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SUPPLEMENT THE ERA-LEADER. VOLUME 3 FRANKLINTON, LA., THURSDAY, AUGUST 29, 1912. GONSTITUTIONAL 'AMENDMENTS. ACT NO. 24. House Bill No. 61. By Mr. Edwards. JOINT RESOLUTION Providing an amendment to Section 5 of Article 197 of the Consti tution of the State of Louisiana; relative to registration of voters. Section 1. Be it resolved by the General Assembly of the State of Louisiana, two-thirds (2-3) of the members elected to each House con curring, that Section 5 of Article 197 of the Constitution of the State of Louisiana be so amended as to read as follows: Section 5. No male person who was on January 1st, 1867, or at any date prior thereto, entitled to vote under the Constitution or Statutes of any State of the United States, where in he then resided, and no son or grandson of any such person, not less than 21 years of age on the 1st day of May 1912, and no male person of foreign birth, who was naturalized prior to the 1st day of January, 1898, 1 .shall be denied the right to register and vote in this State by reason of i his failure to possess the educational I or property qualifications prescribed i by this Constitution, provided he shall have resided in this State for five years next preceding the date it which he shall apply for registra tion and shall have registered in ac cordance with the terms of this Ar ticle prior to September 1st, 1913, and 1 no person shall be entitled to regis ter under this Section after said date. Every person claiming the benefit t Sof this Section shall make application to the proper registration officer or hip deputy for registration, and he t shall make oath before such regis- s fration officer or his deputy in the * form following: b I am a citisen of the United States v and of this State, over the age of twenty-one years; I have resided in e this State for five years next preced- s ing this date. I was on the -- v day of entitled r " to, vote under the Constitution or Sta- ti tutes of the State of wherein I then resided, (or I am the ci son or grandson of - who was, on the --- day of-- p ------ entitled to vote under the e1 Constitutlon or Statutes of the State 11 L. of wherein of he then resided) and I desire to of " '.valh myself of the privileges confer red by Section 5 of Articles 197 of to the Constitution of this State. st • Certficntes of registration shall be re given to persons registering on dura- ar ble plspr, and consecutively marked pi . o.n the petmaneat, register. ' A sepa- of rate registration of voters applyaing o n.adler this Sectieon shall be, made by tbhe registration officer of every PNr- Si lsh, for this purpose the registration officer of every Parish shall keep * is office open daily, Sundays and le- Li : gal holidays excepted, until Augnst 31st, 1913, inolpive, from 8 o'clock A Al M. ,ntil 1 o'clock P. M. and from 2 o'clock P. M. alntil 6 o'clock P. M. 04 'the registration of voters under A this Section shall close on the 31st day of August, 1913, and immediately thereafter the registration officer of every "Pariph shall make a sworn coPjy in dbjilicste of the list of per soua registered under thsle Section, ' shodag, in detail, whether the ap-S plicaat resistered as a voter of 1867, or prior tto, or as a son of such voter or. -tne grandson of such vot- P er, and deposit one of said duplicates S in the offce of the Secretary of State, to be by him recorded and pre ,aerved, as a part of the peraanent Srcord a t ls office, and the other of amid duplicates shall be by him filed i .n the otlffice of the Clerk of the Dis trite Court of the Parish, and, la the Parish of OIeans in the office of the leoo of, Mortgages there to re smain permanent record: provided, , that, upon th. permanent register of i l persons registered under this See ,, ties,: t1, registration offle~r shali s ote. I. the top of column the age • i asdoolor of tie applesnt, sander su, the clre ofremrks all, distingul L. jiAhfys al ehatacteristls of the ap !ift, tnith- ashelght, sise, color of - the 1aiw um eyes, etc. el ·~,al se snames appear on o 1sst shall be admatt * ,ts or all the eleotions yqulifitloa ms tei persons who do not by personal ap- I plication claim exemption from the provisions of Section 3. and 4 of this Article before September 1st, 1913, shall be forever denied the right to do so. The names of the persons regis tering under and claiming the bene fits of this Section shall be entered in a well-bound book, to be provided by each Parish for that purpose, and shall be known as the permanent reg n ister. Immediately on closing the reg - istration under this Section, on Au gust 31, 1913, it shall be the duty of the registration officer or his depu ty in the different Parishes through out the State, to make a sworn state e ment, in writing, of the number of voters, both white and colored, with the number of each, who have regis f tered, and whose names appear on d said permanent register herein pro vided for, and such sworn statement 0 shall be published in the official jour nal or other newspaper published in e the Parish in the next issue appear