Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-01-25
THE CONVENTION.
THIRTEENTH DAY.

| DIONu III Tic CudlI.
t Prayer was offered by Rabbi Wech'
| Ter, of the Jewish Reform Congregation
NEW COUNTY.
Mr. Kirkpatrick presented q petition
from citizens of Washington, Hawkin
and Sullivan counties asking to have
new county made out of fractions of tn
above named counties.
LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT.
Mr.. Stephens, chairman of the Com
mittee on the Legislative Department
submitted the following report, whicl
was read, and ON motion, laid ON In
table and ordered printed:
Mr.. President am instructed by thu
committee on the Legislative Depart
ment, to report that they have had unde
consideration the various matters referred
to them; and not supposing it necessary t.
repeat here each proposition or discuss it!
merits, they have deemed it sufficient t.
announce the following as their unani
nous conclusion upon the whole matter
The change of dates in some of the sec.
tions of Article Ii which they recommend,
are such as are necessary to adapt the
Constitution to the new starting point
from which we are setting out. The
more important amendments which they
propose to engraft upon Article II, such as
those regulating the compensation of
members of the General Assembly, and
the mode of enacting laws, and the power
of the Legislature to embark the State in
| debt, and the power of the counties and
incorporated cities and towns to loan their
credit, and to become joint stockholders
with others-are all of them the result of
an earnest conviction on the part of the
committee, that some such changes in the
organic law are essential 10 the pros perity
| OF the State.
1t appearing that the subjects embraced
| within section % of Article II, were
properly within the jurisdiction of the
Committee on Finance, Internal Improve
ments and Corporations, the consideration
| of that section, by mutual agreement, was
referred to that committee. The section,
recommended by them in lieu of %, is in
| serted in its proper order in this report.
Touching Article II, am instructed to
recommend that said article be announced
as follows:
Sec. 8. To the end of this section add
the words "who shall hold their offices for
two years from the day of the general
election"
Sec. 4. Strike out the word "forty-One'
in the third line and insert the word ''sev-
enty-one.n
Sec. 7. Strike out the word ''thirty-
five" in the third line and insert Seventy
one
Sec. s. Strike out the word "thirty-
five" in the third line and insert Seventy
One.n
Sec. II. Strike out, in the fourth line,
the words ''two-thirds of each house,
and insert mot less than two-thirds of
all the members to which each house
shall be entitled"
Sec. IT, Add to the end of this section
the words mo bill shall pass which en-
braces more than one subject, that subject
to be expressed in the title. All acts
which repeal, revive or amend former
laws, shall reCite in their caption or other
wise, the title or substance of the law re-
pealed, revived or amended.
Sec. IS. Strike out all after the word
''shall," near the end of the third line,
and insert ''have been read and passed on
three different days in each house, and
shall have received on its final passage in
each house, the assent of majority of
all the members to which that house shall
be entitled under this Constitution; and
shall have been signed by the respective
Speakers in open session, the fact of such
signing to be noted onthe journals and
shall have received the approval of the
Governor as shall have been otherwise
provided under the provisions of this Con
stitutiOn.o
Sec. 21.-Strike out ''two, in the sixth
line, and insert five
Sec. 23.-Strike out the word First
in the third line. After the word Gas
sembly,' at the end of the third line, in
sert 'elected after the ratification of this
Constitution" After the word Services"
in the Fourth line, strike out all of said sec
ton and insert ''But no member shall be
paid for more than seventy-five days of a
regular session, or for more than twenty
days of an extra, or called or adjourned
session; or for any day when absent from
his seat in the Legislature, unless physi-
cally unable to attend. The Senators.
when sitting as a court of Impeachment,
shall each receive four dollars per day for
actual attendance.
Sec. 2S-Amended as reported by the
Chairman of the Committee on Finance,
etc.
Sec. 29.-Add to the end as follows:
"But the credit of no county, city or
town, shall be given or loaned to or in
aid of any person, company, association
or corporation, except upon an election
to be held by the qualified voters of said
county, city or town, and the assent of
three-fourths of the votes cast at said
election. Nor shall any county, city or
town become a stakeholder with others in
any company, association or corporation,
except upon a like election and the assent
of a like majority"
Section 3l-Strike out this section and
insert: "The credit of this State shall not
hereafter be loaned or given to or in aid of
any person, association, company, cOrpO-
ration or municipality; nor shall the State
become stockhOlder with others, in any
association, company, corporation or mu-
nicipality."
With these amendments, Article ii, in
its complete form, will read as hereinafter
written.
Respectfully submitted.
VIM. II. STEPHENS, Chm'n.
NASHVILLE, Jan. "a, 1870.
FRANCHISE.
On motion of Mr.. Nicholson, the re-
ports of the Committee on Elections and
Elective Franchise, majority and minO-
rity, were taken up. The amendment
recommended by the majority reads as
follows:
Article IV.-Section Livery man
of the age of twenty one years, being a
citizen of the United States, and a citi-
zen of the United States, and citizen of
the county wherein he may offer his vote,
six months next preceding the day of
election, shall be entitled to vote for
members of the General Assembly, and
other civil officers for the county or dis
trict in which he resides; and there shall
be no qualification attached to the right
of suffrage, except that he shall
give to the judges of election, where
he offers TO vote, satisfactory
evidence that he has paid the
poll tax then due by him; without,
his vote cannot be received. And all
male citizens of the State shall be subject
to the payment of poll-taXes and to the
performance of military duty, within such
ages as may be prescribed by law: Pro-
vidCd, That the General Assembly shall
have power to enact laws requiring voters
to vote in the election precincts in which
they may reside, and laws TO secure the
freedom of elections and the purity of
the ballOt-boX.
T. e I ! Ia,