Twin-City herald. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1927-1940, 1936-10-24
Proposed
Amen 'ments
to the
Constitution
Minnesota
To be submitted at 1886 General
Election
STATE OF MINNESOTA,
LEGAL DEPARTMENT
HARRY II. PETERSON
Attorney General
St. Paul, Minnesota, April 20, 1885
To be submitted at 1886 General
Election
STATE OF MINNESOTA,
LEGAL DEPARTMENT
HARRY II. PETERSON
Attorney General
St. Paul, Minnesota, April 90, 1886
Honorable Mike Holm,

Dear Sir:
In compliance with the provisions of
Section &C of Masons Minnesota Sta
tutes of 1927. 4 herewith furnish you a
statement of the purpose and effect OF
all proposed amendments to the Constr
tuition of the State of Minnesota which
are to be submitted to the electors of
said state at the general election in 1886,
in accordance with certain acts adopted
~ the 1895 legislature
PROPOSED AMENDMENT NO. I.
BY the adoption of Chapter 1888 OF the
avs of 1885 the legislature has pro-
osed an amendment to Article of the
tate Constitution. The proposed amend
nent. if adopted, will not alter the
= orm OF any ext. ing section of the
constitution, but will add a new section
10 be known as Section of said Article
The proposed amendment reads as
Ollows:
Amy OF the public lands of the
state, including lands held in trust
for any purpose, may with the APP
prevail of a 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
rights in lands so transferred by the
state"
ne Purpose and Effect OF the Proposed
Amendment.
The purpose and effect OF this pro-
osed amendment is to authorize the leg
stature to provide for exchanging any OF
he public lands of the state for lands OF
he United States and land privately own
ed, such exchanges to be made with the
approval of commission consisting of
ne governor, the attorney general and
he state auditor. Such exchanges of land
annot now be MADE because the State
constitution does not permit the legis-
ature to authorize the sale of school
lnds, state swamp lands and state IN
ernai 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
reservation purposes by exchanging
nd outside of such conservation areas
r LANDS of the United States and pri-
steiy owned lands within such areas.
The proposed amendment requires
at all mineral rights, water rights and
alter power rights in lands so transfer
ID by the state shall be reserved. The
md SO acquired will become subject to
re same trust, if any, as the land dis
osed of. For example, if school land Is
ven in exchange, the land received will
ccone school land.
PROPOSED AMENDMENT NO. 2.
by In6 dCODllOn Oh IHdpl6T OJf VI Tic
avs of 1895, the legislature proposed
n amendment to Section ! of Article 3
( 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
Iected for public purposes, but public
burying grounds, public school
colleges, universities and all semin-
aries Of learning, all churches,
church property and houses of wor-
ship, institutions of purely public
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-
vidual 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 10
cal improvements upon property
benefited thereby without regard to
Il cash valuation, and provided fur
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"
IL amended as proposed by the legis-
ture, this section will read as follows
1.-THE power of taxation shall
never be surrendered, suspended or
contracted away. Taxes shall be
uniform upon the same class of sub
jects and shall be levied and col
lected for public purposes, but pub
lie burying grounds, public school
houses, public hospitals, academies,
colleges, universities. and all semin-
Ill oh, ,x1I,A
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
in value $4,000 for each household,
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
lions to levy and collect assessments
or local improvements upon prop
erty 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
shall not limit, but the state shall
have, the right to impose taxes upon
royalties, occupations, Sales re-
oeipts, incomes, inheritances, gifts,
privileges, franchises, or licenses, or
Upon property on the basis of gross
earnings or tonnage, or upon In