fing after said date, the cost of the 'same to be paid by the Parish. Any r registration officer violating the pro s visions of this Section br failing to I comply with the provisions hereof, or f shall make a false or incorrect state. ment of the number of voters regis tered under this Section, shall be deemed guilty of a felony and on conviction thereof, shall be sentenced to imprisonment at hard labor for a term of not exceeding one year. The manner in which the names of persons whose names appear on said Sregistration list shall hereafter regis ter may be different from that requir ed of persons registered under other SSections of this Article, and shall be as now provided or hereafter pro vided by law; and the remedy and proceedings whereby, subsequently to the close of said registration, on Au gust 31st, 1913, the names of any per sons who may have obtained regis .tration under this Section by false statement of facts or other fraud shall be stricken from said roll, shall be as now provided or hereafter pro vided by law. Section 2. Be it further resalved, b etc., that this proposed amendmnent shall be submitted to the qualified a voters of this State for adoption or rejection at the Congressional elec- u -tion to be held in November, 1912. Section 3. Be it ,ur'ther resolved, e etc., that on the official ballots to be tl used at said election there shall be d printed the words: "For the propos ed amendment of Section 5 of Article ) 197 of the Constitution of the State ' of Louisiana, relative to registration w of voters" and the words: hi "Against the proposed amendment t1 to Section 5 of Article 197 of the Con- am stitution of the State of Louisiana, ti relative to registration of voters," tr and each elector shall indicate, as t3 provided by the general election laws el of this State, whether he votes for fi or against the proposed amendment. a L. E. THOMAS, i Speaker of the House of Represen- a tatives, .i THOMAS C. IARRET, 0 Lieutenant Governor and President ty of the Senate.a Approved: June 25th, 1912. s L. E. HALL, e: Governor of the State of Louisiana. W A true copy: ie ALVIN 8. HBEBRT, t Secretary of State. ta ACT NO. 132. Senate Bill No. 137. By .Mr. Beale. JOINT RESOLUTION Proposing an amendment to Article (281) two eighty-one of the Con stitution of the State of Louisiana relative to the Incurring of debt add issuing. bonds for work of public improvement, and to the validation, and' refunding of bonds lasued for such improvements, by municipal corporations, parishes and school, drainage, sewerage and other districts (the City of New Orleans excepted), and the assessment of special taxes and forced contributions to pay for same. SeItloa 1. Be it resolved by the General Assembly of the State of Louliana, twothirds (2-3) of all the members elected to each House, con eurring,.That Article two hundred and eighty-one (281 of the Constitution of the State of Loukisiana boo amend ed as to read as follows: " ARTICLE 281. Paragraph 1. Municipal corpora It , aarkhes sad school, drage, iu o g ditof 'I'., ~ Ali. New Orleans excepted, hereinafter re ferred to as subdivisions of the State, when authorized by a vote of a ma jority, in number and amount of the property taxpayers, qualified to vote under the Constitution and laws of this State, who vote at an election held for that purpose, after due no ti ce of said election has been pub lished for thirty days in the official 1 journal of the municipal corporation e or parish or where there is no offi cial journal, in a newspaper publish ed therein, may, through their respec- I tive governing authorities incur debt I and issue negotiable bonds therefor, I and each year while any bonds thus t issued are outstanding, the governing authorities of such subdivisions shall I impose and collect annually, in ex cess of all other taxes, a tax suffi- t cient to pay the interest, annually or semi-annually, and the principal fall- i ing due each year, or such amount t as may be required for any sinking t fund necessary to retire said bonds at f maturity; provided that such special I taxes, for all purposes as above set I forth shall not in any year exceed I ten mills on the dollar of assessed t valuation of the property in such i subdivisions. e No bonds shall be issued for any j other purpose than that stated in the f submission of the proposition to the p taxpayer, and published for thirty t (30) days as aforesaid, or for a great- c or amount than therein mentioned; I nor shall such bonds be issued for I any other purposes than the construct ing, improving and maintaining pub- s lic roads and highways, paving and f improving streets, roads and alleys, lI purchasing and constructing systems ft of waterworks, sewerage, drainage, t, navigation, lights, public parks and ii buildings, together with all necessa- ti ry equipments and furnishing, bridges 14 and other works of public improve- s ment, the title to which shall rest in t, the subdlvlsion creating the debt, as the case may be; nor shall such ti bonds run for a longer period than a forty (40) years from their date or ti bear a greater rate