Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1902-07-05
NEW CONSTITUTION.
A Synopsis of Virginia's New Funda-
mental Law.
WRITTEN BY WALTON MOORE.

WRITTEN BY WALTON MOORE.
The following review of the work
of the Constitutional Convention,
from the pen of Hon. Walton Moore,
a member of that body, published in
Ia late issue of the Baltimore Sun,
gives briefly and accurately the main
features of this most important docu-
Iment. which is claimed by its pro-
motors to be the best Constitution
Virginia ever had. 1t has been pro
claimed to go into effect on July III.
The Bill OF Rights.
| In the main the Bill of Rights is
preserved, even in the punctuation,
as drafted by George Mason and de-
clared by the Convention of 177G.
The material changes look to n re-
Iduction of court expenses by au-
thoriziug the General Assembly to
provide for iuries of less than u, but
not less than 5, for the trial of mis-
demeanors and minor civil cases, and
of not less than in other civil cases,
and 10 the allowance in cOndemna-
| ton proceedings of compensation
GOT only for property actually taken
for public uses, but for property
damaged, this being matter OF I'M
Dortance in view of the practice
| heretofore.
Suffrage.
| While not identical with any of
them, the plan adopted is similar to
the plans now in operation in Missis-
1 T,rA1fno on6 nfhnF
Southern States. Reports from Re
publican sources say that 1t will be
made the object of immediate attack
IN the courts. Any contest OF It's
validity will be watched with intense
interest, for the outcome will per
haps determine the question, which
is of overwhelming gravity, whether
| it is possible TO restrict the ignorant
negro vote sufficiently to bring about
the political freedom necessary to
the swift and healthy advance of the
South in every direction.
The plan makes registration con
dition of voting. Until January l,
! 1904, the registration boards APP
pointed by the convention will regis
ter those who have paid for the year
preceding that in which they apply.
State tax at least of 81, which
means the owership of $3.50 worth of
property, and also those who or
whose fathers have rendered service
ia the army or navy of the United |
States or of the Confederate States,
and also those who can read and eX
plain, or understand and explain |
when read to them, any section OF |
Il A htr.s -
tered are listed on the permanent |
roll. After January l, 1904, only |
chose will be registered who are able |
70 write their applications without
assistance. After that date all voters |
except veterans of the Civil War are |
required to pay the annual capita-
zion tax of 81. 80 six months in adj
vance of the election. Voters on the |
permanent roll are entitled to re-
GIVE aid in preparing their ballots,
but all others must prepare their |
ballots unaided. Several provisions |
relate to the election machinery and |
the conduct of elections, and the en-
tire article expresses the paramount |
and controlling desire of the conven-
ton 10 maintain white supremacy |
by legal methods and insure regu-
larity and purity in elections. One |
section of the article opens the office
Of notary public to persons Is years
OF age, including women.
Legislative Department.
The House will be elected biennial.
ly, as heretofore, but beginning with
1907 the entire Senate will be elected |
quadrennially, the hOldover Senator
feature being abolished. The Senate |
will not be elected in the same year
with the Governor and other execu
tive officers.
To keep official functions separate
those holding Federal or State offices
are to be ineligible TO membership.
For obvious reasons the General |
Assembly is prohibited from electing
its own members to office, nor can
they be appointed to office. 9he PEG
pie, however, may elect them to
office.
The sessions will begin on the
second Wednesday in January, a
Christmas recess being thus avoided,
and will continue 60 instead of 80
days. This will result in heavy re-
QUCtlOD OI expenditures.
The vice of hasty, ill-matured and
surreptitiOus legislation is sought to
be corrected by provisions requiring,
among other things, that bills shall
be printed and actually considered
in committee, read at length on
different days and passed by re
corded vote of at least two. fifths of
the mem bers of each house.
The burdens of the body are light
ened and the occupation of the lobby
largely destroyed by forbidding the
enactment of special, local and pri-
vate laws in "a number of cases, as,
for instance, granting charters and
pensions.
In order that there may be timely
information of what the General
Assembly has done, laws are not to
20 into effect until 80 days after the
Another item of expense will be
saved by the provision that
The clerks and the employees shall be g
on the per diem basis, S
and not by salaries. 1
The General Assembly is to SAFE {
guard the financial interests of the c
state by appointing an auditing d
with vacation powers,
with the duty OF examining,
with the aid, OF experts. the offices
where money is handled and I
accounts kept involving the State c
'evenue- a
Executive Department.
In response to what seemed to be a i
demand provision is t
made for election by the people of
everal officers now elected by the
General Assembly, including the d
Secretary of the Commonwealth and a
he Treasurer. o
The General Assembly is required II
% establish an efficient system of I
;hecks and balances for the execu- s
i've Offices to prevent losses of the a
public revenue. S
The powers of the Governor are in. s.