Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1901-08-29
FOR A FOUR YEARS TERM.

MT. N. w dltOu mOOIcs Cuhtimn W
the committee on the legislative de-
partment, made the report of that COM
mittee yesterday to the constitutional
convention. 1t provides a four
years term for members OF both
House and Senate, and provides
what officers are DOT eligible to election.
The following is synopsis OF the re-
port:
"The committee on the legislative
department, except such matters as
come within the jurisdiction OF other
standing committees, begs leave to sub
nit its report.
ARTICLE V OF the present constitution
has relation to the legislative depart
ment. Several sections OF that article
are adopted without any modification
whatever. Others are only slightly
modified. By modifying some and by
adding new sections. a number OF ma
terial changes are made, OF which the
following briefly indicated are the most
important.
81. Members of the House OF Dele
gates are to be elected for term OF four
years and members OF the Senate for q
term OF four years.
SO. Persons holding certain county,
city, and other offices are disqualified
from serving 10 the General Assembly.
"3. Members of the General Assem-
bly, are to be ineligible to any civil Office
of profit unless elective by the people.
"a. Regular sessions OF the General
Assembly are to be quadrennial, be-
ginning the second "Wednesday 10 Jan
uary. Such sessions are TO continue
ninety days and extra sessions are to
continue thirty days and the members
are not to receive compensation beyond
the ninety-day limit.
So. Safeguards are thrown around
the enactment Of laws by requiring that
every bill, except codifcsIion bill or
emergency measures. shall bs referred
to a standing committee and read on
three different days 10 each House;
printed for the use Of members; passed
in each House by recorded vote OF
two. fifths of the members thereof; and
publicly signed by the presiding Office.
of each house.
IS. The General Assembly is to be
almost entirely relieved of the right to
enact special, private, and local laws.
~. Barring general appropriation
acts and emergency acts, no law is to
take effect until ninety days after the
adjournment OF the General Assembly.
IS. 10 the exercise OF the power OF
eminent domain, compensation is to be
allowed to owners of property damaged,
az well as ID the owners Of that &C.
tuslly taken.
80. The expense incident to sessions
of the General Assembly is to be
greatly curtsiled.
section 81 OF Article V Is omitted.
"Section 4 of Article V, respecting
apportionment, Is omitted, until the
convention shall decide what commit.
tee has charge of that matter.
"All resolutions and ordinances re-
ferred to the committee have received
careful consideration. Those approved
are substantially embodied 10 the
sections recommended. Many are dis.
approved simply upon the ground that
the subjects which they embrace may
be more appropriately dealt with by
the General Assembly than by the con-
vsution. Others are beyond the juris.
diction of this com mittee.
"5eciion 5. Any person may be
elected Senator who at the time OF
election is actually 9 resident within
the district and qualified to vote for
members OF the General Assembly and
eligible TO Office according to this con
stitution, and any person may be elect
ed a member Of the House OF Delegates
" tho, ct the time OF election, is actually
resident within the county, city,
town, or election district and qualified
to vote for members of the General As.
sembly and eligible to Office according
to this constitution. But no person
holding a salsried Office under the
United States government or under the
State government, and no judge OF any
court, attorney for the Common wealth,
sheriff, sergeant, treasurer, assessor OF
taxes, commissioner OF the revenue, COL
lector OF taxes, or clerk OF any court
shall be member OF either house OF
the General Assembly during his con-
tinusnce in Office, and the election OF
any such person to either house OF the
General Assembly shall vacate any
such office held by him. Toe removal
Of any person elected to either house OF
the General Assembly, from the city,
county, town, or district for which he
Is elected shall vscste his Office"