The courier-index., 1920-08-27

cil except upon a yea ana nay NoNe on roll call of two-thircs of all the members elected to each house or tne General Assembly, or of the city ceun- cil as the case may be-
 EIectfeni All measures initiated by the people whether for the State. county, city or town. shall be submitted only at the regular elections, eitnet State. congregational or municipal, nut referendum petitions may be referred to the people at special elections 10 pc called by the proper official, and sucn special elections shall be called when fifteen per cent of the legal voters s1Pli petition fer such special election. ana if the referendum is invoked as to any measure passed by a city or town coun- ell, such city or town council may orser special election.
 Majority Any measure submitted to the people as herein provided snail take effect and become law when approved by a majority of the votes east upon suoh measure, and not otherwise, ana shall not be required to receive a ma jority of the electors voting at such election. Such measures shall De oper- ative on and after the thirtieth day after the election at which II IS ap proved, unless otherwise specined Tn the act.
 This section shall not be construed to deprive any member of the General Assembly of the right to introduce any mitted to the people by the General Assembly, except a proposed constt- a. tional amendment or amendments as provided for in this Constitution.
 Canvass and Declaration of Result, The result of the vote upon any State measure shall be canvassed and de- clared by the State Board of Election Comm&sioners Cor legal substitute thersfor); upon municipal or county measure by the county election com missoners Cor legal substitute tnere- for).
 Conflicting Measuresi If conflicting tv.tf tot tnd Ov af people shall be approved by majority of the votes severally cast for and against the same at the same election, the one receiving the highest number of affirmative votes shall become law.
 THE PETITION
 Tftlei At the time of filing petitions the exact title to be used on the ballot shall by the petitioners be submitted with the petition, and on statewide measures, shall be submitted to the State Board of Election Commissioners, who shall certify such title to the Sec ballot; on county and municipal meas ures such title shall be submitted to the county election board and shall by said board be placed upon the ballot in such county or municipal election.
 Limit.tion, No limitation shall be placed upon the number of constitu- tional amendments, laws, or other measures which may be proposed and submitted to the people oy elther provided in this section. No petition shall be held invalid if 1t shall contain a greater number of signatures than
 vsriaeation. Only legal votes shall be counted upon petitions. Petitions may be circulated and presented in parts. but each part of any petition dayit of the person circulating the same. that all signatures thereon were made in the presence Of the affiant, knowledge and belief each signature Is genuine. and that the person signing Is legal voter and no other affidavit or verihcation shall be required to estap- fish the genuineness of such signatures.
 Sufficfencyi The suffictency of all statewide petitions shall be decided in the first instance by the Secretary preme Court of the State. which shall have original and exclusive turisdic- tion ovre all such causes. The suffi- ciency of all local, petitions shall De decided in the first instance by the county clerk or the city clerk as the case may be- subject to review by the Chancery Court
 of any petition is challenged such cause shall be a preference cause and shall be tried at once, but the failure of the courts to decide prior to the election as to the sufficiency of any such peti- ton. shall not prevent the question from being placed upon the ballot at the election named in such petition, nor measure. if it shaii have been approved by a vote of the people. UA
 Unwarranted Restrictions ProAfb- retary of State. county clerk or city clerk, as the case may be, shall decide any petition to be insufficient. he shall without delay notify the sponsors of such petition, and permit at least thirty dave from the date Of such notinca- ton. in the instance of a statewide petition. or ten days in the. instance of municipal or county petition. for cor rection or amendment Tn the event or legal effect to any petition upon any grounds, the burden of proof shall be upon the person or persons attacking the validity of the petitioS.
 Unwarranted Restrictions PrOkfb- ited; No law shall be passed to pro- hibit any person or persons from giving or receiving compensation for circu- lating petitions, nor to prohibit the manner interfering with the freedom of the people in procuring petitions; but laws shall be enacted prohibiting and penaliEing perjury, forgery, and all other felonies or other fraudulent practices, in the securing of signatures or filing of petitions.
 to a vote of t.e people by petition under the provisions of this section shall be published as Is now. or hers- after may be provided by law.
 
 bills initiated and submitted under the provisions of this section shall be: "Be It Enscted By The People of the State of Arkansas. (Municipality or County, as the case may bel" In sub hitting measures to the people. the Secretary of State and all other of- ficials shall be guided by the general election laws or municipal laws as the case may be until additional legislation Is provided therefor.
 self-Executingt This section shall be self-executing. and all its provisions shall be treated as mandatory, but laws TAay be enacted to facilitate It's oper- alton. No Legislation shall be enacted to restrict hamper or impair the exer- else of the rights herein reserved to the people.
 That this amendment to the Consti- tuition of the State be. and the same shall be in substitution of the Initia- tive and Referendum Amendment, ap- prove4 February ls. 1909. as the same appears in the Acts of Arkansas for 1909, on pages 1929 and 1240 of the volume containing the same; and that the said amendment (Rnd the act of the General Assembly to carry out the same. approved June 30. 1911, so far as the same is in conflict herewith) be, and the same are hereby repealed.
 Witness my official signature this s<th day of July, 1920.