The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1890-09-11
THE STATE CONVENTION.
The introduction to the Organic Law
Reported to the Convention.
The Document Meets with General APP
probatIon-The Resolution Introduced
to Limit Debate Voted Down-Tbe
Penltentiary Question Bobs Up Again.

The Document Meets with General APP
| probatIon-The Resolution Introduced
to Limit Debate Voted Down-Tbe
PenItentiary Question Bobs Up Again.
JACKSON, Sept. 5.-The Convention
did another hard days work today in
the way Of talking. 1t showed its de-
termination to talk as long as it pleases
on every subject by voting down the
resolution of Mr.. Dean, restricting
speeches to twenty minutes on prime
propositions and five minutes on amend
ments.
The Judiciary Committee reported
favorably the proposition of Mr.. Baird
as to swamp and overfiowed lands, which
provides that original entries made in
good faith should be validated. The
report was made the special order for
Wednesday next.
Chairman Mayes then submitted the
bill of rights as prepared by his COM
mittee.
| THE BILL OF RIGHTS.
The bill of rights, as submitted, meets
with general appreciation though there
will be a minority report dissenting
from Section and an addition to it on
several minor points. 1t is substantially
as follows:
In order to assert our rights and pro-
claim the principles on which our Gov
ernment is founded, we declare:
Section 1. That all political power is
vested in and derived from the people;
that all government of right originates
from the people, is founded upon their
will only, and is instituted solely for
the good of the whole.
Sec. 2. That the people of this State
have the inherent, sole and exclusive
right to regulate the internal govern
ment and police thereof, and to alter
and abolish their Constitution and form
of government whenever they may deem
it necessary TO their safety and happi-
ness; provided, such change is not re-
pugnant to the Constitution of the
United States.
Sec. 3. That the right to withdraw
from the Federal Union on account OF
any real or supposed grievances shall
never be assumed by this State; nor
shall any law be passed in derogation of
the paramount allegiance of the citizens
of this State to the Government OF the
United States.
Sec 4. That all persons residents in
this State, citizens of the United States,
are hereby declared citizens of the State
of Mississippi.
Sec. S. The Legislature may, and,
where the interest of the State requires,
shall enact laws to limit, restrict or pre-
vent the acquiring and holding of lands
in this State by aliens.
Sec 6. That the military shall be in
strict subordination to the civil power.
Sec. Z. That treason against the State
shall consist only in levying war against
the same or in adhering to It's enemies,
giving them aid and comfort. No per-
son shall be convicted of treason unless
on the testimony of two witnesses to the
same overt act, or on a confession IN
open court.
Sec 8. That the right of the people to
peaccably assemble and petition the
Government on any subject shall never
be impaired.
Sec. o. That the right of no citizen to
keep and bear arms in defense of his
home, person and property, or in aid of
the civil power, when thereto legally
summoned, shall be called in question;
but nothing herein contained Is in
tended to justify the practice of bearing
concealed weapons.
Sec. 10. That the freedom of speech
and of the press shall be held sacred;
and in all indictments for libel the jury
shall determine the law and the facts
under the direction of the court.
Sec. II. That no person shall be de-
prived of life, liberty or property ex-
cept by due process of law.
Sec. 12. That there shall be neither
slavery nor involuntary servitude in the
State otherwise than the punishment of
crime, whereof the party shall have
been duly convicted.
Sec. 13. That no ex-post facto law or
laws impairing the obligation of con-
tracts shall ever be passed.
Sec. IA. That private property shall
not be taken or damaged for public use
except on due compensation being first
made to the owners thereof in manner
to be provided by law; and whenever an
attempt is made to take private property
for q use alleged to be public, the ques-
tion whether the contemplated use be
tion, and as such be judicially deter
mined without any regard to any legis-
latiye assertion that the use is public.
Sec. IS. That the rights of married
women shall be protected by law in
property owned previous to marriage;
and also in all property acquired by
| purchase, gift, devise, bequest or other
wise, in good faith, after marriage;
provided, that nothing herein contained
shall be so construed as to protect said
property from being applied to the pay
| ment of their lawful debts.
Sec. 16. That no religious qualihca-
ton for office shall ever be required;
and no preference shall ever be given
by law to any religious sect or mode of !
worship; but the free enjoyment of all
religious sentiments and the different
modes of worship shall ever be held as
sacred; provided, that the rights hereby
secured shall not be construed to justify
acts of licentiousness injurious to morals
or dangerous to the peace and safety
of the State, or to exclude from use in
any public school in this State the Holy
Bible in any version thereof.
Sec. II. That no persons life shall be
imperiled by the practice of dueling,
and any citizen of this State who shall
hereafter fight duel or assist in the
same as second, or send, accept, or
knowingly carry a challenge therefor,
whether such act be done in the State
or outside of it, or who shall go out OF
the State to fight duel, or to assist in
the same as second, or to send, accept or
carry a challenge, or to carry on cor
respondence contemplating duel as
one of its possible results, shall be dis
qualified from holding any office under
this Constitution, and shall forever be
disfranchised in this State.
Sec. IS. That no person shall ever be
elected or appointed to any office in this
State for life or during good behavior,
| hut the tarm Of all officers shall be for