PENNSYLVANIA. 



Inquired ; ueh appointments to b nude for any dis- 

 trict iu city or county, upon petition ol five citi- 

 zens, lawful voters of such election district, setting 

 forth Uut such appointment is a reasonable precau- 

 tion to secure the purity nd fairness of elections ; 

 overseers shall be two in number for an election dis- 

 trict, shall b residents therein, and shall be persons 

 qualified to serve upon election boards, and in each 

 case members of different political parties ; when- 

 ever the members of an election board shall differ 

 in opinion, the overseers, If they shall be agreed there- 

 on, anal) decide the question of difference- ; in ap- 

 pointing overseers of election, all the law judges of 

 the proper court able to act at the time, shall concur 

 in the appointments made. 



On the subject of legislation the new con- 

 stitution makes numerous and highly impor- 

 tant provisions. The pernicious evil of special 

 Legislation is cut np by the roots in the follow- 

 ing section : 



The Legislature shall not pass any local or special 

 law. 



Authorising the creation, extension, or impairing 

 of liens. 



Regulating the affairs of counties, cities, town- 

 ships, wards, borough or school districts. 



Changing the names of persons or places. 



Changing the venue in civil or criminal cases. 



Authorising the laying out, opening, altering, or 

 maintaining roads, highways, streets, or alleys. 



Relating to ferries or bridges, or incorporating 

 ferriea or bridge companies, except for the erection 

 of bridges crossing streams which form boundaries 

 between this and any other State. 



Vacating roads, town-plats, streets, or alleys. 



Belating to cemeteries, graveyards, or public 

 ground* not of the State. 



Authorizing the adoption or legitimatizing of chil- 

 dren. 



Locating or changing county-seats, erecting new 

 counties, or changing county linen. 



Incorporating cities, towns, or villages, or changing 

 their charters. 



For the opening and conducting of elections, or 

 fixing or changing the place of voting. 



Granting divorces. 



Erecting new townships or boroughs, changing 

 township lines, borough limits, or school districts. 



Cresting offices, or prescribing the powers and 

 duties of officers in counties, oities, boroughs, town- 

 ships, election or school district*. 



Changing the law of descent or succession. 



Regulating the practice or jurisdiction of, or 

 changing the rules of evidence in any judicial pro- 

 ceeding or inquiry before courts, aldermen, or jus- 

 tices of the peace. 



Regulating the fees or extending the powers and 

 duties of aldermen, justices of the peace, magistrates, 

 or constables. 



Bdrulating the management if public schools, the 

 buU<llng or repairing of school-homes, and the rais- 

 in? of money for such purposes. 



Fixing the rate of interest. 



AflVriing the estates of minors or persons under 

 disability, except after due notion to all parties in 

 Interest, to be recited in the special enactment. 



Remitting linen, penalties, and forfeiture!", or re- 

 funding moneys legally paid Into the Treasury. 

 inir property from taxation. 



Befulallng labor, trade, mining, or manufacturing. 



Creating corporations, or amending, renewing, or 

 extending the charters thrr 



Granting to any corporation, association, or indi- 

 vidual, any special or exclusive privilege or immu- 

 siltv. 



Granting to any corporation, association, or indi- 

 vidual the exclusive right to lay down a railroad- 

 track. 



Nor shall the Legislature indirectly enact such 

 special or local law by the partial r< \ gen- 



eral law, but laws repealing local or special acts may 



i.,- 1 ::--. .'.. 



nor shall any low be passed granting any powers 

 or privileges in any cae where tin . : uch 



powers and privileges shall have 1 .. J lor 



eral law, and in no case where the courts 

 jurisdiction, or ore competent to grant the powers 

 or give the relief askec. 



Every bill shall be read at length on i 

 different day sin each House. .-Ml amendment* 

 shall be printed before the final vote is taken 

 on the bill, :md no bill shall become a law un- 

 less on its final passage the vote is takin l<y 

 yeas and nays, and unless a majority of the. 

 members elected to each House be recorded in 

 its favor. The same provision is made in re- 

 gard to amendments returned from one House 

 to the other for concurrence, and to reports of 

 committees of conference. 



The presiding officer of each House shall, in 

 in the presence of the House, sign all bills and 

 joint resolutions passed by the Legislature 

 after their titles have been publicly read im- 

 mediately before signing, the fact of signing to 

 be entered on the journal. 



The general appropriation bill shall embrace 

 nothing but appropriation* Tor the ordinary 

 expenses of government, interest on the public 

 debt, and for public schools. All other appro- 

 priations must be by separate bill, embracing 

 but one subject. 



No appropriation shall be made to any charitable 

 or educational institution not under the al 

 control of the Commonwealth, other thnn normal 

 schools established bv low for the profession n I ' 

 ing of teachers for the public schools of the State, 

 except by a vote of two-thirds of all the number* 

 elected to each House. 



SECTIOKIO. No appropriations (except for pensions 

 or gratuities for military services) shall be made for 

 charitable, educational or benevolent purposes, to any 

 person or community, nor to any denominational or 

 sectarian institution, corporation, or association. 



The Legislature is prohibited from rrc:itinir 

 special commissions to perform any municipal 

 functions whatever. 



No act of the Legislature shall limit the 

 amount to be recovertd lor injuries resulting in 

 death, or for injuries to person or property. 



The investment of trust funds by executors 

 and guardians in the bonds and stocks of any 

 private corporation is prohibited. 



No obligation of any railrood held or owned 

 by the Commonwealth shall ever bo exchang- 

 ed, transferred, remitted, postponed, or in iiny 

 way diminished by the Legislature, nor shall 

 snch obligation bo released except on payim nt. 

 into the Treasury . 



A member of the Legislature who snail so- 

 licit or receive, or consent to receive from any 

 corporation, or person, any money, office, ap- 

 pnintineiit, employment, testimonial, reward, 

 thing of value or enjoyment, or of personal ad- 

 vantage or promise thereof for his vote or offi- 

 cial influence, or for withholding the same, shall 

 be held guilty of bribery within the meaning of 

 the constitution, and shall incur the penal- 



