The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-03-30
OUR NEW CONSTITUTION
COMPARED WITH THE OLD
its Close. Withthe Changes That Have Been
Made Pointed Out
. REVENUES WILL BE INCREASED
By HON. ROBERT TURNBULL.
jMember ar the Convention from Brlnswick.l

RI TURNBULL.
ntion from Brunswick.
pose of a bill, but .disapproves any part
or parts thereof to return the Dill VIII.
his recommendations as to its amendment,
ana allows him to veto any item or items us
II, an appropriation bill and approve the
others.
Tho new section also gives the authori-
ty TO the Governor to have at least ten
+ DAYS. after the final adjournment or the
General Assembly, in which to CONSIDER
and sign the bills passed by the General
Assembly within the last five Gays OF
the session. 1t is believed that the new
section is a great improvement on the
old section, and will result in great good
+ to the Commonwealth
In the new Constitution the twelfth and
thirteenth sections of the old Constitu-
ton are combined into one, and 1t pro-
svides that the Secretary of the COM
monwealth shall be elected by the people
instead of by the General Assembly as
provided in the old Constitution.
The other changes are that the state
Treasurer is to be elected by the people
instead of by the General Assembly. The
Board of Public Works as now constl-
tuted is abolished and the duties or the
Board are to be discharged by the Cor
poration Commission. The General As
sembly is directed to provide bylaws
for the establishment and maintenance
of an efficient system of checks and bal
ances between the officers at the seat of
Government entrusted with the collec-
ton, receipt. custody or disbursement OF
the revenues Of the State, and all State
officers charged with the collection, GUS
tody handling or disbursement Of pubic
funds are required to give bond for the
faithful performance of their duties.
Legislative Department.
Many important changes have been
made in the new Constitution in reference
to this branch OF the Government, which,
1T is believed, will result in great benefit
to the people and render it much less eX-
5pensivc.
Under the old Constitution the General
Assembly meets in December, under the
new Constitution it Will meet on the sec
ond Wednesday in January. Under the
old Constitution the regular session of the
General Assembly are limited to ninety
days: under the new the sessions, after
the first, are limited to sixty days. I'm
der the old Constitution the Senators
were elected for four years, under the
new they are elected for two years.
Under the old Constitution no person
holding a salaried Office is capable CT
being elected a member Of either House of
the General Assembly. Under the new
Constitution, '.no person holding a sal
aried office under the United States Gov
ernment or under the State Government
and no judge of any court. attorney for
the Commonwealth, sheriff, sergeant,
treasurer, assessor of taxes, commission
err of the revenue, collector OIL taxes. or
clerk of any court, shall be a member
OF either house Of the General Assembly
The old Constitution provides that no
member of the General Assembly, during
the term for which he Shall have been
elected, shall be appointed to any civil
Office of profit under the Commonwealth.
except officers filed by election by the
people. The new Constitution provides
that no member of the General Assem-
bly,. shall during the term for which he
shall be elected, be appointed or elected
to any civil Office except Offices filed by
election by the people. This provision
prevents members of the General Assem-
bly, from e!ecting themselves to Office.
The old Constitution simply directs that
.'no bills shall become a law until it has
been read on three different days of the
session in the house in which it original ted
unless two-tlirds of the members in that
House shall otherwise determine The
new Constitution provides that no law
shall be enacted except by bill. and that
no bill shall become a law until it is
referred to a committee. printed for the
use of the members, acted upon by the
committee in session and returned there
from, read at length on three different
calendar days in each House and on it's
final passage in each House the vote
taken by yeas and nays and entered on
the journal: and two-fifths of the mem
bers elected to each House, including a
majority of those voting must be record
ed its favor: and if the bill imposes, con-
tinues or revives any appropriation. OF
public or trust money or property, or
releases, discharges or commutes any
claim or demand of the State it must re-
ceive a ma ority of the members elected
to each house: But such printing or read
ing or both be dispensed with il, the
case of a bill codifying the laws of the
State, or in any case of emergency ex-
pressed by a vote of four-fifths Of the
members voting in each House. Section
II of the new Constitution further pro-
vides that either house by a vote of two
fifths of the members elected thereto, in
Guiding a ma jority of those voting, may
discharge a committee from the cos:dera-
ton Of any bill which it refuses or fails
to return and proceed with the considera-
IlOu OIL LIE Dill DIS IL II Etltiu pcen returned
from the committee. Said section further
provides that no amendment to bill
by one House shall be concurred in by
the other. nor shall report of commit
tee of conference be adopted by either
house, except by a vote of two-fifths OF
the members elected thereto. And it fur
Their requires that the presiding officer of
each house shall sign all bills passed in
open session, after the title of the bills
have been publicly read. 1t is submitted
that this section is a great Improvement
on the old section because it effectually
prevents hasty or ill-considered legis!a-
ton, and prevents legislation from be-
ing blocked as it allows two-fifths Of
the members Of either house, including
majority of those voting, to discharge
committee which fails or refuses to re-
port a bill.
Another very important provision in the
new Constitution on this subject is that
it requires the appointment of a joint
committee of the two houses which shall
be a standing committee on special pri-