Twin-City herald. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1927-1940, 1936-10-31
Proposed
Amen men IS
to the
Constitution
Minnesota
To be submitted at 1886 General
Election
STATE OF MINNESOTA,
LEGAL DEPARTMENT
HARRY H. PETERSON
Attorney General
St. Psul, Minnesota, April 29, 1886
Honorable Mike Holm,
HARRY H. PETERSON
Attorney General
St. Psul, Minnesota, April 20, 1886
Honorable Mike Holm,

Dear Sir:
In compliance with the provisions Of
Section 46 of Mason's Minnesota Sta
tutes of 1927. | herewith furnish you
statement of the purpose and effect OF
all proposed amendments to the ConStl-
tuition of the State of Minnesota which
are to be submitted to the electors of
said state at the general election in 1885,
IN accordance with certain acts adopted
~ the 1885 legislature
PROPOSED AMENDMENT NO. I.
BY the adoption of Chapter 1893 of the
avs of 1885 the legislature has pro-
osed an amendment to Article OF the
tate Constitution. The proposed amend
aent, if adopted, will not alter the
orm OF any ext. Ing section OF the
constitution, but will add a new section
20 be known as Section of said Article
The proposed amendment reads as
olows:
ANY of the public lands of the
state, including lands held in trust
for any purpose. may, with the ap-
prevail of commission consisting OF
the governor the attorney general
and the state auditor, be exchanged
for lands of the United States and
other privately owned lands as the
legislature may provide, and the
lands so acquired shall be subject to
the trust, if any, to which the lands
exchanged therefor were subject.
and the state shall reserve all min
eral and water and water power
rights in lands so transferred by the
state
:e Purpose and Effect of the Proposed
Amendment.
The purpose and effect OF this pro-
osed amendment is to authorize the leg
oIature to provide for exchanging any OF
he public lands of the state for lands OF
he United States and land privately own
I'd, such exchanges to be made with the
approval of a commission consisting OF
he governor, the attorney general and
he state auditor. Such exchanges OF land
annot now be made because the State
constitution does not permit the iegs-
lture to authorize the sale of school
lnds, state swamp lands and state in
ernal improvement lands except by
ubIic sale. One immediate purpose In
'anting such authority Is to make 1t
ossibe for the state to acquire COM
act areas of land for forestry and other
observation purposes by exchanging
nd outside of such conservation areas
lands of the United States and pri-
ltely owned lands within such areas.
The proposed amendment requires
at all mineral rights, water rights and
alter power rights In lands SO transfer.
cd by the state shall be reserved. The
md SO acquired will become subject to
he same trust, if any, as the land dis.
osed of. For example, IT school land ls
wen In exchange, the land received will
?come school land.
PROPOSED AMENDMENT NO. 2.
By the adoption of Chapter 394 of the
avs of 1885, the legislature proposed
amendment to Section l of Article 9
the State Constitution.
This section now reads as follows:
THE power of taxation shall never
be surrendered, suspended or con-
tracted away. Taxes shall be uni
form upon the same class of sub
jects, and shall be levied and col
burying grounds, public school
houses, public hospitals, academies,
colleges, universities. and all semin-
aries of learning, all churches,
church property and houses of wor-
ship, institutions of purely public
charity, public property used exclu-
sively for any public purpose shall
be exempt from taxation, and there
may be exempted from taxation
personal property not exceeding in
value 5000. for each household, indi-
viduai or head of a family, and
household goods and farm machin-
cry, as the legislature may deter
mine:
Provided, that the legislature may
authorize municipal corporations to
levy and collect assessments for To-
cal improvements upon property
benefited thereby without regard to
Their, that nothing herein contained
shall be construed to affect, modify
or repeal any existing law providing
for the taxation of the gross earn
ings of railroads"
If amended as proposed by the legis-
ture. this section will read as follows oloT
never be surrendered, suspended or
contracted away. Taxes shall be
uniform upon the same class Of sub
jects, and shall be levied and coll
lected for public purposes, but pub
hrfrvin0 Gnhn0l
houses, public hospitals, academies,
colleges, universities, and all semin-
aries Of learning, all churches.
church property and houses of wor-
ship, institutions Of purely public
charity, and public property used
exclusively for any public purpose,
shall be exempt from taxation, and
there may be exempted from taxa
ton personal property not exceeding
individual or head Of a family, and
household goods and farm machin-
cry, as the legislature may deter
mine:
Provided, that the legislature
may authorize municipal corpora
tons to levy and collect assessments
Tor local improvements upon prop
arty benefited thereby without re-
;ard to a cash valuation, and pro-
ided further, that nothing herein
contained shall be construed to af-
feet. modify or repeal any existing
law providing for the taxation of the
gross earnings of railroads.
Provided further, that after jan
uary 1, 1887, no tax shall be imposed
on any real or tangible personal
property for any state purpose, ex-
cept that authorized by Section 16
of Article of this Constitution,
and/or for the payment Of Indebted
ness of the state incurred prior to
January 1, 1887; but this proviso
t~x.A At,
have, the right to impose taxes upon
royalties, occupations, sales, re-
oeipts, incomes, tnheritances, gifts,
privileges, franchises, or licenses, or
upon property on the basis Of gross
1eTnipgs g tonnage. or upon tn-