Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-04-07

from tho bill providing for the creation
and maintenance Of State Board OF
Agriculture. Sections 3 ami giye the
board full power to prevent the spread
and stamp out the San jose scale
wherever 1t ia found. Soctiun IL makes
I'M annual appropriation OF 81, 600 TO he
paid for premiums, through the man-
ayers OF tho Stute Fair Assassination.
The communication haa been shown to
the members and will be turned over to
the agricultural committee.
Gov. Turmoil, through Secretary OF
State Hughes, presented to tho Senate
yesterday afternoon, tha name OF Joshua
A. Ellegood, to be iuHtice Of the pace
at Glendale. The Senate confirmed
tho nomination.
During the moor recess the educational
committee held a conference with At
torney Henry Ridgeiy, Jr., aud in
Htructed bin to amend the General
School bill no as to allow the districts
to remain as they now exit, the county
and State boards to be retained.
Speaker Riggin's bill 10 provide for
fire protection for Laurel was found to
be defective and it was Killed and a
new one, meaning the gama thing, was
given notice Of by Mr.. Riggiu.
Representative Eliason gave notice oil
bill providing regulations for pur-
chasing books for the State library.
Chairman j. II. Hopkins Of the
House committee on appropriations re-
ported favorably the bin providing for
additional alterations to tha State
House, but as il was desired TO make
some changes ii was recommitted.
Tho registration bill which was drawn
by John u. Hawkins and John F.aauls-
bury, has been printed and copies were
yesterday sent all ovsr the State by
inemners of the House, The bill prn.
vides that the Governor shall appoint
the election officers.
DIVER, April G. The General Assem-
hly had an unusually quiet dny yester-
Hay, and the members took advantage OF
the scarcity of now business and de-
voted much of their time to committee
work and conferences on tho mnre i'm
portant bills which are now pending.
This work was made moro easily possi
bls than usual, as tho visitors were
rather scarce ana the lawmakers had
comparatively nothing TO interfere with
them in THAR search for knowledge.
During the noon recess Lon. John V.
Pennington, one of the legal COIN mis-
sionerR. talked informally IL the mem
beTa of both houses in Representative
Hall regarding general election, law,
II the present Bystom is adhered tn, he
said, il would he necessary to have adj
ditional Liquidation. in order that all
ballots could lie cast legally. Enough
| time was not allowed 10 some of the
1 Al ,snt, 10 La A, In uf In
referred TO recent amendments 10 the
law and commended them. In some dis
| tficta, bio said, there are many illiterHte
people, and the System should lie sim
nlifed for their benefit. IL the menbers
Of the Legislature should think it wise
| to return to the old ''yeat pocket Hys-
| tenn, greater number of penple could
vote in each district than at present.
There are no places i'll Delaware, he CON
| tended, where, under the Constitution
any citizen cannot vote legally. 1t will
be necessary, first, to determine how
many districts there shall be and define
| the districta. Then the present law
must be re .enacted or new law passed.
| He recommended that tine larger dis
tricts be divided, and said any election
bill which might be drawn would be
lengthy.
It will also be necessary, he said, to
pRss law providing for canyassing the
vote after the election While the Con
| Htitution provides for canvassing the
vote for county officers, no PROVISION ia
| made for canvassing the vote of candi-
dntea who run throughout the State,
and for that purpose State board Of
canvass should DO provided for.
I tat autI ha
stood that the matter was narrowed
down to two questions. One is to sub
divide tho districts, 90 that the elactors
can vote legally within the specified
Tins. The ether question Is 10 abandon
something else. 1t was matter for
| two. MIR. Hazel said 1t WIS pretty
nearly time something was being done.
no the Legislature had been in sosRion
for 81 days, being about 40 days in
active sorvice. He said he was welded
to no system. He wanted the best
Chairman Donaldson of the committees
on revenue and taxation said there is q
deficit of about $40, 600, which must be
provided for before tho obligations are
met, and it will be necessary TO make
provision for guarding against such
deficiencies In the future. Iie thought
tho Australian system of ballots was
expensive and advocated having separate
ballots for eaci party and making tho
several parties pay for their own ballots.
Andrew Il. Sanhurn favored lhs AuH
tralian system, but thought the districts
should BIZ small, only about 300 voters
in encb.
Speaker Rjggin OF the House said
that under the present system there WINS
no time to spare in polling all Of the
votes in tbs specified period. With tho
voters assistants abolished he thought
the election officers could not get along
SO fast in hia district. Some people in
his district we're opposed to tho hlaulsot
ballot. They like tho old method, " th
GONE additional safeguards.
Representative Dempsey favored doing
away with the blanket ballot. hrs did
not desire to return to tho oil system oil
window voting. lie thought thu olectior
officers should ne inside tho polling
place and only one voter should bt
allowed in at one tune. Two challenger
should he allowed TO stand at the door.
He thought this System would save
epch county several hundred dollars.
Ihe saving in New CRstlo county, hs
thought, might BIO between 81, 500 AMI
50, 600
Henry Ridgsly, Jr., said ho and Soc.
retnry of State hughes, having heer
spoken to 10y some members OF tbs
Senate, drew an election bill, hut he'd
stopped upon it. No State, be held,
which had adoptod the Australian
ballot system, had Abandoned it, Thoy
had retained part of it, but 10 most
cases the original law had been