The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1899-03-22
THE INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM.

prepared bill on the Initiative and Rel
erendum, which has been introduced in
the senate by Stockwell and in the house
by Mr.. Martin. AS the matter is one OF
great importance, we quote it in full:
A BILL.
For an Act, entitled,
An Act proposing an Amendment to the
Constitution OF the State OF Minnesota.
Be it enacted by the legislature OF the
state OF Minnesota:
Section /. An amendment to the con-
sttution Of the state OF Minnesota, is
hereby proposed unto the people OF the
state, such amendment being designed to
constitute, and, ii adopted, thereby be-
coming, Section 81 of Article of said
constitution. The aforesaid amendment
is in these words, to-wit:
Section 81. All Legislative power here
in granted is subordinate unto the in
herent legislative authority OF the peo
pie which is to be exercised as herein
after prescribed.
Any number OF duly qualified electors
not less than ten thousand thereof, may,
at any time, propose legislative meas
ures by delivering a petition for the
enactment of any such measure to the
may be made by an agent designated in
such petition. Upon receipt of any such
petition, the governor shall, forthwith,
cause a copy thereof to be made, depos
tied and duly filed in the office of sec
rotary of state. The original petition and
the copy thereof aforesaid shall be safely
kept, but shall be subject to public in
spection. Any citizen OF the state may,
by written document, delivered to the
governor, protest against the enactment
Of the measure so proposed as aforesaid.
In like manner, any citizen may question
the authenticity OF the signatures to any
petition of the nature aforesaid and the
electoral qualifications OF number OF
those purporting to sign such petition,
sufficient if the number questioned be
found unqualified, to reduce the num-
Der OF qualified electors signing such leg
islative petition to less than ten thousand.
All questions of fact arising upon the
exhibition of legislative petition such
as is herein provided for, and arising
upon protests against the same, OF the
nature aforesaid, shall be sumrnarily and
justly decided by the supreme court Of
the state; and it shall be the duty OF the
governor to notify said court OF the pre-
sentation to him OF any protest SO soon
DIS SuSI plOtSSt Is plSSCltCu. LII dlly ouSi'
case, arising as aforesaid the supreme
court shall make and file its decision, in
writing, within a period of twenty days
from the date Of presenting to the gov
ernor any such protest as aforesaid
II no such protest shall have been filed
then. and in that case, within a period
of thirty (3o) days from the date Of the
exhibition of a legislative petition, as
aforesaid, or, in case protest shall have
been made and shall have been adJudged
and determined by the supreme court to
be contrary to the fact then, within
period OF thirty 800 days from the date
OF any such adjudication. the governor
shall ISSUE under the great seal OF the
state his proclamation setting forth the
contents of such Legislative petition, de-
claring that the measure therein pro-
posed for enactment has received due
popular initiative and that such measure
will become and be law Of the state OF
Minnesota, under the sovereign operation
OF public referendum in case it shall be
sanctioned by majority of the votes
cast upon such measure at the next en-
suing general election.
The proposal OF Legislative measures,
as aforesaid, shall be known as the in
itiative: and the voting thereon, as the
referendum.
! Any legislative measure, proposed as
aforesaid shall be submitted for adoption
or rejection at the general election near
est in point OF time occurring not less
than two months after the initiative there
Of shall have been proclaimed by the gov
ernor. as aforesaid, and, in case such
measure shall receive a majority OF the
votes cast upon such measure at any gen.
eral election held in this state, the same
SHALL by virtue of such referendum. be-
come a law OF this state; and shall be
deemed and held by all departments of
the state government, and by every citi-
zen of the state of Minnesota, to be es-
sentially and in all respects valid and
constitutional. No laws enacted by the
referendum shall ever be declared uncon-.
stitutional by any court Of this state. No
such law shall be repealed amended or
modified save through the operation OF
the referendum.
The style of all laws enacted by refer
endum shall be The People of Mime
sofa enact
Within a period OF thirty (3o) days
from and after the date OF any general
election, the governor shall, by public
proclamation under the great seal of
the state, announce the result of the vote
upon the several Legislative measures sub
jected to referendum at such election
At any election at which one or more
than one, Legislative measure shall be
rejected, copy of each of such legis-
lative measures shall be personally deliv-
cred to each elector appearing at any pub
lie polling place, and each elector shall
vote upon each of such measures before
voting for any candidate for public Office
A separate ballot shall be furnished to
each elector for the purpose of voting
upon the adoption or rejection of legis-
lative measures: and the various meas
tires to be voted upon shall be designated
thereon in the manner directed by the
petition constituting the initiative of such
measure The color of such ballot shall
be green. Each Legislative measure to
be voted upon shall be designated, as
aforesaid in a separate paragraph and at
the right of each such paragraph shall
be written or printed the word Eyes"
and Immediately under the word Eyes"
shall be written or printed the word
mo" At the right of each of said words
Eyes" and mo-" shall be space not less
than quarter of an inch square and in
such space opposite the word yes" the
elector desiring to vote in the affirmative
shall place cross-mark; and a cross
mark shall be placed in such space op-