The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1882-05-31
AMENDING THE CONSTITUTION.
A Practical and Exhaustive Discussion
of Important Matters.
state Senator Jason B. Brown the
Amendments.

can ever be considered by the electors OF
State is a proposition to amend the States
Constitution. The Constitution of Indiana
is now in process of being amended in two
very important respects, viz:
1. That the manufacture, sale or keeping |
for sale in this State, spirituous. vinous,
malt liquors, or other intoxicating liquors,
Except for medical, scientific. mechanical, |
and wines for sacramento, purposes) shall
be prohibited.
9. Submitting to the electors of this State |
the question of allowing women to vote.
These questions have been commanding |
public attention for many years, aud have
now brought themselves face 10 face with |
the electors of Indiana. The question is,
How shall they be disposed of? Shall they
be ignored entirely in the approaching cam
paign. and be submitted by the next Gen
eral Assembly to the electors of the State
for adoption or rejection without having
been previously considered by the people at
all, or shall they be discussed in the APP
preaching campaign, and be taken into con-
sideration in connection with The election of
the next General Assembly? These proposed
amendments ought to be treated in the man
ner that the Constitution provides that all
proposed amendments shall be treated. and
not in a different manner.
The Indiana Constitution of 1916 contained
no provision authorizing the Legislature to
propose amendments to it. The only provision
| II had upon the subject of its amendment
was that every twelfth year after its adop-
ton, at the general election held for Gov
ernor poll should be opened in which the
qualified electors of the State should ex
press by vote whether they were in favor OF
| - Ill mr. M there Shnnid
| be a majority of ali the votes cast at such
election in favor of Convention ii was the
duty of the Governor 70 so inform the next
| General Assembly. liz then became the
| duty of the General Assembly so informed
| to provide by law Tor the election OF mem
bers OF the Convention, aud when the Con-
| vention met il had full power 20 revise,
amend or change the Constitution. This
was the only way by which the Constitu-
| ton could be amended. The Legislature
had nothing Whatever to DO with it, except
TO provide for the election of the delegates
TO the Convention. The Convention was
the only tribunal that had authority to pro-
vide amendments.
The question of providing a way for
AMENDING ouR PRESENT CONSTITUTION
was one that commanded no little attention
OF the Constitutional Convention Of 1850
} Early in the progress of the proceedings of
that Convention Mr.. Read, delegate from
Clark County, offered q resolution In rela-
ton to future amendments of the COnstitu-
ton, to be separately submitted to the peo-
pie. The resolution was referred TO Com
mlttee on Future Amendments to the Con-
stitution In the discussion of this resolu.
ton there appeared a great diversityof opin-
/ ion among the delegates upon the subject oil
amending the Constitution. Many delegates
were opposed to the General Assembly IN
any event having authority to propose
] amendments, but believed the best policy
/ was that at stated periods ranging from 81
e to sixteen years, an election should De held
for the purpose of taking the sense OF thC
electors np0n the property of calling "A Con
siituIiOnai Convention. Mr.. Newman, :
! delegate FROM Wayne County. submitted
q the following prop iti"p;
The General Assembly may, AT is tirs
I, ses.icu after TX vars from t;lc ad'plon -
: this Cons itg'iun. and every 'eD err ft'"r'.
: AFTER, by uvOte If three-iitta.' '1';p Drai 90
= thereof, recommend Ia .hr eiec,vr> Ia
: STATE any ouuraaleiHmrntiuthi Con
P s,itutior, aad provide f"r submitting a..
such altt ration or aiuenunl at 10 the vote o
such electOr. and II maj 3TIts II Snch Ell {
. tors vote in favor OF sacu alteiatiOn u
amendment the same shall be adopted ant
:, form a part of the Constitution"
q Mr. Newman's proposition bad man.
Is friends, but it was finally rejected.
Is The Committee ION Future Amendment
e to the Constitution" reported to the CONVEX
y ton an article upon the subject of amendin
d the Constitution, the first section of whic
{ was:
!. Whenever two-thirds of all the member
elected to each branch of the General Assem-
bly, shall think it necessary to call CONVEX
ton to alter or amend this Constitution
they shall recommend to the electors at tn
next election OF members of the General Al
sembly, to vote for or against Convention
e. and II il shall appear that majority of a
the electors OF the State voting for Repr
id sentatives have voted for Convention, th
T. General Assembly shall, at their next sc
sion, call Convention for the purpose of r
lie vising, altering, or amending this ConSht'
" ton"
er Mr. Bascom moved to strike out Ill
section, and offered as a substitute su
stantially that every sixteen yea
at after the adoption of the Constitution, at Il
IS general election, poll should be opened
re ascertain whether the people were in favor
calling a Constitutional Convention, ar
NO that it they were in favor of it the Govern'
he should so inform the General Assembl
he whose duty then would be 10 provide f
the election of delegates to the Convention
This substitute was laid on the table, al
IT. by vote of sixty-six to fifty five, the oril
ed nal section on motion of Mr.. Carr, of JAG
a son County, was also laid on the table.
a by the Committee was:
af- ANY amendment or amendments to th
ct. Constitution may be proposed in eth
branch of the General Assembly; and ii {
IRE same shall be agreed to by two-thirds of ;
ne the members elected in each OF the tN
en- Houses, such proposed amendment
be amendments shall be referred to the ne
NY session OF the General Assembly, and SIN
ey be published az least three months preyio
no TO the time Of holding the next election
~ members of the House Of Representative
and if, at the next regular session OF I
n General Assembly after said election, a n
10 jority of all The members elected in en-
nj. branch OF the General Assembly shi
los agree to said amendment or aurendmeB
de- then it shall be their duty TO submit
ay same 70 the people NJ the next general Ell
nd ton for their adoption OF rejection, IN su
zen manner as may be prescribed
,at law; and if a majority OF ali the electors
l., ing at said election for members OF |
House OF Representatives shall vote for So
amendment or amendments the same sh
rse, become part of the Constitution. Ii I
EEK or more amendments be submitted at 1
out same time they shall be submitted in 81
ma manner that the people shalt vote for
the against each of such amendments separs
can ~; and while an amendment or amer
one ments which have been agreed upon by {
e Is General Assembly is awaiting the action
iac- a succeeding Assembly. or undergoing
ans fnal consideration Of the people, no
ditional amendment or amendments sh
,,ic be proposed"