Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-04-14
Kentnoky's Constitution.

The Constitutional Convention OF Ken
lucky completed the reading and revision
of the new instrument OF an extra session
held Saturday evening. The enrolling
clerks, however, were not quite up VIII
the reading. and the formal adoption OF
the whole, as 1t will be reported from the
Enrolment Committee, was postponed I'M
iii yesterday morning. There are about
1850 words in the present Constitution
and about p, 900 in the proposed one. The
Courier Journal says the present Oonsti-
tuition was signed by all but one OF the
delegates of 1s49. The proposed one viii,
in all probability. 60 TO the people with
only the signatures of the President and
Secretary in order not 10 make conspicu-
ous by their absence the signatures OF in
fiuential delegates, who will refuse 1t Is
said, TO afflx their names TO it." 1t IS I'M
derstood "that Governor BUcKNER will not
sign it,"
The Couier-Journdl prints it in full and
oharacterizes il as "a cumbrous and IN
grammatical document.
The Constitution goes forth with AN
address TO the people, from which we learn
that the legislative sessions have been lin
tied TO sixty days, and all special laws pro-
hibited where general laws can govern;
and on a large number Of subjects which
concern the general good under the pro-
visions proposed q special law is rendered
impossible; and it has been required IN
the new Constitution that "an acts of in
corporation shall be obtained hereafter
through the courts and under general
laws, and that the expense OF such
interpretations shall be paid by those
who seek them and who secured the
benefit of such individual aggregation"
The ballot under the new Constitution
will be fully established. Kentucky en-
loved the distinction of being "the only
civilized State which retained the viud
roce voting. The experience of the re-
mainder of free people has demonstrated
the evils of this system, and an official
secret ballot, the foe of bribe-givers and
bribe-takers, the palladium of an honest
and unbiased expression of popular will,
az expressed at the polls, has been made as
the only method of taking the sense of the
voters of the Commonwealth.
The State, county, and other legal ma
chinery has been left practically IN
changed, but the number of magistrates
has been limited to eight in any county.
In obedience to an almost unanimous
public sentiment the working of convlcts
outside; the penitentiary has been prohi-
bited. Lotteries are forbidden. Only one
election of any kind soever can be held in
the State in one year. The court system
has been rearranged and simplifed. The
Supreme Court will have seven members.
All grants and charters will be subject to
the legislative will, and with the absolute
right of repeal by the State. No city or
county can subscribe to railroad companies
stocks.
There is provision in the Constitution
to cure the troubles about titles conveyed
in unrecorded Immigrants from Virginia.
Railroad commissioners are to be made
constitutional officers.
Many other changes are made and most
of them on the lines indicated by those
here named.
The Constitution is to be voted on by
the people of Kentucky on the first Mon
day in August.