or special elections held in any city, town or village in this State for the election of city, town or village officers, or other municipal purposes, and to hold such offices." The bill was referred to the Committee on Cities and Towns and never reported to the Senate. House bill 540 and Senate bill 280 are apparently identical as they bear the same title. The second of the two Senate bills, No. 367, was introduced by Senator Louis W. Vail. It bears the same title as the two preceding bills. It was referred to the Judiciary Committee and never reported back to the Senate.

427. Governor Matthews' Attitude toward a Constitutional Convention (January 9, 1893).

Governor Matthews was a firm believer in the adequacy of the legislative method of amending the Constitution. In his inaugural address, delivered on January 9, he opposed the calling of a constitutional convention because of the expense and the confusion and litigation which would ensue.

[House Journal, Fifty-eighth Session, 54.]

These blessings of good government flow largely from our admirable State Constitution, and wise system of laws made in conformity therewith.

This Constitution-and no State has a better one- -was framed by a body of eminent statesmen, and was approved by the almost unanimous vote of the people. The experience of over forty years has proven its beneficent character and wisdom, and it wisely provides a plain and intelligent way for amending it, when amendments are necessary, and thus avoid the great expense of a convention, the confusion, and long litigation which always follows the adjustment of the laws of a State to a new Constitution.

Our courts have from time to time passed upon such points as needed construing, and we now have a general code of laws, conceded in the main to be in harmony with the Constitution, and at least equal to the system of government and laws of any other State. In my judgment, if changes are desirable in the Constitution, it would be best to make them in the manner the people have themselves provided in that instrument itself, which we have all sworn to support. But radical changes in either the Constitution or laws of a State should not be made without the maturest deliberation and the gravest consideration.

428.

Status of Pending Amendments-Authorized Inquiry (January 11, 1893).

On January 11, the House adopted a resolution providing for the appointment of a committee to ascertain the status of the pending constitutional

amendments and on January 13, the Speaker appointed Messrs. Hugh D. McMullen, Joseph F. Suchanek, Allen Swope, Gates Sexton and Arthur C. Lindemuth.

[House Journal, Fifty-eighth Session, 125.]

House resolution No. 15.

Resolved, That a committee of five be appointed by the Speaker, to which shall be referred the amendments to the Constitution proposed and agreed to by the 57th General Assembly, and by the 57th General Assembly referred to this the 58th General Assembly, and that the said committee be and is hereby instructed to report to the House such recommendations as the committee shall deem right and proper in the premises, to the end that the said amendments may be at the earliest possible moment brought before the House for action thereon.

429. Report of Committee on Pending Amendments (February 13, 1893).

The committee submitted its report on February 13. They were of the opinion that four amendments had been adopted by the 57th General Assembly and submitted to the 58th General Assembly for its consideration, and these amendments were submitted to the House for adoption or rejection.

[House Journal, Fifty-eighth Session, 648.]

Your committee appointed to examine and report to the House the status of the constitutional amendments proposed to and adopted by the Fifty-seventh General Assembly, and to make such recommendations to the House as might seem to your committee right and proper in the premises, beg leave to submit to the House the following report:

We find upon examination that the Fifty-seventh General Assembly of the State of Indiana agreed to the following proposed amendments to the Constitution, viz.:

House joint resolution No. 7, filed in the office of the Secretary of State March 10, 1891; 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 only such 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; also

House joint resolution No. 8, filed in the Office of the Secretary of State, March 10, 1891,

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 is here now 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; also,

House joint resolution No. 9, filed in the office of the Secretary of State, March 10, 1891:

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 office 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

of the State to be voted on, it shall be designated as amendment No. 3, and

House joint resolution No. 10, filed in the office of the Secretary of State, March 10, 1891.

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 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.

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

And we find that the same were, by the Fifty-seventh General Assembly, referred to the Fifty-eighth General Assembly; and we find that the said proposed constitutional amendments were so agreed to and referred by joint resolution, duly entered upon the Journals of the House and Senate respectively, together with the yeas and nays of the vote taken on the adoption of the said joint resolutions severally, and we therefore report to this House for its adoption or rejection, the following preambles and resolutions. H. D. MCMULLEN, A. C. LINDEMUTH, GATES SEXTON, JOSEPH F. SUCHANEK, ALLEN SWOPE.

430. Taxation of Corporate Earnings (February 13, 1893).

Immediately after the submission of the foregoing report, the resolutions were taken up separately for consideration. The joint resolution proposing an amendment authorizing the General Assembly to tax the net or gross earnings of corporations, was adopted by the House by a vote of 87-1. On February 14, the resolution was reported to the Senate and referred to the Committee on Revision of the Constitution. On February 22, the committee made a favorable report. On February 23, the Senate rejected the amendment by a vote of 16-30.

[House Journal, Fifty-eighth Session, 651.]

House joint resolution No. 5, being the same as Joint resolution No. 7, of 1891:

WHEREAS, The Fifty-seventh General Assembly did, by a majority of all of its members elected to each of the two houses, agree to the following amendment to the Constitution of the State of Indiana, viz.:

House joint resolution No. 7, filed in the office of the Secretary of State March 10, 1891.

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 is here now 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 only such 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; and,

WHEREAS, The said amendment was entered upon the Journals of the House and Senate, respectively, together with the yea and nay vote thereon; and,

WHEREAS, Said Fifty-seventh General Assembly referred said amendment to this, the Fifty-eighth General Assembly, chosen at the next following general election after the aforesaid adoption and reference; and,

WHEREAS, In the judgment of your committee, the said amendment should be adopted; therefore, be it

Resolved by the House, the Senate concurring, That the said amendment be and the same is hereby agreed to.

H. D. MCMULLEN,

A. C. LINDEMUTII,

GATES SEXTON,

JOSEPH F. SUCHANEK,
ALLEN SWOPE.