Evening journal., 1911-01-20
REFERENDUM
BILL READY
Drawn by W. W. Knowles
and Was Handed to Rep
reSentatiVe Moore
AMEND CONSTITUTION
TO MAKE IT EFFECTIVE

Representative Alfred b. Moore this
morning received from William w.
Knowles, lawyer, bill to amend the
Constitution SO as to provide the
initiative and referendum. and Mr..
Moore will introduce it in the Legis-
lature.
Mr.. Knowles has spent considerable
time framing the bill at the request
of the Initiative and Referendum
League, and he has communicated
with prominent men Of other states
which have adopted the measure,
especially in Oregon.
Representative Moore has consent
ed to present the bill to the Legis-
lature. 1t reads as follows:
Text of the Bill.
AN act proposing the amendment
to Section / of Article of the Con-
stitutiou of this State by providing for
the initiative and referendum.
BE il enacted by the Senate and
House of Representatives of the State
of Delaware I'm General Assembly
met (two-thirds of all the members
elected to each House agreeing
/ therein):
Section l. That Section 1 of Arti-
Gle , of the Constitution of this State,
/ be and the same is hereby amended
/ by adding at the end of said Section
aud after the word Representatives d
the following:
But the people reserve 10 them
selves power to propose laws and
amendments to the Constitution and
to enact o. TO reject the-same at the
polls. independent OF the General As
sembly, and also reserve power al
their own option to approve or re.
ject at the polls any act of the Gen.
eral Assembly. The first power re.
served by the people is the initiative
and not more than eight per cent. o
the legal voters shall be required {,
propose any measure by such petition
and every such petition shall include
the full text of the measure so pro
posed. Initiative petitions shall b
filed with tho Secretary of State no
less than four months before tn
election at which thoy are to be vote
upon, The second power Is the ref
ercndum and u may be. ordered tex
cept as to laws necessary for the i'm
mediate preservation Of the publ
peace, health or safety, either by tn
petition signed by five per cent of tn
legal voters or by the General Assem-
bly,, as other bills are enacted.
Referendum petitions shall be file
with the Secretary of State not NOR
than ninety days after the final ac
Journment of the session of the Ger
eral Assembly which passed the bi
on which the referendum is lemanc
. ed. The vote power of the Governc
shall not extend to measures referre
to the people. All elections on mea.
ures referred to the people shall q
had at the biennial regular gener;
election except when the General A,
sembly shall order a special election
Any measure referred TO the peopl
2 shall take effect and become the la
- when it is approved by a majority
the voters cast therein, and not Othe
wise. The style of all bills shall be
BE it enacted by the people of III
= State of Delaware" This section sha
. not be construed to deprive any men
ber of the General Assembly of n
right TO introduce any measure. TT
ratio and per centum of legal vOtei
4 hereinbeiOre stated for the initiatil
Y or for the referendum shall be base
upon the total number of votes cast
the last general election for the Sta
office receiving the highest numbl
@ of votes at such election. Petitions an
Z orders for the initiative and for n
referendum shall be filed with q
Secretary of State and i'm submittiT
L the same to the people he. and a
- other officers, shall be guided by u
To- general laws and the act submittir
this amendment, until legislation sba
be especially provided therefor.
II "Sec. la. The referendum may
d demanded by the people against one
n more items, sections OF parts of al
act of the General Assembly. in q
same manner in which such pow
e may be exercised against compile
y act. The filing of a referendum pei
II ton against one or more items, Sc
tions or parts of an act shall not
lay the remainder of that act from b
s coming operative. The initiative al
n referendum powers reserved TO q
, people by this amendment are herel
l. further reserved to all local, speci
e and municipal legislation, of eve
character. I'm and for their respecti
e municipalities and districts. The ma
II ner Of exercising said powers shall
y prescribed by general laws. exec
d that cities and towns may provide (
l. the manner of exercising the initiau
and referendum powers as TO the
municipal legislation. Not more thi
ten per cent. Of the legal voters m
J. be required to order the referendu
j. nor more than fifteen per cent. TO pI
n pose any measure, by the initiative,