The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-07-21
SCHEME NOT COMPLETE
Report of the Committee on the Bill
of Rights.
A STRONG RESOLUTION ON DIVORCE
MclIwaine Would Make The State Party in
All Divorce Proceedings With View
to Indicting and Furnishing
the Guilty.
(By Associated Press.)

Richmond, Va, July 20.-The Consti-
tutional Convention has about gotten
ready for the debates. 1t came today,
when Chairman Green submitted the
| report of the Committee on Preamble
| and Bill of Rights, prefacing the re-
port with the statement that it was
only partial report, and that the min
oriy would likely submit report. He
asked that the report be laid on the
| table and printed for the information
of the members. This was ordered.
The word christian" remains in the
draft submitted, and the supremacy
of the United States Constitution is
affirmed.
Delegate McIlwaine, of Prince Ed
ward, presented the following: Where
as, in order to the legal consummation
of the marriage relation in the State
of Virginia, license from the proper
State official is necessary, the Com
monwealth thus making itself a party
to, and the custodian of this contract;
therefore. be it,
Resolved That the Committee on the
Legislative Department be. and is here
by requested to report a provision to be
engrafted into the Constitution requir-
ing the General Assebly to enact laws
making the Commonwealth a party in
all divorce proceedings hereafte rinSt-
tuted' in any court of this State; the
Commonwealth represented by it's city
or county attorney, as the case may be,
whose duty it shall be to inquire care
fully into all the facts, and if it. shall
be found that either, or both parties
have been guilty of misdemeanor or
erie leading up to the breach of mar
riage, they shall be indicted and pun
ished as the law may direct"
Other resolutions were introduced and
referred as follows:
By Mr.. Bristow, of Middlesex: Pro-
viding that all natural oyster beds and
rocks shall be free to the people of
| the State Non-residents shall have the
right to propagate oysters in Virginia
waters upon the payment of taxes on
property to the value of $4,000.
By Mr.. Quarles. of Augusta: En-
powering the Governor to name a COM
mission of three to revise the code of
| Virginia to conform to the new Con-
stitution and authorizing the General
Assembly to fix compensation.
By Mr.. Earman, of Rockingham:
Prohibiting the improper uses of the
public school funds.
Senator Daniel today presented to the
Suffrage Committee his clause affecting
the electorate, and in presenting the
paper, enjoined the members of the
committee to secrecy. He said that
the plan was not entirely completed,
though in speech of half an hour he
| outlined the provisions.
AS outlined by Senator Daniel, the
proposition calls for a residence of two
years in the State, one year in county
, or city, and thirty days in precinct.
Property to the value of $500 is to be
held by the voter his wife or father:
a poll-tax of 81 is compulsory; men who
have done military service for the
United States Government or the Unit
ed States are exempted, as are also per-
sons over the age of sixty years; no
person is to be exempted fro payment
of pol-tax who draws a pension from
the State or the United States, and
persons who receive salary or stipend
are to be required to pay the poll-tax.
Persons of recognized good character
and education are to be exempted at
the discretion of the local boards, from
theh property qualification.
The printed record in the case of
Morgan Treat VS.. Roger Gregory, con-
testing the seat of the member from
King William and Hanover has been
received from the printer. 1t makes
372 pages of closely printed matter. 1t
was placed on the desks of the MEM
bers today.