Smyrna times., 1897-01-20
DELAWARE CONSTITUTION.

DOVER, DEL, Jan. -13-By vote
OF % to 4, the Constitutional Convep.
ton, sitting as a Committee on the
Whole, approved the section which
provides for the election of all county
officers, including Clerk of the Peace
Register of Wills, Clerk of the Orphans
Court and Register in Chancery. Re
corder of Deeds and Prothontarv.
A vigorous effort was made bv Law.
yers Richards, Spruance, Bradford and
Harman to have the Prothonotary Az
pointed by the Court, but they were
opposed by Messrs Biggs, Pratt and
Dasey, and the motion to have the Pro-
thOnOtary appointed was defeated bv a
vote of 21 to7.
DOVER, DEL, Jan. 1.-THE question
of whether the Legislature or the Con-
stitutional Convention should prescribe
penalties for bribery in Delaw are elec-
tlOns caused considerable debate in the
Committee on the Whole of the con-
ventiOn. Final action on the clause
was postponed.
Mr.. Bradford also called up the sec
ton providing that all trials of election
offenses shall be before the Judges.
with right of appeal to the higher Court.
jury trials of election cases, he said,
were farce. No action was taken bv
the committee on this clause.
The punishment of election offenses.
he said, should be taken out of the
hands of the General Assembly and
put in the organic law.
Mr.. Spruance did not believe the
stitutiOn should contain penal statute,
but should merely require the Assem-
bly, to provide for the punishment of
the election corruption. In some parts
otthe State many votes were purchased,
but the people there do not consider it
immoral. Although he and others Of
his party had thrown away any certain
victory in order to protest against cor
rupt elections, he though the penalty
should be prescribed by the Legislature.
Mr.. Spruance offered an amendment
that would prohibit attempts to keep
voter from registering, but it was lost
by vote of 13 to 10.
Mr.. CavePder's amendment, that the
provisions of the Constitution should
apply to registration as we'll as voting,
was adopted by a vote of 21 to g.
The convention to-day received a
petition in reference to local option
from the Wilmington NJ. E. Preachers
Association and another from "a
churches, signed by $50 men and 1884
women. Messrs. Dasey, Richards,
Cooper, Clark, johnson and Spruance
were appointed a committee to CO.
operate with the Legislative Committee
in reference to the Governors inaugu-
ration.
DOVER, Jan. 15.-The Constitutional
Convention adopted q clause dealing
with punishment for bribery at cleo
tiOns.
On motion of Mr.. Bradford, the con-
vention resolved itself into committee
of the whole for the consideration of
the report of the committee on secur-
ing the purity of the ballot, and Mr..
Salisbury took the chair.
The penalty is a f.d91ss of not less than
500 nor more { "a $4,000, and i'm
prisOned for term not less than six
months nor more than five years, and
to suffer both fine and Imprisonment
at the discretion of the court, and, if a
male, shall further for a term of 10
years next following his sentence be in
capable of voting at any such general,
special, municipal or primary election,
or convention or meeting.
At the conclusion of the morning ses-
sion adjournment was made until TO- 80
O'Clock Monday morning.