The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1895-10-03
C0LUMBIA'S CONVENTION.
a Day Consumed in Discussing Two
Clauses OF Police ItcguImtious

|oiulHpia' p =, october 2.-Ihc
Constitutional Convention has con-
summed the entire day in u fight over
two brief seconds OF the article ON
municipal corporations and police reg
niatiun*. After quite ~ light the first
of theS" sections. providing for genur-
ai laws Tor organization and cluSSiii-
cation of municipal corporations. was
adopted. The other section. reudin,:
No city or town shall be organized
without tn" consent Of the majority of
the electors entitled by law to vot"
within the district proposed to be in
corrorutcd: such consent to be ascer-
tanned In Il manner and under such
regulations as may be prescribed by
law"
Then ensued hot debate. The CON
Neniiun refused Ia follow Senator TIL
man. He offered to amend by adding
tn. following clause:
provided Il class to be known as
tnanuiacturinE towns. shalt be pro-
vided by tn" General Assembly and
shall h. Incorporated whenever IN.
population of such a community shall
number 1000. under such restrictions
ana regulations as shall protect the
rights of and prevent unjust encroach-
mrnt upon property of citizens"
He and cOngreSSmau Wilson made
Il vigorous iight for this measure.
They We're defeated 10y vote of "a To
~. The section was finally adopted as
reported. Th" Committee on E.duCa-
tiOn reported three different articles
on the subject. The majority submit
port of Clemson College, the deaf
dumb ana blind institute. and Il state
Reform School. and provides for a
three mill tax for the support of pub
lie schools
Mr T.. J Kennedy submitted a
substitute for two sections. on" provid-
ing for the application of funds de-
rived from tn" sal" of liquors and Ger
tain other funds Ia he set apart as a
perpetual school fund Messrs Wat
son and Hansen submitted an arti-
Gle providing for n four mill tax.
At the night session the discussion soon
cleared the galleries of ladies. Section
34 of the article ON legislative depart
mrnt is as follows:
The marriage of a white person with
q negro or mulatto. or person who shall
have any negro blood shall be unlaw-
fun and void
Robert Smalls. the colored ex-Con-
gresham. moved to add thesc.Words
And that any whit" person who
lives in COhabitati0n with a negro OF
mulatto. or person who shall have
ouv-"ighth. or more. of negro blood.
shall be- disqualified from holding any
Ollie" of cmolum"nt or trust in this
stat" ana In" offspring from any
such living or rehabilitation. shall bear
the maine uf tho father and shall bc on
Titled To inherit the same 'as If they
were l"l.itimutc.'
Smalls 81 olu at length to his amend
mont y substitute by Mr.. Cooper sim
ply eliminated the last part lrgitiiniZing
the otfspling, II was at once evident
that tn" measure had great strength.
ON vote on a motion to lay the amend
m"nt on the table il was thought 10y
many that til" friends oi the amend
m"nt had carried the day, hut Vice
President Talbort in the chair ruled that
lee
soon, afterwards Senator Tillman
arose in his scat ana said lc had bcun
clasS"d ;ts a bitter enemy of the negro.
hut hc wanted now to put himself ON
record as his friend He renewed tn,
motion made hy Mr Smalls ana report
-! tabled. hut which he did not think
had been tabled by that vote H., was
called "ut 81 order TN question hny-
INK been passed upon he moved TO re-
crnsidcr thu vote This Was done Al
ter hours "i arguing another motion to
lay the SmallS amendment ON the tabl,.
Was lost hy lU3 Ia -
R"i"r" th" matter was acted on finally
ia" convention got tied in u lot of mo
tiunS