The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1922-12-15
NEWS OF THE CONSTI-
TUTIONAL AMENDMENT
Written by J. s. Hubbard, Execu-
dive Caotot r1y Of tho Missouri Press

Written by ]. s. Hubbard, Execu-
tive Secretary of the Missouri Press
Association.)
jefferson City, Dec. 9.-Declaring
that after considering the sixty-nine
proposals referred to the committee
and studying the text Of the old con-
stitution there was found little rea-
son for change in the present docu-
ment, the chairman of the Committee
on Preamble, Bill of Rights and Dis
tribution Of Powers, presented the re-
port to the convention in the commit
tee of the whole where it occupied the
attention of the members during the
latter part of the week.
The chairman pointed to the fact
that fundamentally the bill of rights
was based on the Declaration of indie
pendence and back of that the Magma
Charta, that had stood the test for
centuries. After a short exposition
of the report and an explanation of
the changes made and their reasons,
by the chairman, the convention
agreed to twenty-seven sections with
out division. Others are being taken
up in order and will be disposed of in
the committee Of the whole as expe-
ditiously as possible.
One change recommended by the
committee was the insertion at the
end of the first section of the bill Of
rights the words of the state motto
"Salus populi suprema lex este.
This met with opposition as being out
of place in the constitution and es-
pecially in the place designated. One
member declared that it would be just
as proper to designate the state flower
and adopt a state yell. However,
this being in jest was not seriously
considered, but an amendment strik-
ing out the motto was passed without
division. II may come up again to be
placed elsewhere in the code.
Objection was raised also to the in
sertiOn in the section relating to the
purpose of government and the nat
ural rights of persons, the words,
"the pursuit of happiness" An
amendment striking out these words
was rejected and the section as pre-
scented by the committee approved.
The committee report includes old
section of the 1875 code which pro-
vides shat no religious corporation
can be established in this, state. ex-
cept such as may be created under a
general law for the purpose only of
holding the title of such real estate as
may be prescribed by law for church
edifices, parsonages and cemeteries"
A minority report was filed by
members of the committee asking for
more liberal provisions in regard to
religious corporations holding prop
erty. 1t would allow religious cor
porations, under general laws, to re-
ceive and hold real estate, not ex-
ceeding five acres in an incorporated
city or town, and not exceeding forty
acres in any one place elsewhere, to
be used for churches, parsonages,
cemeteries, publishing houses and ed
ucational and charitable purposes;
would provide that they may receive
by gift or bequest, real and personal
property; sell and convey their prop
erty, and carry on enterprises and
work incident to, and consistent with,
the purposes for which they may SO
receive property and the purposes and
work of the churches, whose men,
bers compose the corporations: Pro-
vfded, that no real estate is to be
held for longer period than six
years, except for the uses mentioned
and personal property in excess of one
hundred thousand dollars is not to be
held longer than twelve months except
that used in connection with and as a