of interest than o five per centum (5) per atinum, or a be sold for less than par. The total a issue of bonds by any subdivision for n all purposes shall never exceed ten p per centum (10) of the assessed val- to uation of the property in such subdi- d visions. Municipal councils are grant- I1 ed the authority to create within b their limits one or more sewerage it districts. , Paragraph 2. Police juries In any parish or parishes may in accordance with law create drainage districts, which, in addition to the powers hereinabove granted, shall have fur ther power and authority to provide& and maintain drainage systems and the governing authorities of such dis tricts, when authorized by a majori ty in number and amount of the prop erty taxpayers of said district qualil fled to vote under the Constitution and laws, who vote at an election held for that purpose, may lmpoes and collect for a period not exceed ing fort.) years forced contributions or acreage taxes not exceeding fif ty cents per acre per year on every acre of land in the subdivision where such an election is held. The gov erning authority of such subdivision when authorized as set forth, may in cur debt and issue negotiable bonds to represent same, secured by the taxes above described provided that the total amount of debts thus incur red or bonds issued, shall never ex ceed in principal and interest the ag gregate amount to be raised by said annual contributions or acreage taxes during the period for which the same are imposed and that no such bonds shall be issued for any other purpose thanl that for which said contributions or acreage taxes were voted, run for a longer period than forty years, bear a greater rate of interest than five per centum per annum or be sold for less than par. Alt bond issues here tofore authorized by taxpayers in any subdivision at any election not con tested on any ground of fraud, are hereby recognized and validated. Paragraph 3. When the character of any land is such that it must be le veed and pumped in order to be drained and reclaimed, the Board of Drainage Commissioners of the Dis trict in which the land it situated, shall, upon the petition of not less than a majority in acreage of the property taxpayers, resident and non resident, in the area to be affected, ascertain the cost of drainage, and reclaiming said land and incur debt against said land for an amount auf ficient to drain 4 .reclaim it, and issue for such debt negotiable bonds rinning not longer than forty (40) years trpom their date sand bearin I·;~ * interest at a rate not exceeding five ', per centum per annum payable an I- nually or semi-annually, which bonds e shall not be sold for less than par; e and said Board of Drainage Commis 'f sioners shall levy annually upon said I land forced contributions or acreage taxes in an amount sufficient to maintain the drainage of said land, I to pay the interest, annually or I semi-annually, and the principal fall - ing due each year, or such amount as may be required for any sinking -fund provided for payment of said t bends at maturity, provided, that such forced contributions or acreage taxes, a for all purposes shall never exceed IThree Dollars and Fifty Cents ($3.50) 1 per acre per annum. Paragraph 4. The police juries of the various parishes throughout the r State, for the purpose of construct - ing highways and public buildings for t the parish, and the governing au tliorities of municipal corporations, t for the purpose of paving or improv I ing streets or alleys, and for all mu nicipal improvements, after making provision for the payment of all stat utory and ordinary charges, may fund I into bonds running for a period not exceeding ten (10) years, and bear ing interest at a rate not exceeding five (5) per centum per annum, which bonds shall not be sold for less than par, the avails of the residue " of the ten (10) mill tax authorized by Article 232 of the Constitution of Louisiana. Paragraph 5. Should any of the subdivisions of the State neglect or fail for any reason' to impose or cal lect the taxes provided for in the foregoing sections, any person in in terest may by summary proceedings in the district court having jurisdic tion, enforce the imposition or col lection of such taxes, or both, and such proceedings shall be filed and triable free to any cost to the litigant. Paragraph 6. Municipal corpora tions, parishes and school, drainage, subdrainage, road, subroad, naviga tion and sewerage districts (the City of New Orleans excepted,) herein after referred to as subdivisions, when authorized to do so in the man ner herein provided, may, for the purpose of readjusting, refunding, ex tending or unifying their bonded Ina debtedness, issue new bonds, cover ing any particular issue or Issues of bonds or the whole outstanding bond ing indebtedness incurred by such subdivision for the purposes speclfied in Paragraph 1 of this article or any issue of refund issue bonds or renew al or refunding bonds issued by such subdivision in novation or renewal and any bonds, heretofore or here after issued for the purposes speci fled in said Paragraph 1 of this Ar ticle. No bonds issued under this paragraph shall run for more than forty (40) years from their date, nor shall bear a greater rate of interest than five per centum per annum, payable semi-annually or annually and shall not be sold by such subdivision issuing the same for less than par. Any bonds issued under this Article, may be, either in whole or tn part, exchanged value for value for bonds issued, under Article 281, or to be is. sued under said Paragraph 1 ofthis Alcle.