The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1901-08-06
CONSTITUTIONAL
CONVENTION.
Doings Of and Sayings in and About the
Great Virginia Body

!
ses;lccidedlto recommend the abolition Of
| the ohi e of county school supernten-
dents
Next To the franchise subject is the one
for notwithstanding the Judiciary system
and curtailing the expense OF the state
government
II looks new as if there il not the slight
est probability Of the Constitution being
completed in tine for submission To the
voters at the election in November.
The nth is that it is admitted 10y any
number of the ablcst men in the conven-
ton that this suffrage question il the
most ;npOl .ant one ever tackled in \ir-
gina
The Committee ON Privileges and Flee
lions is repOi ,ed To be in bad muddle
over the Treat Gregory contest bare
majority is in favor of seating MIR Treat
There are four Republicans on the com
mittce.
The sent ment is strong against any
! poll-taN requirement at all, unless such
| exemptions are granted as will permit all
of the whites or nearly all, to escape.
Reports rom all pa Is of the state indl-
cate that there is great opposition TO
| any tax ON the franchise.
The proposition To practically destroy
the Homes eel law has met with 80
much opposition that even IFS most ar
deht Supporters admit that it will have
To Toe abandoned 1t is possible that the
new Cons tuition may Emit the cNemp-
tion To the home and no; permitits own
e. to waive il in favor of any one.
If the Constitutional Convention iailsl II
WI" not Ice through lack OF advice good,
bad and indifferent Advice is the cheap
est of an things. when not had IN office
of a law yer or doctor and the members
! Of the convention may have no end OF 1t
fer the taking There sthedauger. Sup.
| pose the convention should take II a"
what wonderful product the new Con
st.tution would be- l-lndeX-Appeal.
Ii has been agreed 10y the Committee on
P:'y eyes that there will he no vote IN
J tie Treat-GregOry contest till after the
recess. Members of the committee will
| take the record home 10 study IT, ON
the i1s~tence of Republican member. il
| was agreed 10 ask the convention To send
| to Cold Ilarbor in Hanover county. and
have the contested votes brought here.
Ma " of the most prominent members
of the convention have frankly expressed
doubts about the wisdom OF the body
| taking a long recess at this time. The
people of the State, they hold, expected
| the convention to proceed with the
| work The effect OF the adjournment
| Until August - is 10 make impossible all
| hope of completing the Constitution IN
time for submitting it To the voters at
the November election.
The convention adopted a resolution
To take a recess from Saturday until Au-
| gust -. with mileage for members and
| hall paw for the officers of the
| body. On motion of Senator Daniel.
| the sui. age committee was given per
mission To sit during the vacation. No
restriction was pla ed upon where this
! committee is 10 hold its sessions, and il
may. ii it sees tit, go To the mountains or
| elsewhere 10 consider the subject OF from
cfise
Mr. Wysor under cook to warn the Dem
Ocrats IN the convention against avoid
| ing submitting its work 70 the whole
people He defed the convention 10
either proclaim its work or submit it To
an abridged electorate His contention
" a. that al authorities on Constitutional |
! law and all of the conventions accorded !
with his view in this matter There is
no precedent for submission to an abridg- |
[ Il q. in oil ~ 10 4
tutons. he said He cited Chief Justice !
Marshall and Thomas Jefferson as au-
| thOrities about submitting Constitutions |
to popular vote likewise Judge Cooley |
The last Legislature said we should sub |
nit the Constitution To the people, and |
the Norfolk convention took a similar |
stand. asserted Nj Wysor These au-
thorities are supported by the leading
lights of the convention of lS29-30.
There is not a negro voter in this ,
state who is not guaranteed the right to
vote on the acceptance of this new Con
stitutiOn, asserted Mr. Wysor.
Several delega ,es started after Mr. Wy
sor on this proposition aud tried to make
it hot for him.
Does not the present Constitution
guarantee the right to vote only for
members OF the General Assembly and
other ofcers2" asked Delegate Barbour,
of Culpeper WAS not the Constitution
changed about 1872
The books were consulted and Mr.. Wy
sOr said it was the general right OF man
kind to vote on n new Constitution. II
was quoting from the Constitution from
memory he added, acknowledge his
error
Isn't there a rest elton allowing free
holders only 10 vote or certain municipal
topics ?' asked Delegate Braxton.
IL there is don't know it, Such a
provision, in my mind, would be union
sitItional, retorted Mr. Wysor (Laugh-
ter
"The Underwood Constitution was
submitted tOan abridged electorate" OBJ
served Delegate Lindsey, of Charlottes-
Vile.
1T was submitted to an enlarged cleo
to-ate," asserted Mr.. Wysor.
Was in not restlcted2' persisted Mr..
Lindsay
at put certain disabilities on certain
citizens" Mr. Wysof admitted, at which
there was a wild burst of laughter
MEASURES INTRODUCED.
Mr.. Br,stow offered the following:
Resolved, /, That the manufactured
products OF farms, gardens, orchards,
dairies as well as products of the shell
and other fish industries of the State
shall be sold in any section of the Com
mOnwealth without license, either by
the producer or his agents
,. That all persons engaged in the
purchase Of the above named products
for the purpose OF facilitating their trans
pOrtation, 50 as to get said products in
the bands of consumers, shall be exempt
from any license whatever for engaging
in said enterprise.
3. That no railroad, steamboat, or
Other transpOr tation companies doing
business partially or wholly in this State
shall be allowed to discriminate against
the farm products of this State by trans