can be
formed from portions of the above coun-
ties.
THE JUDICIARY.
Mr. Gaut offered scheme for the re-
organization of the Judiciary, which was
read, and 100 copies ordered printed.
The principal points Mr.. Gaut proposes
are as follows:
l. The Senior Judge of the Supreme
Court shall preside over the Senate when
sitting as court of impeachment, or if
he is on trial, the senior of the two re-
naming Judges shall preside.
2. Judges of the Supreme Court shall
receive compensation not less than
| "a, 900 per annuIn, and Circuit, Criminal
and Chancery Judges not less than So, 900
per annum.
8. Judges of inferior courts of law
and equity shall have power to issue
writs of certi0rdri in civil cases.
4. The Legislature shall have power
in certain cases, to provide for Judges to
| try special cases, and hold courts in GER
| tain events.
3. Supreme Judges shall hold their
| Office for tUeLUe years, and inferior
| Judges for ten years.
| 6. Schedule-To meet present emer-
| gencies, the Governor, Immediately after |
the ratification, shall appoint two addi |
| tional judges of the Supreme Court for |
the time being, to sit with the present
Supreme Judges for the dispatch of bust
| ness.
Z. That an election be held for Judges |
of the Circuit, Chancery ann Criminal |
Courts, also District Attorney Generals,
SherifS, as prescribed by the Code of
Tennessee.
s. That an election for Supreme |
Judges and Attorney General and Re-
porter for the State, be held on the first
Tuesday of May, 1872, at which time,
and forever thereafter, only three Judges
of the Supreme Court shall be elected, as
prescribed in Section 8, Article VI, of
the present Constitution.
MISCELLANEOUS DEPARTMENT.
Mr.. Turner, from the Committee on
Miscellaneous Matters, made the follow
ing report, which was ordered printed:
Mr.. President: The Committee on
Miscellaneous Provisions having had IN
der consideration the various subjects re-
ferred to them, instruct me to report the
following amendments and recommend
their adoption. The committee ask to
be discharged from the consideration of
those questions not reported upon.
Taking up article XI, am instructed
to recommend that said article be amend |
ed as follows:
At the end of section add as follows:
The Legislature shall have the right at
any time, by law, to submit to the people |
the question of calling a Convention to
alter, reform or abolish this Constitution,
and when upon such submission a MAORI
ty of all the votes cast shall be in favor |
of said proposition, then delegates shall
be chosen and the Convention shall as
semble in such mode and manler as shall |
be prescribed.
After section add section as fol-
lows:
Section -. ''The Legislature shall have
no power to change the names of persons
or to pass acts adopting or legitimating
persons, but shall, by general laws, con-
fer the power on the courts"
After section II insert a section as fol
lows:
Section - mo member of the Legs
lature nor Convention, or judicial officer
of this State, shall receive while in office,
either directly or indirectly, any gift,
gratuity, fee or reward from any person
or corporation otherwise than by the gen.
ersl law of the land. "
After the last section insert the follow
ing section:
Section -. "a homestead in the hands
of each head of family in this State, oc-
cupied as a residence, together with all the
improvements on the same, to the value
of not less that 81, 900 shall be exempt
from forced sale under any process of
law during the life time of such head of a |
family, and the minority of bis or her |
children, and shall not be alienated with
out the Joint consent of husband andwife,
when that relation exists; but no proper
ty shall be exempt from sale for taxes or
for the payment of obligations contracted |
for the purpose of said premises or for
the erection of improvements thereon.
The Legislature mayincrease the amount
of this exemption.
After the last section insert the follow
ing section:
Sec -. 1.-The intermarriage of white
l :
sons of mixed blood descended from a
negro to the third generation, inclusive,
is prohibited.
"The Legislature shall enforce this sec
ton by appropriate legislation. i
] am instructed to report an amend (
ment to article II, section %, so as to
make it read as follows:
"No person who heretofore bath been,
or may hereafter be, q collector or holder {
of public moneys, shall hold any civil of
flee under this State, until such person
shall have accounted for and paid into the
Treasury all sums for which he may be
accountable or liable.
! am instructed 10 report the following /
section in lieu of article VII, section /, so :
as to make the Office of Trustee Legis-
lative Office, if the same shall be retained
by them, instead of having II a Consti-
tutional office:
Section l. 'EThere shall be elected in
each county, by the qualified voters there
in, one Sheriff and one Register, the Sher-
if for two years and the Register for four :
years Provided, that no person shall be
eligible to the office of Sheriff more than
six years in any term of eight years.
''There shall be elected for each county,
by the Justices of the Peace, one Coroner
and one Ranger, who shall hold their
offices for two years; said officers shall
be removed for malfeasance, or neglect of
duty, in such manner as may be prescribed
by law"
A portion of the committee differ with
majority as to a portion of the PROPOSE
tions before them, but agree TO the greater
part of the report.
Respectfully Submitted,
JAMES J. TURNER, Chm.
Mr.. House, of Montgomery, Robertson
and Davidson, rising to a question of
privilege, said:
Mr.. President: hold in my hand a
copy of the Knoxville daily Wing, of
the 9th inst in which a correspondent,
purporting to give my course as dele
gate upon this floor, uses this language
E'He would sweep three-fourths of the
crime from the jury box, burthen the
populace with poll tax and prevent him
hunting with a gun on other people
LII 7, raforaDpa IN which | wish |