Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-03-05
IMPORTANT MEASURES APPROVED.
Governor Signs the Election and
Constitutional Convention bills.


Constitutional Convention Bills.
Governor O'Ferrall was hard at work
all day yesterday and late into the night
examining the great mass Of bills passed
during the last few days Of the legisla-
tive session. He was UP until A. NJ.
yesterday, and did not retire much earlier
this morning. He is pretty well up with
the large corps Of enrolling clerks, who
are working day and night His Excel
lency hopes to be through with this work
BY noon to-day.
Among the bills approved by his Ex-
cellency last night were two of the most
important passed during the entire ses-
sion. These were the Parker election
bill and Mr.. Withers's corstitutional-eon-
vention measure. The provisions of the
former have been fully explained In the
Dispatch; the latter. in which the people
are greatly interested, reads as follows
Whereas, II Is represented to the Gene
raj Assembly of Virginia that portion
of the people OF this Commonwealth are
des;rous OF amending the Constitution OF
this State:
/. BE II, therefore, enacted That II
shall be the duty Of the officers au-
thorized to conduct the elections within
day in May. 1896, in the polling places in
the counties, cities, and towns of the
State, to open polls for the purpose OF
taking the sense of the people upon this
question: "Shall there be convention 10
revise the Constitution and amend the
same?" and all persons qualified to vote
for the members of the General Assembly
shall be permitted to vote thereon.
CONVENTION; NO CONVENTION.
The polls TO be opened shall contain two
columns, and shall be headed on the one
side Of the poll-book thus: shall there
be a convention to revise the Constitution
and amend the same?-conyention; no
convention"
2. 1t shall be the duty Of the judges OF
the election at each polling-piace 10 re-
ceive canvass, count, certify, and return
the votes and poll-books at such election
separately, as provided by law for cleo
tions of members of the General AS
sembly, and they shall put said poll
books under cover, seal the same, ana
deliver them to the clerks OF the county
and corporation courts In which SAID
elections are held on the day following
such election.
CANVASS OF THE VOTE.
3. The board of commissioners of cleo
tiOnS iii eacn ana all vi sdlu Nouhti'S,
cities. and towns shall, on the second
day after such elections Sunday ex-
cepted), meet at the clerks office OF the
county or corporation for which they are
appointed. and proceed to canvass and
certify the same, as provided by law
for general elections in this State, and
thereupon the clerk OF said board shall
transmit the result thereof. duly certified,
as provided by law, to the Secretary OF
the Commonwealth at Richmond, and the
Secretary of the Commonwealth shall de-
liver the same to the Speaker OF the
House of Delegates on the first day or
the next general or special session OF
the General Assembly, to be by him laid
before the General Assembly at that ses-
sion thereof.
A. This act shall be in force from its
passage.
DIR. Pierce a Candidate.
A petition to the Board of Visitors OF
the Deaf. Dumb and Blind Institution
asking the appointment of DR.. Franklin
Pierce to the position OF superintendent
of that institution has been In circulation
at the Capitol for day or two. 1t has
received the signatures of many Of the
Senators and Delegates-probably a ma
iority of them. DR.. Pierce represents
Isle OF Wight in the House, and Is
Nth oil tho pnpmnfrC