Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1879-01-31
Proposed Amendments to the Constitution

sembly of Virginia has agreed to make a
report recommending the following amend
ments to the Constitution to be submitted
to the people for adoption:
Section 2, article 8, concerning the cleo
tive franchise aud qualifications for office,
changed so as to strike out the provision
which requires all elections to be by ballot,
and leave the manner OF voting to be reg
ulated by The General Assembly.
Section 4, article 4, amended so as to re-
duce the salary OF the Governor from five
Thousand to four thousand dollars per an
mum.
Strike out section 81, articles, which re-
quires the General Assembly to provide
for 1.-The annual registration Of marriages,
births and deaths,'' which will save about
SIS 900 per annum.
The 1st, I'd, 4th, and 18th sections of ar
tcle 6, so altered as to give the Court OF
Appeals Jurisdiction in all cases where The
amount in controversy, exclusive of inter
est, exceeds 5000. And they are only re-
quired to state their opinions in writing
in cases involving new principles; all other
cases are left to their discretion.
County judges to be abolished, and
county court is required to be held month
ly by three justices, except when the coun-
~ levy is laid, when two-thirds of all the
justices are required to be present; the
Governor, by and with the advice and con-
sent OF the Senate, to appoint Tour Justices
from each magiSterial district, to hold office
for eight years, except the first under this
Constitution. They are required to be dl-
vided into four classes, and the term of
Office of one from each district expires at
the end of every two years; vacancies oc-
curing after the first appointment to be-
filled by the Governor upon the recommen-
datiOn of the justices Of the county.
Section Is Of article 6, which provides
for city treasurers. is stricken out by the
committee, leaving the taxes to be collec
ted by the sheriff.
The 1st and I'd sections of article 7 are
SO changed as to abolish the offices of coun-
ty treasurer, county superintendent OF
schools, and supervisors, and provides Tor
the appointment of commissioners Of the
revenue, coroners, constables, aud over
seers of the poor by the county court.
The term of Office of the sheriff IS re-
duced to two years, and he is required to
duly account for all public dues before he
can be reelected.
AL regular elections for county officers
are required to De held ON the first Tues
day after the first Monday in November
And section 2 provides that justices OF
the peace, sheritfS, attorneys for the Com
county officers, shall be subject to indict
ment for malfeasance, miSfeasance lncom-
potency, OF neglect OF official duty; and
upon conviction thereof their offices shall
become vacant.
Section 2, article s, is proposed to be so
amended as to take away from the Board
of Education the power Of appointing and
removing county superintendent OF pub
lie free schools, and the management and
investment of all county school funds.
Section s, article s, so amended as to
strike out the provision requiring the
General Assembly to apply San annualtax
upon the property of the State of not less
than one mill nor more than five mills on
the dollar" for public free school pur-
poses, and a provision instead providing
that leach county shall raise additional
sums, by "a tax on property, for the sup
port of public free schools, OF notices. than
one mill nor more than five mills on the
dollar in any one year."
Section /, article 10, so amended as to
provide that the General Assembly shall
have power to exempt from taxation for
period not exceeding ten years all foreign
capital brought within the State and in
vested in mining and manufacturing en-
JerpriseS.
Section 2, article. 10. which provides that
s'no tax shall be imposed for the privilege
of taking or catching oysters from their
beds with tOngs," is stricken out, which
leaves the oysters subject to license tax,
should the General Assembly decide to
impose it.