Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1879-01-25
Proposed Amendments to the COnsti-
tnttOns

|
The Joint committee on constitutional amood'
ments of The Legislature have agreed to make
a report recommending The following amend
ments:--
Section 2, article 8, concerning the elective
| franchise and qualifications for office, changed
80 as to strike out tho provision which requires
all elections to be by ballot, and leave the mao
ner Of voting to bo regulated BY the Gonera'
| Assembly.
Section 4, article 4, amended so as to reduae
| the salary of the Governor from FIVE Thousand
| to four thousand dollars per annum.
Strike out section 81, article 5. which requlIeS
| the General Assembly to provide for "tho an-
nual registration Of marriages. births. aud
DEATHS" which will save about $4,000 per
| anpum.
The lst, q, 4sh aud 18th seotions Of article
6, so altered as to give the Court OF Appeals
jurisdiction 10 all clses where the amount 10
controversy, exclusive OF interest, exceeds $500.
Aud they are only required to state their opln-
ions n writing 10 cases involving pcw prlnclples;
all other cases are left TO their discretion.
County judges to be abolished, aud couoty
court is required to be held monthly by three
justices, except when the county levy Is aid when
two thirds OF all the Justices are required to bo
prescn;the Governor. by AID with the advice and
consent of the Senate, to appoint four Justices
from cach magsteria DISTRICT to hold office for
eigh. years, except tho first under this ConsiIu
tion. They are required to be divided Into
four CLASSES, and the term OF otic? ct QUO trom
each district expires at the end OF every two
years; vacancies occurring after The first appoint
ment TO be filed by the Governor upon the
recommendation ofthe justices of tho couoty.
Section IS Of article 6. which provides tor
city treasurers, is stricken out by the com-
mittee. leaving the taxes TO be collected by
the sheriff.
The lst and 2d sections of article are so
changed as to abolish the ofica OF county treaur.
er, equity superintendent of schools and sup-
eIvisors aud provides for The appointment Of
commissioners Of the revenue, c,roncr5, con
stables, and oversecrs Of the poor By tho county
court
The term of Office OF the sheriff is reduced
| to two years. and he is required to duly ac
| couot for all public dues batUrc be can o, re -
elected.
All regular daolioos for couoty officers are
rtoured to be held on the first Tuesday after
| the first Monday in November.
And scolioo provides that justices OF the
peace, shertfs, attorneys for tho Common
wealth, clerks Of she courts and all other coun
| ty officers, shall be sui ieet to Indictment for
! malfcssrce, uisieasance, iIcompeteuoy, or neg.
lect OF official duty; aud upon conviction thereof
| their otfc7s shall become vacant.
Section 9, article s, is proposed to be so amend.
| ed as to take away ftom the Board Of Educs-
ton the power ofsppoiuting az removing coun-
| " auperintendsuts of public free schools, and
| tho management and investment Of all county
| school funds.
| Section s, articles, 80 amended as tostrike out
| the provision requiring the General Assembly
| TO apply IAN annual tax upon the property
Of tho State Gf not less than ono mill
! or more than five mills on tho dollar" for
public free school purposes. and provision in.
stead providing that "esch county shsll raiso
additional sums, by tax On property, for the
! support Of public free schools, Of not less thsn
one mill or 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 Il period not excsed.
ing ten years all foreign capital broush within
| the State sid iavesLed IN mining and msnufac-
| turing enterprises.
| Section 2, article ID. which p' Divides tnst mo
tax shall be imposed for Inc privilege OF taking
| or Catching oysLers from their beds with tpn9s"
| ID stricKes out. which leaves the oyster subject
| to q license tax sho6ld the General Assembly
| decide 10 pose 1t.