The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1908-07-17
the office or governor or

| the office or governor or,
| ernor who shall not have attained the
| age of thirty years and who has net
| been five years a citizen of the United
| States and a resident of this state two
| years next preceding his election.
| No change is made from Sec. 2, Art. V OF
| the present constitution except for the pur-
| pose Of improving the phraseology.
Sec. IA. No member of congress nor
| any person holding Office under the
| United States or this state shall exc
! cute the Office of governor. EXCEPT
AS PROVIDED IN THIS CONSTR
| TUITION.
| No change is made from Sec. 10. Art V OF
| the present constitution except TO add the
words in capitals.
| Sec. Is. No person elected governor or
| lieutenant governor shall be eligible 10
| any office or appointment from the leg
| islature, or either house thereof. dur
| ing the time for which he was elected
All votes for either of them for any
such Office shall be void.
No change is made from Sec. Is, Art. V OF
the present constitution.
Sec. 16. In case of the impeachment
| of the governor. his removal from of
fee, death, Inability, resignation or alb
sence from the state, che powers and
duties of the office shall devclve upon
| the lieutenant governor for the residue
of the term or until the disability
ceases. When the governor shall be out
Il of the state at the head of q
military force thereof, he shall con-
4 tinue commander-n-chief of all the
| military force of the state
This section eliminates the words lin time
| of war" from Sec. II, Art of the present
| constitution.
Sec II. During a vacancy in the Of
| flee of governor If the lieutenant gov
ernor die, resign, or be impeached, dis
| placed, be incapable of performing the
| duties of his office, or absent from the
| state, the SECRETARY OF STATE
| shall act as governor until the vacancy
| be filled or the disability cease.
No change is made from Sec. 49, Art. V OF
the present constitution except TO substitute
the secretary OF state for the president pro
tempore OF the senate. The obvious purpose
is to make the secretary of state who is
elected at large, acting governor, instead OF
the president pro tempore of the senate. who
Is elected from a single senatorial district,
| A further reason for this substitution Is to
avoid deprving the senate of Of its
| members in the event of such contingency.
Sec. Is. The lieutenant governor or
| SECRETARY OF STATE, while per-
forming the duties of governor, shall
receive the same compensation as the
governor.
No change is made from Sec. II, Art. v
OF the present constitution except to har-
monte 1t with the substitution of ''secre-
tary of state" by the revision of the preced-
ing section
Sec. 10. The lieutenant governor shall
be president of the senate, but shall
have no vote.
This revision of Sec H. Art V of the
present constitution limits the duties of the
lieutenant governor to acting president of
the senate. 1t was apparent to the conven-
ton that the presiding officer of a deiberative
body who participates in it's debates and con-
tentions upon the floor does so at the expense
OF his authority and usefulness as presid-
ing officer. His control over such a body is
thereby greatly impaired The right to vote
in committee of the whole is taken away by
the revision, as such vote is without effect on
legislation, as the final vote in the senate
determines the passage Of measure and
not the vote in committee OF the whole. II
should be stated, however, that the privilege
OF voting by the lieutenant governor in COM
mittee of the whole has become practically
obsolete. as the right has not been exercised
for a generation or more. BY this section
the vesting OF executive and legislative power
in one person is obviated, and this consid-
Grafton was potent factor with the conven-
ton In copfning the lieutenant governor
strictly to the duties of presiding officer.
Sec. 20. The secretary of state, state
treasurer and commissioner of the state
land office shall constitute a board of
state auditors. They shall examine and
adjust all claims against the state not
otherwise provided for by general law
They shall constitute a board of state
canvassers to determine the result of
all elections for governor, lieutenant
governor, state officers and such other
officers as shall by law be referred to
them. They shall act as a state board
of escheats and board of fund COM
missioners. They shall perform such
other duties as may be prescribed by
law. In case the office of commissioner
of the state land office Is abolished, an
other state officer shall be designated
by law as member of the several
boards mentioned in this section.
This is revision of Sec. of Art. VIII
OF the present constitution BY adding to
the duties of this board the requirement that
they shall act as a state boarE of escheats
and fund commissioners the creation of new
boards for such purpose Is avoided 1t being
boards should be created only when the ne
cessties of the public service demand it.
Sec. 81 The governor and attorney
general shall each receive an annual
salary of five thousand dollars. The
secretary OF state state treasurer COM
missioner of the state land office and
auditor general shall each receive an
annual salary Of twenty-five hundred
dollars. They shall receive no fees or
perquisites whatever for the perform
ance of any duties connected with the
Offices 1T shall not be competent for
the legislature to increase the salaries
herein provided.
This section supersedes all provision in
the present constitution relating to the SAL
aries Of the officers named. (See Sec. 1, Art
lA.) IL Is beHeTdlly COuCeueu Inat tne pres
ent salaries of the above named officers are
grossly inadequate. After mature delibera-
ton the convention felt that 1t was called
upon by the inherent Importance of the sub
ject, as well what was deemed to be ex-
listing public opinion, to definitely fix the
salaries of these officials.
The moderate amount Of twenty-five hun
dred dollars provided for the secretary OF
state state treasurer, commissioner of the
state land office and auditor general will GER
tainly meet the appreciation of the most con-
sentative in view of the provision in Sec.
Of this article that each of the officers named
Is required to superintend such Office in per-
son.
The salary Of the governor and that of the
attorney general Is fixed at FIVE thousand
dollars. There was strong sentiment for
a further increase In the salary of the gov
ernor in view OF the fact that his entire time
under this revision additional responsible
tiles are placed upon him. requiring of him
even closer application to official duties
than heretofore. The amount designated as
the salary Of the governor is deemed to be
conservative.
For many years the salary Of the attorney
general has been eight hundred dollars IL
has been necessary for the attorney general
to engage In private practice in order to sup
port himself During recent years the state
has been called upon to expend large sums
OF money In the retention OF private counsel
to assist in the conduct OF important state
litigation. The growing Importance of the
duties OF this office requires the selection of
an experienced and competent lawyer TO
meet its responsibilities. A man of such
training and standing Is called upon to fore
equal to the salary named The Justice OF
the situation affecting this official onnaa1ad