Assembly to report what he had done to comply with the resolution of Mr. Beasley.

[Senate Journal, Fifty-seventh Session, 145.]

That the clerk of the House of the Fifty-sixth General Assembly be required to report, forthwith, to this Senate what, if anything, he did looking to the compliance with the resolution of the Hon. Representative Beasley on the last day of that session.

421. Taxation of Earnings of Corporations (March 10, 1891).

After the rejection of the nine pending amendments, the special committee reported four amendments which they had prepared, and which were adopted on March 9. The first of these amendments authorized the General Assembly to provide for the taxation of the net or gross earnings of corporations. The resolution was adopted by a vote of 75-0. The resolution was adopted by the Senate on March 9, by a vote of 41-1, and was filed in the office of the Secretary of State on March 10.

[Senate Journal, Fifty-seventh Session, 1250.]

The following is House joint resolution No. 7:

Be it resolved by the General Assembly of the State of Indiana, That the following proposed amendment to the Constitution of said State be, and the same here now is agreed to and referred to the General Assembly of said State, to be chosen at the next general election:

Amend Section 1 of Article 10 of said Constitution to read as follows:

The General Assembly shall provide by law for a uniform and equal rate of assessment and taxation, and shall prescribe such regulations as shall secure a just valuation for taxation of all property, both real and personal, excepting such only for municipal, educational, literary, scientific, religious, or charitable purposes as may be specially exempted by law: Provided, That corporations may be taxed upon their net or gross earnings in such manner as may be prescribed by law.

Resolved, That in submitting this amendment to the electors of the State to be voted on, it shall be designated as Amendment No. 2.

422. Term of County Officers (March 10, 1891).

The second of the four proposed amendments fixed the term of county officers at four years. It was adopted by the House by a vote of 75-0, and by the Senate, on March 9, by a vote of 41-1. It was filed in the office of the Secretary on March 10.

[House Journal, Fifty-seventh Session, 1474.]

House joint resolution No. 8:

Be it resolved by the General Assembly of the State of Indiana, That the following proposed amendment to the Constitution of said State be, and the same here now is agreed to and referred to the General Assembly of said State, to be chosen at the next general election: Amend Section 2 of Article 6, of said Constitution to read as follows:

There shall be elected in each county, by the voters thereof, at the time of holding general elections, a clerk of the circuit court, auditor, recorder, treasurer, sheriff, coroner, and surveyor, who shall severally hold their offices for four years, commencing on the first Monday in January after their election, and no person shall be eligible to hold any of said offices more than four years, or one term in any period of eight years. Provisions shall be made by law for filling vacancies in any of such offices.

Resolved, That in submitting this amendment to the electors of the State to be voted on, it shall be designated as Amendment No. 4.

423. Term of State Officers (March 10, 1891).

The third amendment fixed the term of State officers at four years. It passed the House by a vote of 75-0 and the Senate, on March 9, by a vote of 41-1, and was filed in the office of Secretary of State on March 10.

[Senate Journal, Fifty-seventh Session, 1252.]

The following is House joint resolution No. 9:

Be it resolved by the General Assembly of the State of Indiana, That the following proposed amendment to the Constitution of said State be, and the same here now is agreed to and referred to the General Assembly of said State, to be chosen at the next general election:

Amend Section 1 of Article 6 of said Constitution to read as follows:

There shall be elected by the voters of the State, a Secretary, an Auditor and a Treasurer of State, who shall severally hold their offices for four years. They shall perform such duties as may be enjoined by law, and no person shall be eligible to either of said offices more than four years in any period of eight years. Resolved, That in submitting this amendment to the electors

19-5055a

of the State to be voted on, it shall be designated as Amendment

No. 3.

424.

Duration of Regular Legislative Sessions (March 10, 1891).

The fourth resolution fixed the maximum duration of a legislative session at 100 days. This resolution was adopted by the House by a vote of 75-0. and by the Senate by a vote of 41-1, and was filed in the office of the Secretary of State on March 10.

[Senate Journal, Fifty-seventh Session, 1253.]

House joint resolution No. 10.

Be it resolved by the General Assembly of the State of Indiana, That the following proposed amendment to the Constitution of said State be, and the same hereby now is agreed to, and referred to the General Assembly of said State to be chosen at the next general election: Amend Section 29 of Article 4 of said Constitution 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 days, nor any special session beyond the term of forty days.

Second. Resolved, That in submitting this amendment to the electors of the State to be voted on it shall be designated as Amendment No. 1.

