following amendments and the schedule annexed thereto, be and they are hereby proposed to the constitution of Virginia, and are hereby referred to the general assembly, to be chosen at the next general election of senators and members of the house of delegates, for its concurrence, in conformity with Article XII of said constitution, viz: Strike from the constitution of Virginia the first and second sections of the seventh article, in reference to county organizations, which are in these words: County Organizations. SEC. 1. There shall be elected by the qualified voters of the county one sheriff; one attorney for the Commonwealth, who shall also be the Commonwealth's attorney for the circuit court; one county clerk, who shall also be the clerk of the circuit court, except that in counties containing fifteen thousand inhabitants there may be a separate clerk for the circuit court; one county treasurer, and one superintendent of the poor. And there shall be appointed, in the manner provided for in Article VIII, one superintendent of schools: provided, that counties containing less than eight thousand inhabitants may be attached to adjoining counties for the formation of districts for superintendents of schools: provided, also, that in counties containing thirty thousand inhabitants there may be appointed an additional superintendent of schools therein. All regular elections for county officers shall be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, and all officers elected or appointed under this provision shall enter upon the duties of their offices on the first day of January next succeeding their election, and shall hold their respective offices for the term of three years, except that the county and circuit court clerks shall hold their offices for four years. Townships. SEC. 2. Each county of the State shall be divided into so many compactly located townships as may be deemed necessary, not less than three; provided, that after three have been formed no additional township shall be made containing less than thirty square miles. Each township shall be known as the township of in the county of -, and may sue and be sued by such title. In each township there shall be elected, annually, one supervisor, one township clerk, one assessor, one collector, one commissioner of roads, one overseer of the poor, one justice of the peace, who shall hold his office three years, one constable, who shall hold his office three years: provided, that at the first election held under this provision, there shall be three justices of the peace and three constables elected, whose terms shall be one, two and three years, respectively. All regular elections for township officers shall take place on the fourth Thursday in May, and all officers so elected shall enter upon the duties of their respective offices on the first day of July next succeeding their election. The supervisors of each township shall constitute the board of supervisors for that county, and shall assemble at the court-house thereof on the first Monday in De cember in each year, and proceed to audit the accounts of said county, examine the books of the assessors, regulate and equalize the valuation of property, fix the county levies for the ensuing year, apportion the same among the various townships, and perform such other duties as shall be prescribed by law. And insert, in lieu thereof, the following: ARTICLE VII. County Organizations. SEC. 1. There shall be elected by the qualified voters of the county, one sheriff, one attorney for the Commonwealth, who shall also be the Commonwealth's attorney for the circuit court; one county clerk, who shall be clerk of the circuit court, except that in counties containing fifteen thousand inhabitants there may be a separate clerk of the circuit court; one county treasurer; and so many commissioners of the revenue as may be provided by law; and there shall be appointed, in a manner to be provided by law, one superintendent of the poor and one county surveyor; and there shall also be appointed in the manner provided for in article eight, one superintendent of schools. All regular elections for county officers shall be held on the fourth Thursday in May, and all officers elected or appointed under this provision shall enter upon the duties of their offices on the first day of July next succeeding their election, and shall hold their respective offices for the term of four years, except that county and circuit court clerks shall hold their offices for six years. SEC. 2. Each county of the State shall be divided into so many compactly located magisterial districts as may be deemed necessary, not less than three provided, that after these have been formed, no additional districts shall be made containing less than thirty square miles. Each magisterial district to be known as magisterial district of county. In each district there shall be elected one supervisor, three justices of the peace, one constable and one overseer of the poor, who shall hold their respective offices for the term of two years. All regular elections for magisterial district officers shall take place on the fourth Thursday in May, and all officers so elected shall enter upon the duties of their respective offices on the first day of July next succeeding their election. The supervisors of the districts shall constitute the board of supervisors for that county, whose duty it shall be to audit the accounts of the county, examine the books of the commissioners of the revenue, regulate and equalize the valuation of property, fix the county levies of the ensuing year, and perform any other duties required of them by law. Strike out the third section of the same article, which is in these words: School Districts. SEC. 3. Each township shall be divided into so many compactly located school districts as may be deemed necessary: provided, that no school district shall be formed containing less than one hundred inhabitants. In each shool district there shall be elected or appointed annually one school trustee, who shall hold his office three years: provided, that at the first election held under this provision there shall be three trustees elected, whose terms shall be one, two and three years, respectively. And insert in lieu thereof the following: School Districts. SEC. 3. Each magisterial district shall be divided into so many compactly located shool district as may be deemed necessary: provided, that no school district shall be formed containing less than one hundred inhabitants. In each school districts there shall be elected or appointed annually