Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1897-05-27

Question |. AS to article 6, section
Zz: Shall the sessions of the Legisla.
ture be limited, and if so, how and
to what extent? Shall members be
paid fixed salary regardless of
length of sessions?
Answer 1. The sessions of the
Legislature should be limited in
duration; or there might be one
long and one short session, one linn.
lted and the other unlimited, as in
the case with Congressman arrange.
ment which works very well with the
National Legislature. 1 think the
members should receive a per diem,
as heretofore, in order to prevent
undue haste in legislation.
@. 2. Shall section 43 of Article 6,
fOrbiddlng the enactment of regis.
tration law be stricken out, or shall
a provision be inserted making it
mandatory to enact a registration
law?
A. 9. think we need a registra-
tion law, but it needs to be drawn
with care and caution, and an er
post facto operation should be
strictly prohibited; nor should any
man have his franchise determined
by a failure to register, but only sus-
pended, with ample opportunity to
make corrections.
Q.3.-Shall the question Of salaries
of State officers and judges be left to
the Legislature, or shall they be fixed
by Constitution?
A. 3.-Salaries should be left to
the Legislature, subject to change at
limited periods only-say every ten
years, SO as to meet the changing
financial conditions.
@. 4.-What constitutional provis-
ion shall be made, if any, in respect
to fees which accrue in the several
departments of the State?
A. 4.-NU dicH.
Q. 5.-Shall the Legislature be
prohibited from appropriating money
to any charitable or educational in.
stitution not under control of the
State?
A. 5.-By all means. The Legis.
lature has already violated the spirit
of the Constitution by appropriating
public funds to private institutions.
and there should be direct prohibi-
tion against it in the Constitution.
@. 6.--Shall the Judiciary be re-.
constructed, and if so, in what re-
spect? OF how many judges shall
the Supreme court consist? How
many judicial circuits shall there be,
and of what counties shall they con-
sist? What shall he done with the
intermediate and criminal court I?
What shall be the limitations on the
jurisdiction of justices of the peace ?
A. 6.-The Supreme Court should
consist of five members with an ade-
quate salary; with power in the
Legislature to erect temporary or
special Court Of Appeals in case the
docket should got too far behind.
The organization of the Circuit
Courts with reference to the compo.
sition Of judicial circuits should be
left to the Legislature, but changes
should be periodic only, and pro.
vision inserted against gerrymander.
ing.
1t Is of the utmost importance to
secure speedy trials in criminal cases
by means Of criminal courts, where
necessary, and by ample power for
special grand juries and petit juries,
to meet special exigencies and pre-
vent lynch law, as has been done in
Maryland and Virginia. think
the power Of the circuit and crimi'
nal courts should be limited as tc
granting continuances, whether tc
the State or to the prisoner. and the
Legislature should be required tt
have the record carefully supervised
in criminal cases, so as to preven
new trials on technical ground
Compare the case Of the State VS.
Douglas, % w. Va. 296, and the Stat
va. Mills SO w. Va. 4547.
| originally thought that $1,000
was two large limitation on tn