The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-01-21
LEGISLATURE
PROCEEDING
Bill to Abolish the Post and
Pillory to be introduced.
DOVER, Jan. 20, 1850,

DOVER, Jan 30 1897.
| The House and Senate cannot agree over
the enrolling clerk. In 1895 Democrat
and Republican divided the salary be-
tween them but now that both Houses
are Democratic it is strange that the SEN
ate will not agree upon the clerk selected
| by the House.
Willie M. Ross is tho State Treasurer
and not William M. Ross, while DR.. b.
L. Lewis Is state auditor.
Tho second assembly elected Messrs
Atkins and Watson to the same positions
Both houses passed the bill to place the
$l76, 700 loan in Wilmington In the sinking
fund.
At the session of the Senate this after
noon Mr. Alriohs gave notice of bill to
abolish the whipping post and pillory.
The speaker Of the Senate to-day APP
pointed the committee on divorce. 1t is as
follows; Pyle, Pierce and Fennimore,
Roads and Vacant lands-J. NJ G. Moore
Meredith and Handy.
In the Senate Mr.. Pyle introduced bill
for the relief Of the Germania Building
and Loan Association.
The divorce bills are pouring in by the
dozen.
Local option may be the order of the day
in Delaware after q while.
"A bill will be introd 8 ced to grant the
right to distillers to sell in quantities less
than quart.
Attorney Spruance stated to- day that
tho Supreme court was In fault. In the
Constitutional Convention while quoting
from Blackstone he said that In 1910
came the Norman conquest and there was
q struggle to maintain the Saxon customs.
But this finally eliminated In the Magma
Charta about $50 years after the Norman
conquest. This charter, our friend from
Christiana tells us, simply deoreed that
the King should not Judge, but that the
King judges might.
Mr.. Bradford-The Supreme Court says
so.
Mr.. Spruance-Then the Supreme Court
was wrong, Every lawyer ever met in
my life regarded the Magma Charta as the
greatest foundation of law. My friend
tells me that trial by jury is of little con-
sequence.
The Convention went into committee of
the whole to take up the first report of
the committee on securing the purity of
the ballot. Section one Of at report,
dealing with the various election often
ses, which was adopted by the
committee of the whole on Friday, was
reconsidered for the purpose of making
several amendments. These, with a sin
gle exception, were merely to improve
the verbal form. The other amendment
adopted declares an offender any one
'who shall by force, threat, menace or
intimidation prevent or hinder any per-
son qualified for registration from being
registered, or any person qualified vote
from voting according to his choice.
Further consideration Of Section l was
put over until tomorrow to allow Mr..
Spruance to prepare an amendment
Section was then taken up and Mr..
Bradford continued his argument of Fri
day in favor of Trial without juries in re-
spect to election otfenSes.
II am believer in the jury system.
But our experience in election cases in
Delaware has been to the discrcdit of the
jury system. The great majority of such
cases cannot BIO brought to conviction.
General Assembly If we have not the
courage to adopt this system we cannot
expect the Legislature to do it.
members call this proposition an inno-
vaton," said Mr.. Bradford. I'VE must
innovat0 if we wish to progress. We must
take heroic action If the State is to regain
her good name. Unless we can stamp out
bribery there is no use in making Il new
constitution.
'If there were to be no right Of appeal ! |
should hesitate to press this extraordinary |
proposition, but there must be an appeal
given by the section under debate, both as
to facts and to law"
MIR. Spruance opposed the proposed ar
ticle, making u strong argument for right
by trial by jury, after which the conyen-
ton adjourned.
1t was agreed to hear o committee of
colored citizens of Milford Friday after
noon on the question of education. SINH
lar committees are being chosen by the
colored communities throughout the State
and general interest in better educational
facilities is being aroused.