425. Membership of Supreme Court (January 12, 1891).

On January 12, Senator Thomas E. Boyd, a Republican, introduced the following resolution proposing to increase the membership of the Supreme Court to eleven judges. The resolution was referred to the Committee on Revision of the Constitution, but never reported back.

[Senate Journal, Fifty-seventh Session, 46.]

A resolution proposing an amendment to Section 2 of Article 7, of the Constitution of the State of Indiana.

Be it resolved by the General Assembly of the State of Indiana, That the following amendment to Section 2 of Article 7, of the Constitution of the State of Indiana, be and the same is hereby proposed and agreed to, to-wit: Amend said section by striking out the word "five" before the word "judges' therein, and by inserting in lieu of said word so stricken out the word "eleven."

Be it resolved, further, In submitting this amendment to the electors of the State to be voted on, it shall be designated as Amendment No. 1.

426. Woman Suffrage (February 9, 1891).

One resolution proposing to extend the right of suffrage to women was introduced. On February 18, the Senate adopted a resolution inviting Mrs. Helen Gougar to address the Senate "upon laws affecting the status of women in the State" on February 19. Accordingly, on February 19, Mrs. Gougar delivered an address "on prohibition, municipal suffrage, and other social and political reforms, making a strong appeal to the Senate for the enactment of laws on these subjects." In response to the address, the following resolution was presented by Senator Thomas E. Boyd. Senator Rufus Magee moved to strike out of the resolution the words "Democrat" and "Democratic" where they occur and insert the word "Republican." Both resolution and amendment were rejected.

[Senate Journal, Fifty-seventh Session, 602.]

WHEREAS, Mrs. Helen Gougar has done valiant service for the Democratic party during the last six or eight years, thus placing them under obligations to her for labor performed; and,

WHEREAS, The democratic party are the champions of a free and universal ballot, and in favor of the absolute prohibition of the liquor traffic in Indiana; therefore, be it

Resolved, That the President appoint a committee of five, all Democrats, to draft resolutions and bills covering all of the recommendations made in Mrs. Gougar's elegant address, and place them upon their passage at once, to the end that we may have statutory women suffrage in all the municipalities of Indiana, and absolute prohibition of the liquor traffic in this State.

Meantime on February 5, the House adopted a resolution setting apart February 19 as "women's day" and inviting Mrs. Helen M. Gougar and others to be present and address the House "in behalf of municipal suffrage for women." On February 9, Mr. Isaac W. Beauchamp, a Democrat, introduced a woman suffrage amendment which was referred to the Judiciary Committee. The resolution was indefinitely postponed.

[House Journal, Fifty-seventh Session, 599.]

Joint resolution No. 3 proposing an amendment to Section 2, Article 2, of the Constitution, as amended March 14, 1881.

Resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring, That the following amendment to the Constitution of the State.

of Indiana be, and the same is hereby, proposed and agreed to, to-wit: Amend Section 2 of Article 2 to read:

Sec. 2. In all elections not otherwise provided for by this Constitution, every 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 person of foreign birth, of the age of twentyone 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.

Resolved, That in submitting this amendment to the electors of the State to be voted on, it shall be designated as Amendment No. 1.

Resolved, That the joint resolution providing an amendment to Section 2, Article 2, of the Constitution, shall be submitted to the electors at the general election of eighteen hundred and ninety-four.

THE FIFTY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY (1893).

The 58th session was strongly Democratic. The Senate consisted of 35 Democrats and 15 Republicans, and the House of 63 Democrats and 37 Republicans. Very few constitutional measures were considered, and none were adopted. Four amendments were pending consideration, including House joint resolution No. 7, designated as Amendment No. 2, providing for the taxation of the net or gross earnings of corporations; House joint resolution No. 8, designated as Amendment No. 4, fixing the terms of county officers at four years; House joint resolution No. 9, designated as Amendment No. 3, fixing the terms of State officers at four years; and House joint resolution No. 10, designated as Amendment No. 1, fixing the maximum limit of a regular session of the General Assembly at 100 days. No constitutional amendments conferring the right of suffrage on women were introduced, but the subject was given consideration in a different way. One bill was introduced in the House and two in the Senate conferring on women the right to vote for statutory officers. The House bill No. 540, was introduced by Mr. Reuben Dailey on February 16, and referred to the Committee on Rights and Privileges, but was never reported back to the House. Of the Senate Bills, one, No. 280, was introduced by Senator James M. Seller, by request, on February 2, and was designed "to confer upon women the privilege to vote at all regular