The record-union., 1898-09-01

(Being Senate Constitutional Amendment
No. 10)
A resolution proposing to the people of
the State of California an amendment to
the Constitution of the State, by adding a
new section, to be known and designated
Eleven thereof, providing for the framing
by the inhabitants of counties of local
county government Acts for their own I
ton TO read as follows:
Section 712. The inhabitants of any
county may frame a county government
the matters hereinafter specified, and CON
sistent with, and subject to, the Consttu-
ton and laws of this State, by causing a
board of fifteen freeholders, who have
been, for at least five years, quallnel
electors of such county, to be elected by
the qualified electors of such county, at
any general special election, whose
duty it shall be within ninety days after
such election to prepare and propose a
county government Act for such county,
which shall be signed in duplicate by the
members of such board. or a majority OF
them, and returned, one copy thereof to
the Board of Supervisors or other leglSia-
tive body of such county, and the other
copy to be sent to the recorder or deeds
Of the county. Such proposed county gov
ernment Act shall then be published IN
two papers of general circulation in such
county, or If there be not two such pa
pers, then in one only, for at least twenty
days, and within not less than thirty days
after such publication it shall be submit
ted to the qualified electors of such coun-
ty, at a general or special election, ana II
ing thereon shall ratify the same 1t shall
thereafter be submitted to- the Legislature
for its rejection or approval, as a whole,
without power of alteration or amend
ment, and if approved by a majority of
the members elected to each house, 1t
shall be the county government Act of
such county, and shall in such case be-
come the organic law thereof and super
sede any existing county government Act,
and all amendments thereof, and all spe-
cial laws inconsistent with such county
government Act.
A copy of such county government Act,
certified by the President of the Board of
Supervisors or other legislative body of
such county, and authenticated by the
seal or such county, setting forth the sub
mission of such county government Act to
the electors and it's ratification by them
shall be made in duplicate and deposited
one in the office of the Secretary of State
the other, after being recorded in the Of
ty, among the archives of the county.
All courts shall take judicial notice
thereof. The county government Act so
ratified may be amended, at intervals of
therefor, submitted by the legislative au-
thCrity of the county, to the qualified
election held at least forty days after the
publication of such proposals for twenty
days in a newspaper of general circula-
ton in such county, and ratified by at
least three-fifths of the qualified electors
voting thereon and approved by the
Legislature as herein provided for the ap
prOval of the county government Act. In
submitting any such county government
Act any alternative article or proposition
may be presented for the choice of the
voters, and may be voted on separately
without prejudice to others.
1t shall be competent in all county gov
ernment Acts framed under the authority
given by this section to provide for the
manner in which, the times at which, and
the terms for which the several township
and county officers, other than Judges of
the Superior Court, shall be elected or
appointed for their compensation: for
the number of such officers, for the con-
solidation or segregation of offices. for the
number of deputies that each officer shall
have and for the compensation payable
to each of such deputies, for the manner
in which, the times in which, and the
terms for which the. members of all
boards of election shall be elected or op-
pointed; and for the constitution, regula-
ton, compensation and government of
such boards, and of their clerks and at
taches: also, to precribe the manner and
method by which all elections by the peo-
pie shall be conducted; and may in addi-
ton determine the tests and conditions
upon which electors, political parties and
organizations may participate in any pri-
mary election.
ner and method herein pointed out, adopt
ed any county government Act and the
same shall have been approved by the
Legislature as aforesaid, the directions of
Sections Four and Five of this article
providing for the uniformity of a system
Of county ,{hr4nghqut {og % the
ton and appointment of officers. and the
regulation of their compensation. shall
not apply. Said county government Act
above provided for and declared by such
county government Act, not be subject to
and law or amendment enacted by the
LEGISLATURE except by amendment first
submitted 20 the electors and ratified in
the manner hereinabove set forth.