Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1896-12-24

voters.
Such registration shall be COM
meneed not mure than 80 days nor less
than GO days before. and be completed
not more than 20 days nor less than 10
days before SUCH election, and applica
tion for registration may be made on
at least i've days during the said
period.
Voters shall be registered upon
personal application only, and each
voter shall at the time of his registra-
tion pay registration fee to be fixed
by law not exceeding dollars.
The registry Of voters, made in
pursuance hereof, may be corrected as
shall DO provided by law.
Registration shall not be required
for village, town or city elections,
except by express provision OF law.
The existing laws in reference to
the registration Of voters shall continue
in force until the General Assembly
snail otherwise provide.
Make section of article 4, section
a."
The report was signed by Messrs.
Spruance, Cayonder, Ellegood anu
Common, Chairman Hartman and Mr.
mitIea, not being present. Five hun.
dred ropies of the report have been
printed, and it now awaits the action
OF the committee OF the whole. No
time has boon fixed for its considera-
tion.
The portion OF section of article 4,
bearing on elections which the report
proposes TO have stricken out, reads as
follows: And in such elections every
free white male citizen. of the age Of
% years or upwards, having resided in
the State one year next before the
election, and the last month thereof in
the county where he offers to vote, and
having within two years next before
the election paid county tax, which
shall have been assessed at least six
months before the election, shall enjoy
the right of an elector; and every free
white male citizen of the age of q
years and under the age of 20 years,
having resided as aforesaid, shall be
entitled to vote without payment of
any tax
The insertion in the first part of the
report takes the place of the matter
stricken out. The remainder Of section
| OF article is as follows: "Providedi
that no person in the military, naval.
or marine service OF the United States
shall be considered AZ acquiring resi-.
dence in this State, by being stationed
in any garrison, barrack, or military
or naval place or station within this
State; and no idiot, or insane person
pauper, or person convicted OF crime
deemed by law felony, shall enjoy the
nf aIa - hat
islature may impose the forfeiture Of
the right Of suffrage a. punishment
for crime. -
Section 9, which is to be made
section 4, is as follows: ELECTORS shall
in all cases, except treason, felony, or
breach of the peace, be privileged from
arrest during their attendance at
elections, and in going to and return
lug from them. -
There has been considerable comment
since the contents of the report became
known to the convention, and numerous
opinions have been advanced. The
first insertion, il adopted, will require
foreigners to be naturalized at least
three months before the election at
which they vote.
The portion aimed at bribery was
well received, and the only adverse
opinions arc as to whether it is strong
enough to cope with the tactics of
scheming politicians. The portion
provision for registration
fee is also being widely discussed.
The committee has gone we'll into
the subject and it is generally con-
coded that they have made good
report and one that is calculated to
commend itself to all right thinking
people.
Rule No. 10 which created SO much
discussion on Wednesday and which
was laid over for further considera-
ton, was also taken up at the morning
session. The rule as originally re-
ported was as follows: Especial notice
of action on any report of committee
or other matter pertaining to the
special ultimate work of the convention
lie, the framing of new Constitu
tion--shail be given the day preceding
that on which said action is taken"
The rule as originally reported and
an amendment, offered by Mr.. Sauls-
bury. which provided for three days
notice, were both before the conven-
tion. Mr.. Spruance offered the follow
ing as substitute for Mr.. Saulsbury's
amendment: Especial notice Of a
motion for final action upon any pro-
posed amendment or alteration TO the
Constitution must be given not less
than two days prior TO such motion. Z"
Mr.. salisbury accepted the substitute,
and Mr.. Spruance moved its adoption.
Considerable discussion followed.
Mr.. Bradford thought the wording of
the rule was not clear as to what was
intended.
Mr., Richards thought that neither
the rule nor the amendment conveyed
the proper idea.
Mr.. johnson urged speedy decision,
and thought tho matter could be easily
settled at once.
On motion of Mr.. Bradford the
matter was laid on the table.
A resolution offered by Mr.. Cav
ender, providing that all printed copies
of reports OF committees and pronUsed
should be equally divided
pro rata among the members. was
adopted. The resolution was brought
about by tho fact that some of the
printed reports of the COMMITTEES on
rules, had disappeared from the desks
of members.
Mr.. Bradford offered a resolution pro-
viding for the floating Of the American
flag over the State House during the
sessions of the conventions, which was
also adopted,
The bills of Stenographer Hardesty
and Guyer, for services from the
opening of the convention up to yes
terday, amounting to Sl634O, was
referred to the committee on accounts.