313. Judicial System of the State.

Joint resolution No. 6 passed the Senate by a vote of 46-2, and the House by a vote of 66-29.

[Laws, Fifty-first Session, 53.]

A joint resolution proposing amendment to Section 1 of Article 7 of the Constitution.

Resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives concurring, That the following amendment is proposed to the Constitution of the State of Indiana, to-wit: Amend Section 1 of Article 7 to read:

Section 1. The judicial power of the State shall be vested in a Supreme Court, circuit courts, and such other courts as the General Assembly may establish.

Resolved, That in the submission of this amendment to the electors of the State to be voted on, it shall be designated as Amendment No. 6.

Joint resolution No. 7 passed the Senate by a vote of 41-7, but was defeated in the House by a vote of 69-26.

[House Journal, Fifty-first Session, 284.]

Enrolled Senate joint resolution No. 7.

Resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives concurring, That the second section of the seventh article of the Constitution of the State of Indiana be amended to read as follows: Section 2. The Supreme Court shall consist of not less than five nor more than seven judges, a majority of whom shall form a quorum. They shall hold their offices for six years, if they shall so long behave well: Provided, That the judges elected at the first election after the taking effect of this amendment shall be divided by lot into three classes, as nearly as may be-the fraction being in the last class; and the seats of the first class shall be vacated at the expiration of two years, those of the second class at the expiration of four years, the third class at the expiration of six years, so that one-third thereof, as nearly as may be, shall be chosen every two years thereafter.

Resolved, That in submitting this amendment to the electors of the State to be voted on it shall be designated as Amendment No. 7.

315. Municipal Debt Limit.

Joint resolution No. 9 passed the Senate by a vote of 48-0 and the House by a vote of 81-11.

[Laws, Fifty-first Sessin, 54.]

Resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives concurring, That the Constitution of the State of Indiana be amended as follows:

1. Strike out all the sections of the thirteenth article, and in lieu thereof insert the following:

Section 1. No political or municipal corporation in this State shall ever become indebted, in any manner or for any purpose to an amount, in the aggregate, exceeding two per centum on the value of the taxable property within such corporation, to be ascertained by the last assessment for State and county taxes, previous to the incurring of such indebtedness; and all bonds or obligations. in excess of such amount, given by such corporations, shall be void: Provided, That in time of war, foreign invasion, or other great public calamity, on petition of a majority of the property owners in number and value, within the limits of such cororation, the public authorities, in their discretion, may incur obli¿ations necessary for the public protection and defense, to such amount as may be requested in such petition.

Resolved, That in submitting this amendment to the electors of the State to be voted on, it shall be designated as "Amendment No. 9."

316.

Duration of Regular Session of the General Assembly.

Joint resolution No. 10 passed the Senate by a vote of 44-5, but was rejected in the House by a vote of 23-70.

[House Journal, Fifty-first Session, 287.]

Senate joint resolution No. 10.

Resolved by the Senate the House of Representatives concurring, That the following amendment be and is hereby proposed to the

Constitution of the State of Indiana, to-wit: Amend Section 29 of Article 4 to read as follows:

The members of the General Assembly shall receive for their services a compensation to be fixed by law, but no increase of compensation shall take effect during the session at which such increase may be made. No session of the General Assembly shall extend beyond the term of one hundred and twenty-one days, nor any special session beyond the term of sixty days.

Resolved, That in submitting this amendment to the electors of the State to be voted on, it shall be designated as Amendment No. 10.

317.

Submission of Constitutional Amendments to Electors (March 10, 1879).

