The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-05-19
Constitutional conxsntion.

Consufuttonai SonNentioh
DOVER Del, May ls.-The Delaware
Constitutional Convention, which has
been In session at the historic old State
house here the last five months, has about
completed Its duties and will In short
time decide upon adjournment.
1t has been almost sixty years since any
previous amendments have been made to
the constitution of the State, although
there has been an almost constant agita-
tion OF the subject of constitutional reform
for many years.
Prior to tho civil war the Democratic
party, under the leadership Of James A.
Bayard demanded such reform at each
succeeding State convention, but the
wings, who then controlled the affairs of
the Diamond State, turned deaf ear to
all such entreaties. After the war the
Republicans led in the fight for the same
end.
Tho constitution which has served the
people up to the present time was framed
in Its purely political phases as early as
1871. and was chiefly the work OF Hon.
John Dickinson, who had just come to
Delaware from his labors In the Phila.
delphia convention of 1881, which drew the
constitution for the government OF the
nation. Delaware at that time had only
about 10000 Inhabitants.
= Forty years afterward, because the part
of the old constitution relating TO the
courts was deemed inadequate, owing to
increasing litigation, the convention oil
1881 was called. John NJ. Clayton was the
guiding spirit In that convention. The
constitution adopted by 1t is still in force.
Some radical changes have been made
in the constitution by the present con-
yention The number of members of the
General Assembly has been increased from
thirty to fifty-two.
There were formerly but nine State
Senators and twenty one members of the
lower house Under the new constitution
there are thrty-tve Representatives and
seventeen Senator's Besides the members
of the General Assembly are to be elected
from legislative districts instead OF by
counties. Wilmington is allowed one
more Senator than heretofore and New
Castle county is given an increased ap-
portionment.
Important changes are also made IN re-
gard TO the courts. Delaware under the
new plan has Supreme Court, Superior
. Court, Court Of Chancery. Court OF Oyer
and Terlniner, Court of General Sessions
and Registers Court Tho judges are
to be appointed by the Governor for
twelve years instead Of for life, and their
appointment must be confirmed by ma
iority OF the State Senate.
The Governor has been vested with the
V6GO pUWbT ny luC How OuinultuVioh nv
convention has also created board OF
pardons and provided for tho Office OF
Lieutenant Governor The board OF par
dons is composed of the Chancellor, Lieu.
tenant.Govern6r, Secretary OF State, State
treasurer and auditor of accounts.
Under the old constitution all the coun'
ty officers, including the clerk OF the
peace, pronthonotary, and recorder oil
deeds, were appointed by the Governor.
The new constitution makes these cleo
tive.
The convention has limited the sessions
of the General Assembly to sixty days
and special sessions to thirty days. The
Legislators under the new arrangement
will receive S. u day and mileage instead
Of IS a day and mileage, as heretofore.
- A clause has been added to the new con
stitution permitting the people of eacf
election precinct to vote for and against
local option.
The exposure of the alleged corrup
methods employed by members OF the di
vorce committees of bygone Legislatures
has led tho convention to take from thu
General Assembly the power of granting
divorces and the Superior Court has beei
given exclusive jurisdiction in such cases
This is regarded as q necessary reform
as it will absolve future Legislators iron
temptation held out to them by unscrupu
lOus lobbyists.
The convention has abolished the pol
tax as prerequisite to vote and has subst
tuted registration foe Of 81. 1t has beeI
said that the poll tax was the root OF tn
bribery evil In Delaware, and the c0nven
tion therefore wiped it out of existence
Much interest is manifested In the out
come of tho apportionment Of the Stat
into Senatorial and Representative dis
tricts.
Heretofore in order for ono of the tw
leading parties to get possession OF tn
State Legislature it was only necessar
for 1t to carry two out OF the three counties
the number of Legislators being but tie
from each county Since the General A,
sembly has been increased politicians wi
find it much more difficult to elect lnt
jority of members than was the case tol
Inerly
While it is beloved that members {
the convention, in rO1lstriGting the State
were actuated by unselfish and non.partt
san motives still it is admitted that az
cording to the new apportiOnment til
Democrats will have majority of the di
triCts over the Republicans. This maJol
ity will be small. 1t will DO more dill
cult to control the vote of The State Sci
ate than formerly, owing TO It's increased
representation,
Regarding the calling Of future cunst
tutionHl conventions, in article 10 of IL
ANY amendment, or amendments,
the constitution may be proposed in tt
Senate or House Of Representatives. all
II the same shall be agreed to by Ii
FORTY Of the members OF both houses, IL
amendments shall be entered upon IL
journal and the secretary OF the Sta
shall, cause such amendments to be prlntC
three months before the next general Gle
ton in vt least two newspapers and
at the next General Assembly such pI
posed amendments shall be agreed to !
three. tfths vote the secretary Of Sta
shall cause the Same to baagaln publishe
and such proposed amendments shall
submitted to the next general election.
they be approved by majority Of Il
voters, tho same shall become part of Il
constitution upon tho asceri ainment
such result by the General Assembly,
In the constitution Of 1881 there was Il
article so irOnClad that it made it ulno
impossible to ever Gull another COnve
ton to amend the organic law Of Il
State.
The present convention Is composed
thirty members, ten from each county.
majority Of the members are Democrats.