Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1889-08-02

sessions are very short, rs North Dakota
- nnSaSeu In convention work.
~ mas peen agree that the matter of
records and archieves be first taken up and
disposed of. On this point the commits
s'o;l Is agreed and no trouble will result.
w progress was made by the joint COM
n?. on the Goth. The subject con
s s, was the disposition of records.
absent. AA'e''tDet' were
Nothing was accomplished in the Joint
session on the 23d. There was really
no session, not enough North Dakota
members being present to make Quorum
North Dakota,
Inc most important measure yet brought
prominently before the North Dakota con-
ventlon IS embodied in the following reso.
luton, introduced by MIR. Stevens bv re-
quest:
Inc legislative authority of this state shall rost
IN single body, to be called legislative "a
sen p, which shall consist of not less than
one hundred members, to be elected by the
people; provided the legislative assembly NAV
from time to time increase the number Of
members as necessity may require.
The proposition to abolish the Office of
the justice of the peace and establish
county courts was the subject of lively
meeting OF the judicl ry committee on the
18TH. The opponents gained victory and
the committee will vote against the propo-
sition. The committee has agreed on al.
viding the state into six judicial districts
and favors the establishment of an appel
late court, the judges of which shall be
elected and shall be separate and distinct
from the regular district court.
The constitutional convention was given
genuine surprise on the 2lst by the pre-
sentation OF a complete constitution, This
constitution is said to have been prepared
with great care, and after consultation with
some OF the best constitutional lawyers i'll
the Union. In many respects it is identi-
cal with articles already introduced in the
convention. 1t is a compilation of some
of the best provisions of the .constitu-
tons Of the different states and the United
States, fitted to North Dakota. With re-
gard to taxation it has no specific provis-
ions, embodying the Wisconsin constitu-
tionai provision on this subject, which pro-
vides that the rule of taxatiou shall be
uniform upon property made subject to
taxation by the legislature, leaving the
power of regulating the method of taxa
ton with the legislature. 1t also provides
that the property of on-residents shall
not be taxed at higher rate than that of
residents, allows the legislature to fix the
passenger and freight rates on railroads
and transportation companies, the rates to
be reasonable and the courts to decide
what are reasonable rates. 1t prohibits
the loaning of the credit of the sthte to
any association or corporation, vests the
judicial powers in court of impeachment,
consisting of the senate, supreme court
district courts. county courts and justices
OF the peace, thus providing for the estab-
lisment of county courts. 1t limits the
number of judges of the supreme court to
three, which may be increased after five
years. 1t provides against female suffrage
The house of representatives. shall consist
100 members, and the senate not less than
one-third nor more than one-ha of the
number of the house. Each organized
county shall be entitled to at least one
member of the house. The senator's are
wide into two classes; one to
be elected for two years and the
other for four. 1t provides for bien-
NAL sessions of the legislature not ex-
ceeding ninety days, to convene on the
first Tuesday i'll January after election.
1t requires two-thirds of the members
elect to override the veto power. The
governor shall either approve or return a
bill within five days from the time of de-
livery to him, and shall have the ten days
after adjournment within which to approve
or reject. 1t is against minority repre-
sentation and provides for election by
plurality vote. 1t gives the Legislature full
power to regulate liquor licenses. Any
coal lands which the state may acquire in
the congressional grant shall never be
sold, but may be leased. The school fund
shall be invested in United States bonds,
bonds of the state or first mortgage secur-
tiles of the state at not more than one
half the value of the land. 1t prohibits
the passage of special laws and provides
that the property OF the wife before mar
riage and what she may acquire during
married life shall be exempt from execu-
ton on claims against the husband. 1t
prohibits foreign corporations from trans
acting business in the state until they ap-
point an agent i'll the state, who shall be
subject to process by law. and ovides
years after he has declared his intention
to become citizen, and that the reading
OF the Declaration of Independence with
facility shall be considered test of the
QUALIFICATION of a 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.
The convention adjourned on the goth
without the transaction of any business
save the introduction of two articles.
These were: Providing that all elections
shall be by secret ballot; that ballots shall
be provided by state and counties re-
spectively; all electors must be registered
ninety days before day of election; also
providing that the only purpose fbr which
funds may be used before or after cleo
tons by any candidate or his agent shall
be renting halls for meetings, posting Cir
culars, newspapers and advertising OF
public speakers, and travelling expenses.
The event of the day on the 22nd was
the consideration of a resolution providing
for single body Legislature. The cues
ton was discussed in committee of the
whole, but the committee rose without
reaching vote. A hurried caucus showed
that over thirty five members of the con-
vention are favorable to the PROPOSE
ton and that many more are on the fence;
i At the afternoon session it was ordered
that all standing committees be required
to report by Thursday of the present