INDIANA. 



395 



which an appropriation of $2,000,000 was 

 made. The work was placed in charge of a 

 Board of Commissioners consisting of the Gov- 

 ernor and four other persons to be appointed by 

 him, two from each of the "leading political par- 

 ties of the State." To meet the expense a special 

 levy of 1 cent on $100 for 1877 and 2 cents on 

 $100 for 1878 was provided in the act. Sever- 

 al changes, mostly of minor importance, were 

 made in the school laws. One of these provides 

 that the county superintendent, the township 

 trustees, and the presidents of the boards of 

 trustees in cities and towns, shall constitute 

 the county board of education. Another au- 

 thorizes the trustees of school corporations to 

 organize separate schools 

 for colored children, with 

 equal privileges and advan- 

 tages with those provided 

 for white children, but in 

 case no such separate school 

 is established, colored chil- 

 dren shall be admitted on 

 equal terms in the schools 

 for white children. Another 

 act made township trustees 

 ineligible for reelection after 

 serving for a term of two 

 years. The school commis- 

 sioners in cities of more than 

 80,000 inhabitants were au- 

 thorized to make temporary 

 loans in anticipation of the 

 revenue of the current year. 

 A bill providing for the 

 funding of the debt of cities 

 of more than 16,000 inhab- 

 itants prohibits an increase 

 of such debt hereafter be- 

 yond 2 per cent, upon the 

 tax duplicate of the current 

 year, except by temporary loans in anticipa- 

 tion of the revenue of each year. The limit 

 of taxation for general purposes in such cities 

 was fixed at 90 cents on $100 for general 

 purposes and 20 cents for school purposes. 

 It was further provided that no warrants 

 should be drawn upon the city Treasury when 

 there is no money on hand to meet them, and 

 no appropriation should be made unless the 

 money required therefor be in the Treasury at 

 the time. Among the other acts passed was 

 one requiring that the doors provided for in- 

 gress and egress of theatres, opera-houses, 

 public buildings, museums, churches, colleges, 

 seminaries, and school-buildings, shall be hung 

 so as to swing outward, and one prohibiting 

 the sale of intoxicating liquors on Sundays, hol- 

 idays, and election days. This Legislature con- 

 sisted of 24 Republicans, 25 Democrats, and 1 

 Independent in the Senate, and 54 Republicans 

 and 46 Democrats in the House, which gave 

 the Republicans a majority of 6 on a joint 

 ballot. 



An investigation of the condition of the pris- 

 aons was made during the session of the Legis- 



lature, but led to no definite action. The pris- 

 on at Jefferson ville was found to be indebted to 

 the extent of $118,525.41. The liabilities in- 

 curred by the existing administration for the 18 

 months preceding December 15, 1876, amount- 

 ed to $64,297.68, while the assets were $11,- 

 296.02. The grounds and buildings were found 

 in an unsatisfactory condition. The committee 

 which visited the northern penitentiary re- 

 ported the grounds and buildings in excellent 

 condition and the institution self-supporting. 

 Some criticism was made on the treatment of 

 prisoners, on account of severe punishment in 

 some cases, improper food, and a restriction of 

 the privileges of reading. 



STATE HOUSE, INDIANAPOLIS. 



Seven amendments to the Constitution of 

 the State were proposed by this Legislature, 

 but must he approved by that to be chosen in 

 1878 before they are submitted to the people 

 for ratification. They are as follows : 



1. Section 2. of article 2 amended so as to read 

 as follows : " Section 2. In all elections not other- 

 wise provided for by this Constitution, every mule 

 citizen of the United States of the age of twenty-one 

 yeara 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 

 upward, 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 pre- 

 ceding such election, and shall have declared his 

 intention to become a citizen of the United States, 

 conformably to the laws of the United Stntcs 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." 



2. That the Constitution of the State of Indiana 

 be amended as follows: "By strinking out the 

 words ' No negro or mulatto shall have the right of 

 suffrage,' contained in section 6 of the second arti- 

 cle of the Constitution." 



