Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1882-10-19
AMENDING THE CONSTITUTION.

But very little reference has thus
far been made in the Michigan cam
paign to til. pending constitutional
amendments, and probably but few
voters are aware of the fact that such
amendments are TO be voted upon this
fall.
The legislature of 1881 agreed to ali
amendment to Section | of Article 9,
increasing the salaries of circuit court
judges from 81 800 to 50, 800 This is
L, be submitted to popular vote at the
election in November. A similar
amendment has been submitted sever
al times before, with u continually i'm
creasing vote in its favor, but this far
without majority. The last time it
was submitted, in 1876, the vote was,
for o. 81, against 65, 966; majority
against only 59J. The amendment is
in the direction of an efficient and
competent judiciary, and there ought
to be no question about its adoption.
The people will, in November, vote
also upon n proposition to amend Sec
ton 10 of Article 10, so as to make it
read as follows:
Sec 10. The board of supervisors,
or i'm the county of Wayne the board
of county auditors, shall have the ex-
elusive power to prescribe and fin the
compensation for all service rendered
for, and to adjust all claims against
their respective counties; and the sum
so fixed or defined shall be subject to
no appeal. But the legislature may by
general statute provide for the estab-
lishment of board of county auditors
in any county; and any such board,
when established according to law,
shall have exclusive power to prescribe
and fix the compensation for all servi-
ces rendered for, and to adjust all
claims against said county, and the
sum SO fixed or defined shall be sub
ject to no appeal: Provided, that no
such board shall be established in any
county unless the board of supervisors
of such county shall so direct by vote
of majority of all the melpbers elect.
The amendment consists in the ad-
dition of all after the first sentence -
At present only Wayne county has, or
can have, board OF county auditors.
Under the amendment such boards
may be created for other counties
The interest in this amendment will
probably be confined mainly TO few
Of the more populous counties, but IL
would seem reasonable that these
should have the power to choose board,
OF auditors in cases where the voter
st.em this desirable or economical
method OF regulating their tinancia
affairs.
The constitution of 1850 provided
that in 1866, and once in 16 years there
after, the question of the revision o
the constitution should be submitted
to popular vote. In accordance viii
. this provision the Legislature Of 1SS
passed the following joint resolut ON
ReSOircd, That the question of
general revision of the constitution O
: this State shall be submitted at tn
r election to be held OH the first Tues
4 day after the first Monday i'm Novem
Der, i'm the year 1882, and the notice o
such submission be given in the sam
manner, and at the same time, as nc
n tice is now required to be given for til
election of State officers; that the in
spectors of election of the several town
d ships and wards provide n separat
o Uallot-boX to receive all votes that ma
= be cast at such election for or agains
:. such revision of the constitutions an
that the electors voting in favor of .ai
e general revision of the constitutio
shall have written or printed, or partl
written and partly printed on thei
ballots the words, for revision of tn
: constitution. and those voting agains
e such revision shall have written O
,e printed, or partly written and partl
4 printed on their ballots the words
against a revision of the constitl
i ton; y which votes shall be canvasse
rs and certified, aS near as may be, as tn
-e votes for governor and lieutenant go'
ernor are required TO be canvassed.
1t was in accordance with simift
resolution that the question of revisio
'e was submitted in 1866. The vote tina
- year was i'm favor of revision, and I'll
Y constitutional convention of 1867 fo
-" lowed, but the constitution which thu
- convention framed was subsequent
. voted down by nearly 40, 600 majorit.