one school trustee, who shall hold his office three years: provided, that at the first election held under this provision there shall be three trustees elected, whose terms shall be one, two, and and three years, respectively. From the same article strike out the fourth section, which is in these words: Road Districts. SEC. 4. Each township shall be divided into one or more road districts. In each road district there shall be elected annually, one overseer of roads, under whose direction the roads shall be kept in repair at the public expense, in a mode prescribed by law. Schedule. The legally constituted officers of the several counties and townships of the State, at the date of the ratification of these amendments by the people, shall continue to discharge the duties of their respective offices until the officers provided for by these amendments shall have been elected, or appointed, and qualified; and all bonds or recognizances entered into by any county or township officer for the faithful discharge of the duties of his office shall remain valid and binding, and all rights and liabilities under the same shall continue, and may be prosecuted as provided by law. Resolved, That the clerk of the house of delegates, or the clerk of the senate be authorized and required, or if a vacancy happen in both of said offices, the presiding officer of either house of the general assembly be authorized and requested to cause the proposed amendments and these resolutions to be published in some newspaper published in the city of Richmond for three months previous to the time of choosing the members of the general assembly at the next general election of senators and members of the house of delegates. Resolved, That the clerk of the senate and the clerk of the house of delegates be required to transmit to the general assembly to be chosen at the next general election of senators and members of the house of delegates a certified copy of said amendments and these resolutions, to gether with a certificate of publication by the publisher of the newspaper in which the proposed amendments shall have been published. A copy from the rolls-Teste: J. BELL BIGGER, Clerk house of delegates and keeper of the rolls of Virginia. OFFICE OF RICHMOND WHIG, Richmond, November 15, 1873. I hereby certify that the annexed order of publication, in relation to proposed amendments to the constitution of Virginia in reference to county organizations, was published in the Richmond Whig for three months previous to the time of choosing the members of the general assembly at the late election of senators and members of the house of delegates of Virginia, which said election was held on Tuesday, 4th day of November, 1873. J. C. SHIELDS, Publisher Richmond Whig. Which was referred to the committee for courts of justice. Mr. Paige offered the following resolution: Resolved, That the secretary of Commonwealth be ordered to furnish each member of this body with a copy of the acts of 1872-'73, and a copy of the Code of Virginia of 1860, such copies to be returned three days before the expiration of this session. The house refused to refer the resolution to a committee. Mr. Critz offered the following as a substitute for the resolution by Mr. Paige: Resolved, That the secretary of the Commonwealth be requested to furnish each member of this house a copy of the acts of the last general assembly, the Code of Virginia, together with copies of the acts of 1869-'70, to be returned at the close of the session. Which was agreed to. The resolution as amended was agreed to. Mr. P. K. Jones offered the following resolution: Resolved, That 300 copies of the rules be printed for the use of the members of this house. Which was referred to the committee on printing. Mr. Winn offered the following resolution: Resolved, That the house of delegates, by and with the concurrence of the senate, do on Saturday, the 3d of Jan., 1874, at 1 o'clock P. M., proceed to the election of the following officers, viz: Secretary of the Commonwealth, auditor of public accounts, second auditor, treasurer, superintendent of public printing, superintendent of public instruction, superintendent of penitentiary, general agent and storekeeper of the penitentiary, and register of the land office. The house refused to refer the resolution to a committee. Mr. Winn moved a reconsideration of the vote by which the resolution was agreed to, which motion was rejected. Π The speaker appointed the following committee, under resolution offered on yesterday by Mr. Lacy, of New Kent, in relation to rules: Messrs. Lacy, of New Kent, Harrison, Riddlebarger, Taliaferro, Dooley, Wharton, Bagwell, Magruder and Van Auken. Mr. McMullan (under a suspension of the rules) presented No. 1. House joint resolution extending the time for the collection of taxes and county and township levies for the year 1873, which was read a first time. Mr. Taylor (under a suspension of the rules) presented No. 2. House bill to provide for the collection of the revenue of the city of Norfolk for the year 1873, which was read a first time. The following were presented and referred under rule 37: By Mr. Wm. E. Nash: Petition of Joseph Walker contesting the election of John W. Walke, of Chesterfield. Referred to committee on privileges and elections. By Mr. Brady: Joint resolution requesting the repeal of the act of congress increasing the salary of the president of the United States and members of congress. Referred to committee on resolutions. By Mr. McGonigal: Resolved, That the committee on finance be requested to inquire into the expediency of extending the time for the collection of taxes from April first to the first day of May. By Mr. Rufus S. Jones: A bill to amend and re-enact section 18, chapter 196, Code of Virginia (edition of 1860), in reference to offences against morality and decency. Referred to committee for courts of justice. By Mr. Rufus S. Jones: A bill repealing the act passed April 1st, 1873, for the preservation of oysters, and to obtain revenue for the privilege of taking them within the waters of the Commonwealth. Referred to committee on finance. By Mr. Scruggs: A bill to extend the time for the collection of taxes and county and township levies throughout the Commonwealth. Referred to committee on finance. By Mr. A. J. Clark: Resolved, That the committee on privileges and elections, when appointed, be instructed to inquire into the expediency of reporting a bill for the registration of the voters of this Commonwealth. On motion of Mr. Taylor, the house adjourned until to-morrow at 12 o'clock P. M. 4 |