Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-01-25
CONSTITUTION IS
EXPENSIVE THING
Estimate That a Change Would
Take Almost a Million Dollars
to Bring About
NOT MANY CONVENTIONS
How the People of the Common
wealth Voted on Question in
the Years Gone By

A convention to revise the Constitu-
ton of Pennsylvania would cost at least
81, ,000, 900, This is the estimate made
by State officials, who base their fig
ures on the cost of formulating the
present Constitution in 1878.
Interest in the amount required to
put into operation a Constitutional
convention has been aroused by the
announcement that Representative
Charles j. Roney. of Philadelphia.
contemplates introducing measures
providing for the holding of a conven-
tion. Similar bills were introduced
in the 1913 session by Representative
John r. X. Scott, of Philadelphia.
They passed the House of Represen-
tatives but were defeated in the SEN
ate.
The Constitutional convention of
1878 cost the State exactly $500, 1876,
but since 1873 the cost of living has
gone up considerably together with
the cost of legislating for the people,
and with the population of the State
nearly twice as large as at the time
OF the last convention, 1t is estimated
that with a proportionately larger con-
vention, the cost would reach at least
81 100000 and probably more.
In 1873 the Legislature appropriated
So00,O0O for convention, and claims
and other amounts aggregating $2,195
I If the proposed Roney bills are in
troduced it will be at least two years
before the present Constitution can
be supplanted by another. AS an in
stance of the time required to put
into effect new Constitution 1t Is re-
called that the first definite move to-
ward the convention of 1873 came in
1871 when the Legislature passed an
act providing for the submission of the
question to the people. The new con-
stitution did not go into effect until
1874.
At an election held on October 10,
1871 the people of the State decided
in favor of a Constitutional conven-
ton by a vote of 316,097 to 69,715.
The act WHICH regulated the holding of
the convention was approved in April.
1872, when the number of delegates
was fixed at 133. These delegates
were elected on October 8, 1872, and
the convention met at Harrisburg on
November IL, 1872. Adjournment
was taken on November 81 to meet in
Philadelphia on January Z, 1873. The
convention concluded its work of
drafting a new constitution on Novem-
ber 3, 1873. This draft was submitted
to the people at an election held on
December 16. 1878, and was adopted
by vote of 253,744 to 10S,594. The
CONSTITUTION thus approved by the peo-
pie was put into effect on January 1.
1874.
An earlier Constitutional convention
took place in 1878. The delegates
were elected on November 8, 1886, and
as in the later convention, numbered
1873. The delegates met at Harris
burg on May 2, 1897, and ad-
Journed to meet in Philadel-
phia on November 23. The amended
Constitution was adopted and signed
on February %. 1888, and was ap-
proved by the people at the polls on
October 8, 1888.
The approval of the new Constitu-
tion, however, was not Overwhelming
as the vote was 1891 for and 49,
I59 against its adoption.
In 1870 was held the frs conven-
ton following the adoption of the
Colonial Constitution in 1875. This
convention assembled on Novembe
"a, 1899, and its work was completed
on September 2, 1890. The convention
at the time was made up of only 60
delegates.
Those in favor of Constitutional
| convention at this time contend that
the present Constitution contains
conflicting provisions, obsolete sec
tions, and insufficient amendments,
land that it is not in keeping with the
| broadest spirit of the time, nor the
extensive development of the States
| affairs
| 1t is argued that so far as the Con-
stitution applies to Philadelphia, a
| careful revision is needed to fix the
status of the Register of Wills, in re-
lation to the Commonwealth, and the
! County Commissioners, Coroner,
| Clerks of the Court and Magistrates.
The judicial system of Philadelphia, it
| is also declared, needs to be put on a
modern basis to facilitate the admin
! istration of justice.
State Senator Edwin S. Ware, of
| Philadelphia, has announced his in
tention of introducing at the present
session Constitutional amendent
providing for the consolidation of the
Common Pleas Courts in Philadel-
phia county