°b sold and' the proceeds thereof used for the purpose of pur chasing outstanding bonds. Before any bonds shall be issued under this paragraph the issuance thereof shall be authorized by a vote of a majori ty in number and amount of the prop- 1 erty taxpayers qualified to vote un der the Constitution and laws of this State who vote on the proposition at an election held for that purpose, at ter due notice of said election has been published, for thirty days in the official journal of the parishr or par- I ishes in which said subdivilons are located, or where there is no offi cial journal, ia any newspaper pub lished in such parish or parishes, provided, however, that the govern ing 'body of any such subdivision may in their discretion and without a vGte of the property taxpayers, is sue refunding or renewal bonds usn. der this paragraph, if the bonds to be refunded or renewed thereby have' been or shall be issued for any a of the purposes specified in said Par agraph 1 of this Article, or ha nlova tion or renewal of any bonds issed or to be issued for the said purposes I specified in Paragraph 1 of this Ar ticle, and such issue or issues so re funded or renewed have been or shall be authorized by a vote of al majority in number and amount of l the property taxpayers qualified , by e a vote under the Constitution and 'I laws of this State who voted or shall t vote on the proposition at an eleetlomI a held for' tht purpose. When the t - ,- i. 4 bonds of any outstanding issue shall have been obtained either by pur chase or exchange, the tax levy to pay for such bonds shall at once cease and such bonds be canceled. Each year while any refunding bonds issued under this paragraph are out standing, the governing authorities of such subdivision shall levy and col lect annually, in excess of all other taxes, a tar suffici~ent to pay the in terest, annually or semi-annually, and the principal falling due or such amount as may be required for a sinking fund for the payment of said bonds at maturity, provided that such special ad valorem tax for all pur poses shall not in any year exceed ten mills on the dollar of the assess ed valuation of the property in such subdivision. The governing body of any such subdivision shall have full power to adopt and pass all ordinances and resolutions necessary to carry the pro visions of this paragraph into effect. An election may be held under the provisions of this paragraph at the same times and places and by the same election officers as an election on the question of incurring debt and Issuing bonds under the provis ions at said Paragraph I of this Ar ticle. Where bonds of any subdivision have been heretofore issued for any of the purposes specified in Para graph 1 of this Article, and such ie sue has been authorized by the vote of a majority in number and amount of the property taxpayers qualified to vote under the Constitution and laws of this State who voted upon the proposition to issue such bonds at an election held for that purpose and where such bonds have been is sued and sold by such subdivision for not less than par value thereof, for said bonds or any refund issue ibonds or renewal or refunding bonds is sued in novatlon or renewal of bonds issued for said purposes. specified In Paragraph 1 of Article two hundred and eighty-one (281) are hereby vali dated, ratified and confirmed; provid ed that such bonds did not at the time of their issue exceed ten per centum of the assessed valuation of the property in such subdivision, and such bonds hereby ratified, approved and confirmed shall be deemed to be the valid and incontestible obligations of such subdivision and a tax for the payment of the principal and inter est thereof and to create a sinking fund for the redemption shall be le vied and collected in the manner and within the limits prescribed by said Paragraph 1 of this Article. This entire Article is to be considered a full grant of power to the subdivis ions of the State, as set forth there. in. Section 2. Be it further resolved, etc., That this proposed amendmea; shall be submitted to ,the qualified voters of this State for, adoption or rejection at the. Congressional elec tion to be held in November, 1912, and, if adopted, the same shall take effect immediately thereafter. Section 3. Be it further resolved, etc., that on the official ballots to be issued at said election there shall be placed the words "For the Proposed amendment to Article Two Hundred and Eighty-one of the Constitution of Louisiana," and the words "Agalast the proposed amendment to Article Two Hundred and Eightyone of the Constitution