814 



UNITED STATES OP AMERICA. (VIRGINIA.) 



prietor, empowered to take, jure aUui-ionus; and 

 that the water-line of James river, however much 

 it may shift, is the boundary of the property pur- 

 chased. 



Lawlessness. Lynchings of negroes occurred 

 at Leesburg and at New Glasgow, Amherst Coun- 

 ty, the victims being accused of the murder of 

 white men. Satisfactory evidence was not forth- 

 coming of the guilt of the man who was executed 

 at Leesburg. 



Political. The convention called to frame a 

 new Constitution for Virginia completed its 

 work, and on May 29 proclaimed it by a vote of 

 48 to 38, after it had voted down by decisive 

 majorities propositions to submit the work of 

 the convention to the present or full electorate 

 and to the new or restricted electorate. Accord- 

 ingly, Gov. Montague issued his proclamation on 

 June 29 to the people of Virginia to recognize 

 and support the new instrument, and also called 

 the Legislature in extra session on July 15 to 

 put the Constitution into effect. The following 

 are the most important sections : 



In controversies respecting property, and in 

 suits between man and man, trial by jury is pref- 

 erable; but the General Assembly may limit the 

 number of jurors for civil juries in circuit and 

 corporation courts to not less than 5 in cases now 

 cognizable by justices of the peace, or to not less 

 than 7 in cases not so cognizable. 



Every male citizen of the United States, twen- 

 ty-one years of age, who has been a resident of 

 the State two years, of the county, city, or town 

 one year, and of the precinct in which he offers 

 to vote, thirty days, next preceding the election 

 in which he offers to vote, has been registered, 

 and has paid his State poll-taxes, as hereinafter 

 required, shall be entitled to vote for members of 

 the General Assembly and all offices elective by 

 the people; but removal from one precinct to an- 

 other, in the same county, city, or town shall 

 not deprive any person of his right to vote in the 

 precinct from which he has moved, until the ex- 

 piration of thirty days after such removal. 



There shall be general registrations in the coun- 

 ties, cities, and towns of the State during the 

 years 1902 and 1903 at such time and in such 

 manner as may be prescribed by an ordinance of 

 this convention. At such registrations every 

 male citizen of the United States having the 

 qualifications of age and residence required in 

 section 18 shall be entitled to register, if he be 



1. A person who, prior to the adoption of the 

 Constitution, served in time of war in the army 

 or navy of the United States, of the Confederate 

 States, or of any State of the United States, or 

 of the Confederate States; or, 



2. A son of any such person; or, 



3. A person who has paid to the State for the 

 year next preceding that in which he offers to 

 register taxes aggregating at least one dollar on 

 property owned by and assessed against him; or 



4. A person able to read any section of this 

 Constitution submitted to him by the officers of 

 registration and to give a reasonable explanation 

 of the same; or, if unable to read such section, 

 able to understand and give a reasonable expla- 

 nation thereof when read to him by the officers. 



After the 1st day of January, 1904, every male 

 citizen of the United States having the qualifi- 

 cations of age and residence shall be entitled to 

 register, provided: 



1. That he has personally paid to the proper 

 officer all State poll-taxes assessed or assessable 

 against him under this or the former Constitution 

 for the three years next preceding that in which 

 he offers to register, or, if he come of age at 



such time that no poll-tax shall have been as- 

 sessable against him for the year preceding th& 

 year in which he offers to register, has paid 

 $1.50, in satisfaction of the first year's poll-tax 

 assessable against him; and, 



2. That, unless physically unable, he make ap- 

 plication to register in his own handwriting, 

 without aid, suggestion, or memorandum, in the 

 presence of the registration officers, stating there- 

 in his name, age, date, and place of birth, residence 

 and occupation at the time and for the two years 

 next preceding, and whether he has previously 

 voted, and, if so, the State, county, and precinct 

 in which he voted last. 



Any. person registered under either of the last 

 two sections shall have the right to vote for 

 members of the General Assembly and all officers 

 elective by the people, subject to the following 

 conditions : 



That he, unless exempted by section 22, shall, 

 as a prerequisite to the right to vote after the 

 1st day of January, 1904, personally pay, at 

 least six months prior to the election, all State 

 poll-taxes assessed or assessable against him, 

 under this Constitution, during the three years 

 next preceding that in which he offers to vote; 

 provided that, if he register after the 1st day 

 of January, 1904, he shall, unless physically un- 

 able, prepare and deposit his ballot without aid, 

 on such printed form as the law may prescribe; 

 but any voter registered prior to that date may 

 be aided in the preparation of his ballot by such 

 officer of election as he himself may designate. 



No person who, during the late war between 

 the States, served in the army or navy of the Uni- 

 ted States, or the Confederate States, or any State 

 of the United States, or of the Confederate States, 

 shall at any time be required to pay a poll-tax 

 as a prerequisite to the right to register or vote; 

 nor shall the collection of the State poll-tax 

 assessed against any one be enforced by legal 

 process until the same has become three years 

 past due. 



Sec. 23 enumerates the persons disqualified 

 for voting, such as obtain in most States with the 

 addition of persons who, while citizens of this 

 State, after the adoption of this Constitution, 

 have fought a duel with a deadly weapon, or sent 

 or accepted a challenge to fight such a duel, either 

 within or without this State, or knowingly con- 

 veyed a challenge, or aided or assisted in any way 

 in the fighting of such duel. 



All elections by the people shall be by ballot; 

 all elections by any representative body shall be 

 rira race, and the vote recorded in the journal 

 thereof. 



The General Assembly may prescribe a prop- 

 erty qualification not exceeding $250 as a pre- 

 requisite for voting for other than members of 

 the General Assembly. 



Every person qualified to vote shall be eligible 

 to hold any office of the State, or of any county. 

 city, town, or other subdivision of the State, ex- 

 cept as otherwise provided in this Constitution. 

 Men and women eighteen years of age shall be 

 eligible to hold the office of notary public. 



The legislative power of the State shall be 

 vested in a General Assembly. 



The Senate shall consist of not more than 40 

 and not less than 33 members, elected quad- 

 rennially on the Tuesday succeeding the first 

 Monday in November. 



The House of Delegates shall consist of not 

 more than 100 and not less than 90 members, 

 elected biennially. 



The members of the General Assembly shall re- 

 ceive for their services a salary to be fixed by 



