Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1901-07-25
Report Was Made to The Convention on
Saturday.
PREAMBLE VERY SHORT.
Committee Declares Trials by Jury Are
Preferable to any Other, and Ought
TO Be Held Sacred.

Richmond, va, July Zl'-lhe hIsI
committee to make report of any pro-
vision designated to be engrafted into the
new Constitution is the body that has had
to deal with the preamble and Bill Of
Rights. The preamble is very brief The
proposition to have long recital of histo'
rical facts was voted down, and this was
adopted in its stead;
Whereas, pursuant to an act of the Cen
eral Assembly of Virginia, approved
March 5, 1900, the question, "Shall there
be a convention to revise the Constitution
and amend the same9" was submitted to
the electors of the State of Virginia, quail
fed to vote for members of the General
Assembly, at an election held throughout
the State on the fourth Thursday IN May,
in the year nineteen hundred, at which
election a majority Of the electors SO quail
fed voting at said election did decide IN
favor of convention for such purpose; and,
Whereas, the General Assembly at Its
next session did provide by law for the
election of delegates to such convention,
in pursuance whereof the members of this
convention were selected by the good peo-
pie of Virginia to meet in convention for
such purpose.
We, therefore, the delegates of the good
poeople of Virginia so elected and in con-
vention assembled, do ordaln and declare
the future form of government of Virginia
to be as followeth;
BILL OF RIGHTS.
There are not many changes in the Bill
of Rights. The second section, which
was placed there by the Under
wood Constitution, providing "that this
State shall ever remain member of the
United States of America" was stricken
out, and it is rather a remarkable coinci-
dence that Mr.. Pedlgo (Rep.) of Henry
who moved its adoption in 1857, also
moved to atIike it out. One very impor-
tant change is the provision of jurles. 1t is
provided that that when a man pleads
guilty the court in certain cases may pre-
scribe the punishment; also that certain
civil cases may be tried by juries of less
than twelve members. Following are the
sections bearing on these subjects:
"That in all capital or criminal prosecu-
tions man hath right to demand the
cause and nature of his accusation, to
be confronted with the accusers and wit
nesses, to call for evidence in his favor,
and to speedy trial by all impartial jury OF
his vicinage, without whose unanimous
consent :he cannot be found guilty; nor
shall any person be twice put in jeopardy
for the same ofense; nor can he be COM
pelled to give evidence against himself;
that no man be deprived of his liberty, ,ex-
cept by the law of the land or the judgment
of his peers; but upon plea of guilty by
the accused, or with his consent, entered
of record, the court many hear and de-
termine any criminal case without the in
tervention of a jury; and the General AS
sembly may, by law, provide for the t1a
by justices of the peace, without a jury, OF
a man accused of any criminal Offense not
punishable by death or confinement In the
pentenliary, but in all such cases the
General Assembly shall preserve the right
of the accused to an appeal and trial by
jury in the appellate court.
"That in controversies respecting prop.
erty, and in suits between man and man,
a trial by jury is preferable to any other,
and ought to be held sacred; but the Gen
eral Assembly may, by law, prescribe any
number less than twelve, but not less then
seven, TO constitute jury"
DAMAGE TO PROPERTY.
Here is a section that is changed by the
insertion of the words damage IN"
"That all elections ought to be free and
that all men having sufficient evidence OF
permanent common interests with, and
attachment to the community, have the
right of suffrage and cannot be taxed, mol
deprived of or damaged in their property
for public uses without their own consent
or that of their rel r>Senlatives so elected
nor bound by any law 10 which they have
not, in like manner assented, for the
public good"
The idea of this amendment IS to com
pensate a person whose property may no
be actually taken for public uses, but may
suffer damage by reason Of the uses tt
which property nearby condemned anc
taken may be put.