of Louisiana," and each elector shall indicate, as provided in the general election laws of the State, which of the propositions, "For" or "Against," he votes. L. E. THOMAS, Speaker, of the House of Represen tatives. THOMAS C. BARRET. Lieutenant Governor and President of the Senate. Approved July 9th, 1912. L. E. HALL, Governor of the State' of Loulliana. A true copy: ALVIN E. HEBERT, Secretary of State. ACT NO. 183. Senate Bill No. 1. By Mr..' eo. Wesley 8ilth. JOINT RISOLUTION Proposlag an amendment to,,Arttcls: 223 of the Constitutlon ofi the State of Louisiana. t' Section 1. Be it rely@s ie t General Assembly of the a4e Louislana, two-thirds of all elected to each House That sa amendment to the Cop . tion of the State of Loaislama be submitted to.the tquaiied eleetor. of the Slate . .tloi aoro a or 'ee. it W-1 I tion, as required by Article 321 of the ]Constitution, at the Congressional - election to be held on the first Tues ,day next following the first Monday .in November, 1912, amending and re s enacting Article 223 of the Constitu - tion of the State of Louisiana so as f to read as follows: ARTICLE 223. Section 1. Upon the recommenda tion of the Auditor of the Police Ju I ry of any parish, the Governor may suspend any officer charged with the collection or custody of public funds when in arrears. Section 2. Any officer of this State, or of any district, Judicial or other wise, and any officer of any parish or ward thereof, and any officer of any municipality or ward thereof (ex cept the judges of all of the courts of record of this State, the judges of the various city courts throughout the State, and the justices of the . peace) holding office by virtue of having been elected thereto by the legally qualified voters of this State, or of any district, judicial or other wise, or of any parish or ward there of, or of any municipality or ward thereof, shall be subject to recall from such office by the qualified vot ers of this State, or of any district, Judicial or otherwise, or of any par ish or ward thereof, or of any mu nicipality or ward thereof, at any election throughout the State, dis trict, judicial or otherwise, or of any parish or ward thereof, or of any municipality or ward' thereof, by a I majority of the legally qualified vot ers participating in such election. Such recall election shall be held when petitioned,. for by such a num ber of the legally qualified voters Sof the State, district, Judicial or oth erwise, or of any parish or ward thereof, or of any municipality or ward thereof, as will equal thirty per " cent of the total number of register I ed voters qualified to vote at the last I preceding general election for the of I fice the incumbent of hich is sought . to be recalled. Notice of inteanton " to eirculate such. pettlot together º with a statement of.the reAseos why Ahe' recall of such officers. i som t ehall be tgiven to such ofloesm hi - I such manner as may be provided by I law. The General Assembl shall by appropjtate legislation, prescribe s the form of petition, the manner at verification and ascertalnmeat that " the requisite number of legally qual tlifled voters has aliaed sae, sad Salso the manner and method of esIll Sina such election and the 'ro tions of the returns thereof. u ý . i ballot shall contain the specific s i tioe, "Shall (namalng the officer s`aid Sgiving his official title) be recalled,;' -and opposite the questloa: eall be two squares, in one of which shall be printed "Yes" and in the other shball be priated "No," and no balloet shall I be considered at such eleetiosn uless the voter shall have voted either "Yes" or "no" upon such questlm. ,No officer shall be subJect to recall ,euatil after he haa been in ofafce onem year, aad should his reca. be defest ed by the electors, thehe sh Mal t -t lagalin, durlig that terma of oflie, he subject to recall. At least three months, but not .more than five months, shall elapse /tom the time that the necessary amber o petI tioners has askled for the recall dece tlon before name shall be held. A sauccessor, for the remander of the . term, to the offleer seonght to be re called shall be elected at the same time the recall election is held, sad should the majority of the voters . participatlns in such election be in favor of the recall of sach olfler, then ibmedlately after the promulga-, tion of the retaers of such electiom, the successor so elected shall queil- '* fy. The Oeneral Assembly sall pro,.. vide by law bow eandidates to ie:.a i ceed the oficer sougrlt to be reasl . ed may have their names .placeds on ; the reeall ballot of the 8tate,( diastrlot, . Judiciakl or otberwise, parish.or 'w , thereof, or of any meaunsocll , Ogat -:. ward theof, by b petltlon signed by qualifid voters to the numnber oft not Ims s thirty per cem at o th total numaber of registered oters ' qdllfled to vote at the last peced*. nig gs.joeral eletion for the oflfle:,. thtleoumben t of which is I to.ha be recalled. A Votrvs imY egpcie '*'~ choice of thewprstut4 'oters bhal b I , i the eleih a 1 ' tIe yecsl ot~ iieg iQb rl'ca ,i~sd.1 Tb q cr j~ 45lj~.,i.ar ~~'.4,