Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1874-12-24
Constitutional Amendments.

tutional Amendments that the public
should be inforned Of their action
During the first week of the present
session of the Legislature the sub-com
mittee 10 whom had been delegated
1.-THE duty of preparing amendments re
ported to the general committee the
resuAeot their iabors, the substance of
which was published in your columns
immediately after the session held last
August ,at the Orkney Springs. The.
general committee adoptedswith great
uriasnimlty all OF the suggestions of the
subcommittee, except the provision
excluding ministers of the Gospel from
the Legislature, which it was thought
injudicious to propose at this time. aud
the new Judiciary system, which is still
under consideration.
They have also adopteda an additional
amendment TO the article on finance.
authorizing the Legislature to exempt
fro'n taxation, for period not exceed
ing seven years capital hereafter inrro>
'duced into the State and actually in
vested in manufacturing and mining
operation
On the 14:h instant the chairman of
the committee reported to the House
joint resolutions submitting under one
head, to DO voted ON and adopted or
rejected together, the following viz:
ls. An amendment to the article on
suffrage requiring the capitation tax i'm
posed by law, to be- paid, .s condition
precedent to the exercise of the right of
suffrage
I'd. Amendments to the same article,
abolshins the secret ballot and the pre-
sent system OF registration
Sd. An amendment 10 the article on
finance, authorizing the Legislature to
impose capstatinn tax of 81 instead of
5 upon each male citizen over the aye
OF 2l years, to be devoted to the sup
port OF the public school system.
4th. An amendment striking out
that feature of the article on education
which requires the Legislature to levy
ajax Of one mill annually upon the real
and personal property Of the State for
the support Of public schools.
These amendments are substantially
the same which have been recommen
ded to the Legislature by Governor
Walker, Governor Kelnper, and the
superintendent of public schools, DR..
Ruifner, who in successive reports has
demonstrated, in several mastery argu.
ments, the justice OF these changes in
the organic law, and the great advan-
tages to De derived to the public and to
The free school system from their adop-
ton. --
The present constitution devotss to
the support Of the public schools the
interest on the literary fund, amounting
to Ss7 900 per annum, the captstio
tax, one dollar, tax of enc mill per
annnm Gu all of the real and personal
property in the State
From the present capitation tax and
the tax on property the school fund de-
rives about $350,0o0 per aanum BY
the report of the Auditor of Public Ac.
counts, it appears that there are $780,
1868 males assessed with the capitation
tax throughout the Commonwc alth.-
At two dollars per head this assessment
would yield the round sum of $500,000.
The entire capitation tax being devoted
to the State school fund. you will have
an annual State revenue for that fund
consisting OF 3s7, 200 from the interest
on the literary fund and $500, 1000 from
the capitation tax, making a total of
1887 900, Instead of the sum of $437,-
| O0O as under the present constitution
The requirement of the constitution
that each voter shall pay his capitation
tax before exercising the right OF suff-
rage may be relied upon to secure its
prompt and satisfactory collection.
If these amendments should be adopt
ed, let it be clearly understood that the
Legislature is not prohibited from levy
ing taxes upon property for the SUPPORT
of the public schools, but simply are
not required to do so, unless in their
judgement it may seem proper or
necessary.
The counties and school districts will
retain the same powers, as under the
present constitution, of local taxation
for school purposes, the revenues from
which sources already amount to be-
tween 100000 and 100000 per
annum. !. 49,
This revenue raised by local taxa
ton is appropriated entirely for the
benefit of the schools in the county or
district in which it is contributed. The
taxes on property levied by the State,
under the requirement of the presen,
constitution, do not return to the county
or school district within which they
are raised, but are distributed per capita
throughout the Commonwealth in pro
portion to population. Thus many of
the counties and cities under the pres
ent management contribute two or
three times as much to the State school
fund as they receive back, while other
counties receive two or three times as
much as they pay. The. amendments
proposed by the committee will have
the effect Of equalizing the burthen and
returning to each city, county or school
district nearly the same amount which
it has contributed to the common fund.
Some explanation may be necessary
as to the anticipated effect of abolishing
the present expensive system of regis
tration. The object ofthis system being
to identify the person claiming the right
to vote, it must be evident that regis
tration will be entirely unnecessary il
tie payment of the cspitation tax be re.
quired before the citizen is allowed to
vote. The collecting officer will be re
qnired by law TO keep an exact list OF
the name, age, residence, &c, of ever,
voter who has paid his tax. On election