Year: 1875




In the excitement attending the state elec-
ton, the voters of Maine should not forget the
importance of the constitutional amendments
referred to them by the Legislature for their
adoption or rejection. Toe first of these
amendments is proposition to have state
senators elected by plurality instead of requir-
ing that the successful candidate shall have
majority Of all the ballots. =
The second amendment proposed is enti-
tied, "relating to special legislaiions and cor
porations." and is so important that we give
the whole text:


Section 10. The Legislature shall from time to
time, provide as far as practicable BY general laws
for all matters usually appertaining to special


Section II Corporations shall be formed under
general laws and shall not be created BY special
Of the Legislature, except for municipal purposes
cannot be otherwise attained; and however formed,
State.


The third of the amendments relates to
the ''power of the Governor to pardon" 1t
proposes to amend article part first, section
eleven, by striking out all after the word "re.
prieves'' and by adding thereto the following:


Communications and parion except in cases of i'm
peachment, upon such conditions. and with such re-
strictioLs and limitations as may be deemed proper,
subject to such regulations as may be provided by
law, relative to the manner of applying for pardons,
And he shal communicate to the Legislature, at
each session thereof each OF repreve remission
OF penalty. Communication pardon granted and the
conditions. if any, upon which he same was granted


The fourth amendment proposed is to have
municipal and p ,lice judges appointed by the
Executive instead of being elected as now.
The reason for this change is that in the larg-
er places where parties are closely divided
the criminal classes may control the election.


The fifth amendment is devoted to the sub
ject of taxation and is as follows:


Section s. All taxes upon real and personal estate
assessed by authority of this State shall he apoor-
toned and assessed fully, according to the just value
thereof


Said article shall be further amended by adding


Section 9. The Legislature shall never in any
manner, suspend or surrender the power Of taxa
tion.


The sixth amendment proposes to abolish
the Office of Land Agent.


The seventh proposed amendment provides
that ''the Legislature shall, by two-thirds
concurrent vote of both branches, have the
power to call constitutional conventions, for
the purpose of amending this constitution"


The eighth IS entitled bribery at Elec-
tons'' and is as follows:


The legislature may enact laws exclu ling from the
right OF suffrage for term not exceeding ten years.
all persons convicted of bribery any election or of
voting at any election under the influence of a
bribe.


The ninth proposition simply relates to the
method of arranging such of the amendments
as are rattle by the voters, which is, that
the work shall be done bv the Chief Justica of
the Supreme Judicial Court of the state.


1t was provided by the Legislature that
the Secretary of State should send ballots to
the several cities and towns upon which the
subject of these several amendments shall be
briefly stated. If the ballot is deposited by
the voter, bearing all the amendments, it is a
vote for the whole, but if he erases any or all
of them, it is a vote against those erased, or
the whole of them as the case may be.