The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1906-10-27
PROPOSED
Amendments
TO THE
Constitution
OF MINNESOTA
Hon. Peter E. Hanson,
Secretary of State.

Secretary of State.
Sir:
AS required by Section 25 of the
Revised Laws, have the honor to
advise you as to the purpose and
effect of these amendments which
are to be voted on by the people at
the coming election.
FIRST PROPOSED AMENDMENT.
The first proposed amendment is
contained in Chapter 1853 of the
Laws OF 1905. BY this anne nd ment it
is sought to repeal Sections one CD,
two (2), three CD, four az and sew
enteen 90 of Article nine co. of
the Constitution fhe latter section
being the amendment to said Article
nine CO. adopted in 1866, which
sections now read as follows:
"Section T. All taxes to be raised in
this state shall be as nearly equal as
may be, and all property on which taxes
are to be levied shall have cash valua-
throughout the state: Provided, that the
Legislature may, by general law or spe-
cial act, authorize municipal corpora
provements upon the property fronting
upon such improvements, or upon the
property to be benefited by such i'm
proponents, or both, without regard to
cash valuation, and in such manner as
the legislature may prescribe: and pro-
yided further. that for the purpose of
defraying the expenses Of laying water
pipes and supplying any city or munic-
iipality with water, the Legislature may,
by general or special law, authorize any
such city or municipality, having a pop
ulatlon of five thousand or more, to levy
an annual tax or. assessment upon the
lneal foot of all lands fronting on any
water main or water pipe laid by such
city or municipality within corporate
n cnjT rit I- vi 49,
to the citizens thereof without regard
to the cash value OF such property, and
to empower such city to collect any
such tax, assessments or fines or penal
ties for failure to pay the same or any
tine or penalty for any violation Of the
rules Oh such city or municipality in re-
gard to the use of water, or for any wa
ter rate due for the same: and provided
further, that there may be by law levied
and collected tax upon all inheritances
devises, bequests, leegacies and gifts Of
fixed and specified sum, Of any and all
natural persons and corporations. Such
tax above such exempted sum may be
uniform or it may be graded or progress
sive, but shall not exceed a maximum
tax of five per cent.
.'.Section 2. The legislature shall pro-
vide for an annual tax sufficient to de-
fray the estimated ordinary expenses Of
shall happen that such ordinary ex-
penses of the state for any
year shall exceed the income Of the
state for such year, the legislature shall
provide for levylng tax for the enSu-
Ing year sufficient with other sources of
income, to pay the deficiency of the pre-
ceding year. together with the estimated
expenses of such ensuing year. But no
law levying a tax or making other pro-
visions for the payment of interest or
principal of bonds denominated Mime
sofa State Railroad Bonds shall take
effect or be in force until such law shall
have been submitted to a vote of the
people of the state. and adopted by a
majority of the electors of the state vot-
Section g. Laws shall be passed tax
ing all moneys, credits, investments in
bonds, stocks, joint stock companies, or
otherwise, also all real and personal
money; but public burying grounds, pub
lie school houses, public hospitals, acad-
emies, colleges, universities, and all SEM
inaries Of learning, all churches, church
property used for religious purposes, and
houses of worship, Institutions of purely
public charity, public property used ex-
clusively for any public purpose, and
personal property. to an amount not ex-
ceeding il value two hundred dollars for
each Individual. shall by general laws,
be exempt from taxation.
taxing the notes and bills discounted or
purchased, moneys loaned, and all other
property, effects, or dues of every de-
scription. of all banks and of all bank
banking shall always be subject to a
taxation equal to that imposed on the
property of individuals.
"Section II. The legislature may inn
pose, or provide for the imposition of,
upon the property within this state of
any and all owners or operators whether
corporate or individual, or otherwise, of
any and all sleeping. parlor and draw
ing room cars, or any or either of the
same, which run in, into or through this
state; also upon the property within this
state of any and all telegraph and tele-
phone companies, or owners, whose lines
are in, or extend in. into or through
this state; also upon the property within
this state Of all express companies, or
owners, or any or either of the same,
doing business in this state; also upon
the property within this state of all do
nestle insurance companies of this state
of any kind; also upon the property with
surance companies doing business in
this state of any kind: also upon the
property within this state of all owners
mineral ores Situated in this STATE or also so
upon the property within this state of all
boom companies or owners, and of all
ship, builders or owners doing business
in this state, or having a port therein
provided, that this act shall not apply to
property owned by railroad companies,
their lands and other property; and
such companies or owners,-a tax as uni
form as reasonably may be with the
taxes imposed upon similar property in
said state. or upon the earnings thereof
within this state. but may be graded or
progressive, or both, and in providing
for such tax. or in providing for ascer-
tanning the just and true value of such
property, it shall be competent for the
legislature, in either or all Of such cases,
to impose such tax, upon any or ali
property thereof within this state, and
such imposition the proportionate bust
ness, earnings, mileage or quantity of
production or property now or hereafter
existing of any such companies. persons
or owners, transacted or existing i'll this
state, in relation to the entire business,
mileage or quantity of production or
property of such companies, persons or
owners as aforesaid or in such other
legislature may determine; but the pro-
ceeds of such taxes upon mining prop
erty shall be distributed between the
state and the various political subdivi-
sions thereof wherein the same is sit
uated. in the same proportion as the
proceeds Of taxes upon real property are
Ing in this act contained shall operate
to authorize the assessment or taxation
of any farm land or ordinary business
blocks or property owned by any such
corporation, person, firm or company ex-
cept in the manner provided by the Or
binary methods of taxation"
And to substitute therefor the fol-
lOwinGs
Section /. The power Of taxation shall
never be surrendered, suspended or con-
tracted away. Taxes shall be uniform
upon the same class of subjects. and
shall be levied and collected for public
purposes, but public burying grounds,
public school houses, public hospitals,
academies, colleges, universities, and all
seminaries of learning, all churches
church property, and houses of worship.
institutions of purely public charity, and
public property used exclusively. for any
public purpose, shall be exempt from tax
IA tior, nnrs.on NJ -1arnrartv not exceedin9