St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-07-22
HERE'S CONSTITUTION
For the Good People of North
Dakota.

BISMARCK, N. D., July 21.-The con-
stitutiOnal convention has been given a
genuine surprise by the presentation of
a complete constitution, which will be
considered during the present week.
This constitution is said to have been
prepared with great care, and after con-
sultation with some of the ablest con-
stitutional lawyers in the Union. In
many respects it is Identical with arti-
cles already introduced in the eonyen-
ton. 1t is compilation of the best
provisions of the constitutions OF the
different states and United States fitted
to North Dakota. With regard to taxa
ton it has no specific provisions, en-
bOdying the Wisconsin constitutional
provision on this subject, which pro-
Vides that the rule of taxation shall be
uniform upon property made subject to
taxation by the legislature, leaving
the power of regulating the method OF
taxation with the legislature. 1t also
provides that the property of non-resi-
dents shall not be taxed at higher rate
than that of residents; gives the leglS-
lature the right to fix the passenger and
freight rates on railroads and tranSpOr-
tatiOn companies, the rates to be reason
able and the courts to decide what are
reasonable rates. 1t prohibits the loan
ing of the
CREDIT OF THE safe
to any association or corporation; vests
the judicial power in court OF I'M
peachment, consisting of the senate,
supreme court, district court, county
courts and justices of the peace, thus
providing for the esta blishment of
county courts; limits the number of
Judges of the supreme court to three,
which may be decreased after five
years. 1t provides against female suf-
frage. The house of representatives
shall consist of not less than
rs nor more than 120 members, and
the senate not less than one-third nor
more than one-half the size of the
house. Each organized county shall be
entitled to at least one member of the
house. The senators are divided into
two classes, one to be elected for two
years and the other for four; provides
for biennial sessions of the legislature,
not exceeding ninety days, to convene
the first Tuesday in January after cleo
ton. 1t requires two-thlrds OF the
members-elect to override the veto
power. The governor shall either ap-
prove or return a bill within five days
from the time of delivery to him, and
shall have ten days after adjournment
within which to approve or reject: in
case of rejection, to file the same with
the secretary of state within the time
specified. 1t is
AGAINST MINORITY REPRESENTATION,
provides for election by plurality vote:
gives the legislature full power to regu-
late liquor licenses; any coal lands
which the state may acquire in the con-
gressional grant shall never be sold,
but may be leased and the school fund
shall be invested in United States
bonds, bonds of the state or first mort
gage securities of the state at not more
than one-half the value of the land.
The school fund shall be considered a
trust fund, the interest to be used for
the schools, and in case of loss of any
part of the principal the state must
make good; prohibits the passage of
special laws; the property of the
wife before marriage and what
she may acquire during marriage
shall be eXemt from execution
on claims against the husband,
directs the legislature to pass liberal
homestead laws; prohibits foreign cor
poratiOnS from transacting business in
the state until they appoint an agent in
lAC CIdlO VIII Slldl1 UC ouOJCSU W P1OSOoo
by law; provides that no foreigner
shall vote until two years after he has
declared his intention to become citi-
ken, and that the reading of the declara-
tion of independence with facility shall
be considered test of the qualification
of voter. No act of the legislature
shall take effect within sixty days after
adjournment, unless specially provided
in the preamble or body of the act. This
constitution will furnish an abundance
of material for discussion, but those
who have read it predict that it will be
adopted with very few changes.