Mexico Missouri message., 1900-06-21
GRAVE MATTERS.
The Grand Jury Limitations
and the Mortgage
Tax Law.

amendments will be on all the Of
fetal ballots. It takes only ma
jority of all the votes east to amend
the constitution of Missouri, but
so many people fail to vote on IL
mcndmcnts that the effect is about
the same as tho II much greater
vote were required.
Two of the amendments relate
to the exposition to be given in
st. Louis i'm 1903 to commemorate
the one hundredth anniversary of
the Louisiana purchase. One pro-
vides for permitting st. Louis to
issue ) million dollars in bonds,
increasing the city's debt making
power for that purpose and that
only. The other provides that the
state legislature shall br permitted
to appropriate | million dollars
out of the sinking fund of the state
for the purpose of making IA Mis-
souri, exhibit at st. Louis.
One of the most important of
the amendments to be submitted
this year will, if adopted practic-
ally end the grand jury system.
Under the existing constitution, in
felony cases information by the
prosecuting attorney is not suf1ici-
ent. The grand jury must indict.
Senator Francis NJ. Wilson, of
Platte county, for four years a
prosecuting attorney, is author of
an amendment which provides that
no person shall be tried for felo-
ny or misdcmcanOr otherwise than
by indictment or information and
that indictment and information
shall he concurrent remedies. The
grand jury system of Missouri
costs y million dollars or more
each year Senator Wilson holds
that half of that money could be
saved by having the grand jury
sessions less frequent and allowing
prosecuting attorneys ITO file i'll
formations where the ease is clear
and prosecutions ought to be had. y
As means of preventing prose-
cutting officers who might not he
honest from avoiding prosecutions
there is another amendment which
leaves it in the discretion of the
judge when Il grand jury shall be
called, but once called, grand
jury may investigate any and all
kinds of crimes. 1t is attached to
Il section already in the cOnstitu-
ton making the right of trial by
jury inviolate, and providing that
IL grand jury shall consist of twelve
men, any nine of whom may re-
turn Il true bill. The amendment
adds: Provided, however, that
no grand jury shall be convened
except upon an order of Il judge of
II court having the power to try
and determine felonieS; but when
so assembled such grand jury shall
have power to investigate and re-
turn indictments for all character
and grades of crime"
An amendment that is of inter
est to the counties provides that
county courts may add II cents on
every 800 valuation in special tax
cs to be used for road and bridge
purposes. a clause in the resolu-
ton submitting the amendment
provides that st. Louis, Kansas
City and st. Joseph shall be eX-
empt from the provisions of this
amendment.
y proposition which has been
often discussed to make the holder
of mortgage pay share of the
taxes assessed against mortgaged
property is embodied in one of tn,
amendments. 1t provides that the
value of property being ascer-
tanned the amount of the mortgage
against it shall be assessed against
the holder of the mortgage to be
collected where the property is sit
uated. The owner of the property
must pay the taxes on whatever
additional value his property may
have He can pay the full amount
of the taxes, but the holder Of tn,
mortgage must allow the amount
on the note.
DR., kaN'S Renovation Il Derfec