On February 17, some two weeks after the proposed constitutional amendments had been finally adopted by both houses, Mr. S. M. Taylor, a Republican, introduced a bill in the Senate to provide for the submission of the constitutional amendments to the people. The bill was referred to the Judiciary Committee, which on February 26, reported the bill back to the Senate with certain amendments. Either the original bill or the amendments thereto proposed by the committee provided that the election at which the proposed amendments should be submitted to the people should be held on the first Monday of April, 1880; Mr. Addison C. Harris proposed to change the date of this election to the second Tuesday in October, 1880, but the proposition was rejected. All of the amendments proposed by the committee were concurred in, the constitutional rule was suspended by a vote of 46-3, and the bill passed the Senate by a vote of 40-7. The bill was reported to the House on March 1, the rules were suspended by a vote of 65-23 and the bill was read a first time. On March 3, the bill was read a second time and referred to the Judiciary Committee. On March 6, the committee reported the bill back to the House with a few unimportant changes which were concurred in. The rules were suspended by a vote of 64-33 and the bill was put upon its final passage. An attempt to lay the bill on the table was lost by a vote of 23-67; a motion to strike out the enacting clause was rejected by a vote of 18-64; a motion to table a motion invoking the previous question was lost by a vote of 21-76; an attempt to adjourn was lost by a vote of 30-66; the vote on the question of putting the main question was sustained by a vote of 77-18; the House refused to reconsider the vote on the question of putting the main question by a vote of 16-72. The bill was then passed by a vote of 75-21.

[Laws, Fifty-first Session, 25.]

AN ACT providing for the submission to the electors of the State of Indiana for ratification the constitutional amendments proposed to and adopted by the General Assemblies of said State at the sessions of 1877 and 1879, prescribing certain duties of officers of election and others; providing penalties for violations thereof, and other provisions relating to the subject matter.

WHEREAS, The Senate of the General Assembly, in the year 1877, proposed the amendments to the Constitution herein set forth, and provided that in the submission thereof to the electors of the State to be voted on, they should be numbered as follows

(No. 1.)

Sec

Amend section 2 of Article 2 so as to read as follows: tion 2. In all elections, not otherwise provided for by this Constitution, every male citizen of the United States of the age of twenty-one years and upward, who shall have resided in the State during the six months, and in the township sixty days, and in the ward or precinct thirty days, immediately preceding such election, and every male of foreign birth of the age of twenty-one years and upwards who shall have resided in the United States one year, and shall have resided in this State during the six months, and in the township sixty days, and in the ward or precinct thirty days, immediately preceding such election, and shall have declared his intention to become a citizen of the United States, conformably to the laws of the United States on the subject of naturalization, shall be entitled to vote in the township or precinct where he may reside, if he shall have been duly registered according to law.

(No. 2.)

By striking out the words, "no negro or mulatto shall have the right of suffrage," contained in section 5 of the second article of the Constitution.

(No. 3.)

Amend section 14 of the second article to read: Section 14. All general elections shall be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November; but township elections may be held at such time as may be provided by law: Provided, That the General Assembly may provide by law for the election of all judges of courts of general and appellate jurisdiction, by an election to be held for such officers only, at which time no other officer shall be

voted for; and shall also provide for the registration of all persons entitled to vote.

(No. 4.)

Strike the word "white" from sections 4 and 5 of Article 4.

(No. 5.)

Amend the fourteenth clause of section 22 of article 4 to read as follows: In relation to fees or salaries, except that the laws may be so made as to grade the compensation of officers in proportion to the population and the necessary services required.

(No. 6.)

Amend section 1 of the 7th article to read: Section 1. The judicial power of the State shall be vested in a Supreme Court, circuit courts, and such other courts as the General Assembly may establish.

(No. 9.)

Strike out all the sections of the thirteenth article, and in lieu thereof insert the following: Section 1. No political or municipal corporation in this State, shall ever become indebted, in any manner or for any purpose, to an amount, in the aggregate, exceeding two per centum on the value of the taxable property within such corporation, to be ascertained by the last assessment, for State and county taxes, previous to the incurring of such indebtedness, and all bond or obligations, in excess of such amount, given by such corporations, shall be void: Provided, That in time of war, foreign invasion, or other great public calamity, on petition of a majority of the property owners, in number and value, within the limits of such corporation, the public authorities, in their discretion, may incur obligations necessary for the public protection and defense, to such amount as may be requested in such petition; and

WHEREAS, Each of the said proposed amendments was agreed to by a majority of the members elected to each of the two houses of the last General Assembly, and they were, with the yeas and nays thereon, entered on their journals, and referred to the present General Assembly; and

WHEREAS, In the present General Assembly, the said proposed amendments were agreed to by a majority of all the members elected to each house; therefore,

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of