Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-03-19
OUR LEGISLATIVE LETTER,

DOVER, March 11.-Convention stock
may be quoted trife higher. The
House passed this afternoon, by unaui-
nous vote, the bill introduced by Rep
resentative Ridgely on February 18th.
As before stated, about the only detail
In which this differs from the Grub
bill (Which passed the Senate on Feb
ruary 25th) is in the date--the third
Tuesday of next May in the Ridgely
bill; of May, 1899, in the Grub bill.
The passage of the bill was attended
BY speeches by Messrs. Higgins, E. j.
Morris and Hutson. Mr.. Higgins be-
lieyed 1--WE are all exceedingly in earnest
In wanting q conventin. l" said he,
"shall vote for this bill. At tile same
time, in doing so, / must say that if |
had been active in the preparation of
this bill, think should have provided
Tor some other date. | believe the very
mention of next May, however, is an
indication on the part of those who
offered this bill that they want con-
vention, and that they want the people
called upon to decide it as soon as pos
slble. Therefore | hold the time men,
t1oned as an indication that those who
oifer the bill are in earnest. If this
election were to be put off for another
year 1t would require great effort to get
the people out. | don't agree that May
Is the best time of the year-the
farmers are very busy then, and must
say | almost despair of getting ont the
constitutional number NECESSARY. hut in
view Of the fact that those Who offer
this bill propose to give it to us AT once
and at time when SO many arc Quail
fed to vote, accept il and shall vote
for it. At the same time. every ono of
US will have to use his utmost endeayors
to get the people 10 come onf. There
ought to be n campaicn of education en-.
tered on at once. We all know our
need Of a new constitution. The Sid
one is like an old garment that we have
outgrown, Our statutes made under il
have grown SO mixed and muddlcd that
even LAWYERS hardly know what thev
mean. Delaware Is too progressive 10
be handicapped in this way. Therefore
bespeak for this bill the earnest en-
beavers of this Legislature to bring lie
people to sense Of lie necessity Of
coming out; that everything IN our
power to be done should be- done "
"That suits my IDEAS" replied Mr. p.
j. Morris. II think next NAV is the |
time. fear il it is Dut off till '1S02 In
people will crow cool towards II md |
not come out to vote. Our people are
now anxious for a convention. | h.
leve they will turn ont and dnnt be.
lieve we will have any difficulty in giv-
ing majority in favor Of convention.
Therefore favor this Bill in nreference
to the other, and. like INV friend on tho
other side, | shall supp6rt the bill aud
do all can to get our people ont. The
other time lin 1881 | never went TO the
polls, but if am alive and well shall
be on hand this time.n
Mr.. Hutson said 81 tins morning
called up the Senate bill fora first rnado
ing) but since doing SO have talked
minds of some Of these senators have
undergone change since they passed
their bill for an election TO be held in
May, 1899. Mr.. Williams told me they
didn't think there would be any trouble
If we saw proper TO amend il here or to
push our own bill, and 1 am ready to
vote for the bill, and not only to vote
for it here but to vote for ii at the cleo
ton and to do what l can in trying To
get others to come out. The convention
bill passed four years ago submitted the
question to the vote at an election in
November, in an off year; but there are
differences of opinion III regard to when
this election can be held, and, while the
nnde NH ho ~. .ht g,
Il ~, ~ I'LL 49, ehnil pe 70 hoiu
~. VI tiie llillu luesuay OF May, mat is
tlo o4ly Jay speclned, ana Tor this rea- /
son l don't think there can be any |
qulpbllng as to the time if the election i
be held on that day. think there will /
Nc 1ao;l a,lI., Nt Ni't