Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-01-08

| printed on the ballots. Provision Is made
| for having the name Of independent can
| didates printed on the tickets under the
| same restrictions. and provision u also
made for voting for questions which are
submitted to the people. independent
candidate IL defined. At the head Of each
column a ring Is required 20 be printed.
and a cross-mark OK In this ring. made
| by the voter snail be construed as
| vote for all the names In that column.
| cross fxD mark In the ring OF any column.
| and cross-fnark In the margin on the
| right opposite name In any otner
| column shall. mean a vote Tor all 'he
| names in the column under the ring so
marked. except the names In this column
| which is opposite TO the name marked
! in the column. The bill goes into detail
as 10 the preparation Of ballots by voters.
| This method OF voting applies TO all
| eiections, except for county, ciunty dis
trict. city officers. and officers In incorpo-
| rated towns. In these latter elections the
ballot under the Walton law. with rigid
restrictions as to uniformity and regu-
| iarity. Is retained. because the blanket bal
lot would be too unwieIdy In county
| elections, except for county. county dis
small offices would be virtually shut out.
| These ballots are to be regular in all
| particulars. and the names thereon for
| the same Office are TO be numbered !. z.
! 3. and so on.
Nomination certificates are to be re-
| garded as conclusive evidence by the
electoral boards Of the facts and things
therein stated. when they are properly
attested by the Secretary Of the Com
monwealth.
Section ls requires that five OF the bal
| lots before the voting begins, shall be
marked cancelled, and shall be posted
up In a conspicuous place (by the COM
missioner OF election) about the polling
place. but not within 100 feet of the same
| The number Of booths shall not be less
! than one for every 100 voters. The time
allowed for voting is five minutes.
| Section * reads Any voter who Is blind,
or who is otherwise physically unable
to prepare his ballot. or who declares
TO the judges of election that he cannot
read. may apply to any judge OF the
election TO assist him in the proper pre-
paration OF his ballot. and 1t shall be
the duty of the judge so requested to
perform this duty, and shall do so. as
directed by the voter No Judge of cleo
ton shall at any time divulge for whom
said voter has cast his ballot. unless said
judge shall be SO required by law In some
legal proceedings. Any judge falling to
perform the duties required OF him by
this section. or violating any provision of
! the same shall be punished by fine of
not less than 500 or confined in jail not
! exceeding twelve months. or both
Section 26 provides for the appointment
of an election commissioner by the judge
OF county or hastings court. He Is
| conservator of the peace. Is required TO
post the cancelled ballots, and TO protect
tho same from mutilation on day OF
election; and. also. TO conduct any blind
voter TO and from the presence of the
| Judges. He is charged with enforcing the
provisions Of this act.
The form and style OF the ballot Is
taken from the Maryland law.
THE PLAN OF MR.. STUBBs.
Mr. Stubs introduced a BILL amending
sections A. s, 8. and Is of the Walton law.
| The first two sections are not important.
Section is amended, so as to read In
regard TO the sealed package Of official
ballots for each precinct: TT shall be
opened in the presence OF the clerks OF
election and other judges present, and the
ballots In said package shall then be
carefully counted, and a memorandum
made in the poll-books of the number in
said package, by the direction of the
judges Of election, and when the polls are
| closed the ballots remaining unused shall
then be again counted. and memoren-
dunn made of the number remaining, and
If any discrepancy exists as TO the num-
Der so remaining a full explanation shall
be made on the poll-books, showing ex-
actly why the discrepancy. and then all
| the ballots remaining shall be carefully
destroyed before the box Is opened"
| In section IL the portion regarding the
constable IL amended &c read as follows:
1.-The constable shall not go into the booth
with any voter, unless the voter shall, in
the hearing of the judges of election. call
on said constable. and request him to go
into the booth with him; and then the
constable, when in the booth, shall rem
der the voter any assistance by reading
over the ballot, or giving him any in
| formation the voter may require, or show
the voter how he shall prepare his ballot.
as the voter designates. and II the voter
! is physically unable, the constable shall
prepare the ballot In accordance with the
| instructions of said voter
| A companion measure to the above biz.
also introduced by Mr.. Stubs. amends the
Walton law. so that the electoral boards
shall be appointed by the corporation
courts, and shall consist OF two Demo-
Gratis and one Republican. The board
shall be appointed In April. 1896. and hold
office for two years.
FISH COMMISSION.
Mr. Mason introduced bill to create
| a fish commission for the State. the pro-
visions of which are very nearly similar
TO those of the bill introduced some time
ago.
This bill provides for the election by a
| Joint ballot OF the two houses of the Cen
| eral Assembly of fish commission, COM
| posed Of three members, one of whom
shall be the Governor. The commission
ers shall perform all duties now required
OF the Board of the Chesapeake and Its
Tributaries The Governor shall appoint
one OF the members to act as secretary,
the latter to receive a salary OF 5000,
while the other officer Is to receive $500
per annum.
The commissioners shall establish an
office, to be located in Tidewater Vir-
| ginia and one or both of the officers
shall attend at stated times.
FIRST REGIMENT BILL.
Mr.. Lovenstein introduced bill to pro-
mote the efficiency of the First Regiment
Infantry, Virginia Volunteers. The bill
provides for the enlargement OF the staff
by the appointment Of a paymaster,
signal officer. and inspector OF rife prac-
tice, and an engineer officer, each with
the rank OF captain.
The commandment Is also given power to
organize and enlist band, drum and
fife corps, hospital corps, q signal corps.
and one and not more than three compa-
MES, to be known as the Bicycle Corps"
all Of which are to come under the State
regulations, and to be in charge of off,
GERS provided for in the bill. The bicycle
corps Is an innovation TO existing military
regulations, and no objection can be
raised to this feature on the score of
State expense, as the bill explicitly pro-
yides that each member shall furnish his
own wheel.
FOR A vIvA-vocE VOTE.
The following resolution was offered by