The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1911-08-03

g-F'a''fss s'F-1'E1ssFEB
where 1t continued in session till
March 10. 1851. William Medin pre-
sided. The convention was in session
altogether 1876 days, and cost the
Tate $94.441.32 1t numbered 109
delegates.
In due time the new constitution
was framed and submitted to the
people. 1t embraced most of the re-
forms advocated by its chief promo
ter AMI retained much that was good
in the first constitution. In general
it transferred sovereign power from
the Legislature to the people and re-
quired that laws for the regulation of
corporations should be uniform in ap-
plicaticn. 1t conferred no additional
power on the governor 1t is the
constitution under which we live to-
day, but it has at various times been
amended in some important particu-
lars
1t was submitted to the people at
the October election OF 1851 The
vote, excluding the counties of Def
ance and Auglaize. which did not re-
port within the time limit, was as
follows:
New constitution, Yes......... 125, ,5Gi
New constitution, No............. 109,27G
Majority for new constitution. 49, 2S8
The license of the sale Of intoxicat-
ing liquors was submitted as a sep
arate proposition The vote was as
follows:
License to sell intoxicating liquors,
NO ......,....,.,...... ......... 1l3,237
License to sell intoxicating liquors
Yes ...................... 104, ,255
Majority against license. ...... S,9S3
Third Convention.
The third constitutional convention
was presided over by Morrison R.
Waite, afterwards Chief Justice of the
Supreme Court Of the United States.
Among its delegates were a number
of men who won distinction. 1t met
in Columbus, May l3. 1873, and con-
tinued in session in that city to Au-
gust 8, 1873 when it adjourned to
meet in Cincinnati, December 2, Of
the same year Pursuant to adjourn
ment it met in that city, where it
concluded it's labors May 10, 1874.
The convention was in actua! session
1SS days. 1t cost the state 1892. 800.
The constitution submitted to the
people contained a number of changes
from the constitution of 1851, most
of them Of minor Importance. These
changes are set forth in detail in the
Ohio State Journal of May %. 1874.
Many of them relate to legislative
and judicial procedure.
The lieutenant governor was au-
thoriZed to vote in cases of IN equal
division of the senate The term of
office of the supreme judges was ex-
tended to ten years and at the first
election under this constitution no
elector was to be permitted to vote for
more than three of the five judges;
this was designed to insure minority
representation. The governor was
given the veto power. Women were
made eligible to any Office under the
school laws except that of the state
commissioner of common schools.
The fee system was to be abolished
and county officers were to receive
fixed salaries. The Indebtedness of
municipal corporations was limited to
five per cent of the taxable property
except on referendum vote. Provi-
sion was made for railroad regulation
and the issuance of watered stock by
corporations was prohibited State
and county officials were forbidden to
accept railway passes and the general
assembly was required to legisJate for
the protection of the lives and health
of miners. Increased autho 'ity was
granted to the general assembly in
the matter of taxation 1t was given
power to frame rules of appraisement
which should recognize a distinction
between different kinds of property.
The constitution was submitted to
the people in October, 1874, and was
defeated by vote Of 250,169 to 1922
SS5. Some Of its provisions have
since been adopted as amendments
to the constitution.
In 1891, the people voted down the
proposition of holding a constitution
al convention. Total vote, SOS,52S;
for the convention 99,7S4 against it,
161,722. 1t will be noted that many
electors did not vote at all on the
| proposition.