The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1897-10-20
THE AMENDMENTS PROPOSED.
Report Of the Legislative Constitutional
Commission,

Commission,
Prepared by Chairman II. 4. Fast,
Made Publican Immense Doeu-
ment, Dealing With History aud
Excusing the Commissions Existence
and Work-A List Of Changes in the
Document Proposed to Be Made.
CHARLESTON, w. Va, October l6
The report of the Constitutional
Amendment Committee, prepared by
the chairman, Col r. Z. Fast, was
issued Today. The report is quite
voluminous one, occupying eighty
eight octave pages. The present
Constitution and the proposed amend
ments thereto are printed In parallel
columns. Chairman Fast introduces
the report with a historical sketch
of the origin and work of the COM
mittee, referring to the various plans
discussed by the caucus of the Re
publican members of the two houses
of the Legislature, for the revision of
the Observation-Disclosures constitution
al convention elected by the people;
second constitutional commission to
be composed Of members from the
State at large, appointed by the
Governor; and third, non-partisan
committee appointed by the two
houses of the Legislature from among
their own members. The first named
plan was rejected because of the enor-
nous expense involved, the Constitu-
tisnal convention of 1872, which Is
said to have cost 1891, 900, being not
ed; the second named plan was re-
jected because the present Constitus
tion provided only two ways by which
that instrument could be amended,
viz, by a Constitutional convention
and by the Legislature submitting
amendments. The plan Of the Gov
ernor's commission was therefore
found to have no Constitutional au-
thority and was abandoned, and the
third, or legislative committee plan
was adopted as the only possible one.
After discussion of the demand,
or supposed demand, of the people
for amendments to the Constitution,
and giving long list OF citizens of
the State who either appeared before
the committee or sent letters, the
amendments proposed by the commit
tee are the following:
Article 2. Section THE section is
amended so as to include Mingo in
the list of counties of the State.
Article 3, Section Exchanging the
word ''andn to 'tor,n making it read
without due process of law or the
judgment of his peers"
Article 3, Section 13-Adding the
words, ''But an appeal from the
judgment of justice upon the YER
dict of jury shall be a matter of
right under such regulations as may
be prescribed by law" Its effect is
to do away with the necessity of
taking down the evidence in a jury
trial before justice and of taking
bills of exception to the rulings and
conduct OF the justice. The intention
is to bring the whole matter, both of
law and fact, up to be tried in the
Circuit Court.
Article 4, Section THE amend
ment proposed to this section has the
effect of DISTINGUISHING any male
citizen of this State .swho shall be
found guilty of selling his vote or re-
ceiving anything of value for casting
his vote at any election for any par
ticular person"
Article 4, Section 2-This section
in the present Constitution provides
that ''the voter shall be left free to
vote by either open, sealed or secret
ballot, as he may elect. The new
section makes any but the secret
ballot unlawful.
Article 4, section ~: This section
is stricken out and the following
inserted: "The Legislature shall
provide by law for registration Of all
voters.
Article 6, section % makes it I'M
lawful for member to introduce a
bill after the fortieth day of the ses-
sion, unless the Governor SHALL by
special message, recommend its con-
sideration and unless permission, for
its introduction shall be granted by a
concurrent vote Of the members elect
ed to each house.
/ Article 6, section 33, Members Of the
Legislature to receive four dollars per
day for actual attendance for a period
not to exceed sixty days at regular
session, and for forty days at spe.
cial session. No member to receive
mileage for special session called
within ten days after the adjourn
ment of the regular session, and men,
bers to receive mileage for only one way
travelling to and from the seat OF
government for a special session.
Committees to visit State institu-
tions to receive no mileage.
Article 6, section 43, removes the
inhibition upon the Legislature to
establish board or court of registra-
tion.
Article I, section /. The Office
of Secretary of the State is made
elective instead of appointive A
commissioner of insurance is added.
The terms of State officers to begin
on the first day of January next after
their election. Section 3, and II
are inconsequential changes.
Article ], section 10, provides for
the turning of all fees Of Secretary of
State, Auditor and other State officers
| into the State treasury, and author
ICES the Legislature to fix the salaries
of officers.
Article s provides for the establish
ment of criminal circuit courts; that
is; a criminal judge to preside over
the criminal courts of number of
counties.
Giving another judge to the supreme
Court, making the number five.
The technical term 'wrt of error"
is substituted for the word 'appeal. {"
New section providing for commits
sioning circuit judges to sit with the
qualified supreme judges when two
or more of the qualified judges are
disqualified.
Article s, section 8. Nineteen
circuit courts are created.
Article s, section 8. Criminal and
intermediate courts are abolished
Article 8, section l, provides for
the election of county treasurer.
Article 9, sections 5 and 6, provide
for the payment of salaries to all
county officers, and the payment of