Claiborne guardian. [volume] (Homer, La.) 1877-188?, 1877-10-03
Communicated.
CONSTITUTIONAL c0RvEkTI0N.-ho. 3.

Mr.. EDITOR: The following are some Of
the amendments in addition to thoee al
ready designated, which should lie embod-
led in the Constitution:
lst. A provision should he incorporated
making the exhibition Of poll tax receipt,
not to exceed two dollars, M indispensable
condition TO the right to vote at any cleo
ton; the proceeds arising therefrom to be-
come part of the free school fund.
There is q very large number Of voters
in this State who pay no taxes, because
they have no property. And yet this ele-
ment derives great benefit from the free
school fund in the education Of their chill
drep, and it is but equitable, in as much -
they are PRACTICAL. exempt from other tax
alton by reason of their not owning proper
ty, that they should he required to contri-
butte -sosrr thing to support the government;
and as there Is no other mode Of attaining
that end, they should be required TO pay
moderate poll tax or desist from voting.
ID. The Legislature should I've prohibited
from changing the venue in criminal cases;
and such power should he restricted to the
Courts, and only be exercised by them for
good cause shown.
One Of the worst consequences which the
people Of this State escaped by getting rid
of the Packard government was an act
introduced into his bastard legislature, and
which would, had his efforts been crowned
with success. have come a law, authorizing
the Attorney General to change the trial in
any criminal case from the parish where
/ the niicuse was committed to any other
parish in The State. The sole object and
purpose Of this act was to insure the con-
victiun of u democrat who committed any
otlrnsc against republican, and secure the
acquittal of any republican who committed
an otirnse against Il democrat. The kel-
! logg Legislature, in frequent instances,
| passed special acts removing the trial Of
republican offenders from parishe, Where
| the oiicns" was committed "a distant parts
of the state, the result i'll most eases being
that the parties were never tried. and i'll
case of trial a jury would be organized to
acqut.
I'd. Every person holding or exercising
any office Of honor, trnst, or profit under
the United States should he declared incli-
CHILE to any office Of honor, trust or profit
under this : ate" aud also ineligible to q
seat in the legislature.
1t has been great evil in the recent
past that many seats III the legislature
and many Of orr State Offices have been
filled 10y United States officers.
ith. Another much needed amendment
is one making every act which has passed
both houses and been presented to the Gov
rrnor within ten days previous to the close
of the session, or within ten days there
after. law, unless vetoed by him and his
reasons therefor filed with the secretary Of
State for publication in the official paper
within twenty days of the Ct ,e of the
session.
The Governor can now retain bill which
has passed both houses, and sign il or not
until the following session; thus introduc-
ing an element of uncertainty and doubt
which should not exist under any we'll reg
nlated system Of legislation. And under
the late regime the appro'a or disapproyal
of the bills in the hands Of the Executive
at the close Of the session were governed
by considerations in which the pnbic in
terest constituted no element. Even where
bills have no political bearing and the Ex-
ecntive yields or withholls his assent from
no corrupt motive, ~ was sometimes the
case, still the power with which the Gov
ernor is now clothed with Of giving bill
the vitality of law by signing il eight or ten
months after it is passed, works great hard
ship and introduces confusion into the adj
ministration OF justice, as a single instance
will illustrate.
Previous to l-10. all judicial bonds in
! civil cases were by law made payable to
the party interested. In the session of
ls70, the legislature near the close Of the
session passed an act requiring all sucl
bonds except those in injunction suits, t.
be made payable to the Clerk of the Court
in which the proceedings were pending
The concluding section Of this law declared
it should take effect from and after it's pas.
sage. Gov. Warmoth did not approve /,
: until the Dth of the following December
The consequence was that all bonds in Sc
qnestration. attachment and provisional
= seizure cases, given between the date Of
= the passage of the bill aud it's approval by
the Governor n ucripl of nearly ten mont "A