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after, except in case of change of residence, or temporary disfranchisement. Provision shall be made by the General Assembly for the annual purging of the registry lists by the removal of the names of voters who have died, removed from the county, or have been legally disfranchised, and for appeal to the courts from the decision of the registrars. After January 1, 1909, every person presenting himself for registration, shall be able to read and write any section of the Constitution of the United States in the English language, and shall make demonstration of such ability, on demand of any registrar. And persons so admitted to registry shall be placed on the permanent register, with the same rights as those originally registered.

The same resolution was introduced in the House on February 9 by Mr. Zach M. Scifres, a Democrat; reported unfavorably by the committee on February 16, and postponed indefinitely on February 20.

483. Tenure, Fees and Salaries of Public Officers (February 7, 1905).

Mr. William Morton, a Republican, introduced a resolution in the House on February 7, proposing an amendment to the Constitution whereby the General Assembly would be prohibited from extending or abridging the term of any officer then holding, or from increasing or diminishing his fees or salary. On February 9, the committee reported unfavorably, and on February 14 the resolution was indefinitely postponed.

[House Journal, Sixty-fourth Session, 1134.]

House joint resolution No. 3, to amend Section 2 of Article 15 of the Constitution of the State of Indiana.

Section 1. Be it resolved by the General Assembly of the State of Indiana, That the following proposed amendment to the Constitution of the State of Indiana be and the same is now hereby agreed to, and is referred to the General Assembly of said State to be chosen at the next general election following the adoption hereof: Amend Section 2 of Article 15 of the Constitution of the State of Indiana to read as follows:

Sec. 2. When the duration of any office is not provided for by this Constitution, it may be declared by law, and if not so declared such office shall be held during the pleasure of the authority making the appointment. But the General Assembly shall not create. any office, the tenure of which shall be longer than for four years. And the General Assembly shall not, in fixing the tenure of any office or the beginning or ending of the term of any office, either extend or shorten the term of any officer then holding or elected to hold any such office. Neither shall the General Assembly

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increase, decrease or change the salary or fees of any officer so as to increase, decrease or change the salary of any officer then holding or elected to hold any such office.

484.

Membership and Tenure of Judges (February 15, 1905).

An amendment designed to fix the number of Supreme judges at five and their tenure of office at twelve years, and the tenure of circuit judges at from six to twelve years, was introduced in the House on February 15 by Mr. Vincent G. Clifford, a Republican, and was indefinitely postponed on February 20.

[House Journal, Sixty-fourth Session, 1159.]

House joint resolution No. 6, entitled: A joint resolution to amend Sections 2 and 9 of Article 7 of the Constitution of the State of Indiana.

Section 1. Be it resolved by the General Assembly of the State of Indiana, That the following proposed amendments to Article 7 of the Constitution of the State of Indiana be and the same are now agreed to and referred to the General Assembly of the State of Indiana, to be chosen at the next general election: Amend Section 2 of Article 7 of the Constitution to read as follows:

Sec. 2. The Supreme Court shall consist of five judges, a majority of whom shall form a quorum; they shall hold their offices for twelve years, if they so long behave well.

Amend Section 9 of Article 7 of the Constitution to read as follows:

Sec. 9. The State from time to time shall be divided into judicial circuits and a judge or judges for each circuit shall be elected by the voters thereof; circuit judges shall reside within the circuit, and shall hold office for a term fixed by the General Assembly if they so long behave well. The terms of all judges excepting those of the Supreme Court shall be fixed by the General Assembly, and shall be not less than six years nor more than twelve years, provided that it shall not be within the power of the General Assembly to shorten a judicial term once fixed by law.

485. Referendum on Questions of Public Policy (February 15, 1905).

A bill of unusual interest, of a quasi-constitutional character, was presented in the Senate by Mr. L. Ertus Slack on February 15. This bill was designed to provide for the ascertaining of the opinion of the voters on questions of public policy. It was rejected on March 6 by a vote of 17-19.

[Senate Journal, Sixty-fourth Session, 1077.]

Senate bill No. 314. A bill for an act providing for an expression of opinion by electors on questions of public policy at any general or special election.

486.

Republican Platform of 1906-Approves Lawyers Amendment (April 11, 1906).

The Republican State Convention, assembled in Indianapolis on April 11, 1906, adopted the following resolution approving the pending lawyers amendment to the Constitution.

[Indianapolis Star, April 12, 1906.]

We favor the adoption of the amendment to the State Constitution to be submitted at the coming election, authorizing the legislature to regulate the qualifications for admission to the bar.

THE SIXTY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY (1907).

The Republicans continued their control of the 65th session of 1907. There were 37 Republicans and 13 Democrats in the Senate and 54 Republicans and 45 Democrats in the House. The lawyers amendment which had been submitted to the people at the November election of 1906 failed to obtain a majority of the votes cast at that election, and hence, according to the latest court decision, in the Denny case, had been rejected and no obstruction existed to the submission of the same or other amendments. Accordingly the lawyers amendment was re-adopted and submitted to the General Assembly of 1909 for consideration. Other amendments proposed and rejected, included constitutional changes designed to secure compulsory registration, and the production of a poll tax receipt before voting, to fix the number of judges of the Supreme Court, to extend the duration of a regular legislative session to 100 days, to require aliens to be fully naturalized before voting, and to prohibit the issuance of licenses to sell intoxicating liquors. The question of woman suffrage was given prominent consideration, although no constitutional amendments on that subject were proposed. A bill was introduced in each house prescribing the qualifications of women to hold office (H. B. No. 43, and S. B. No. 91). Both were indefinitely postponed. A bill was introduced in each house conferring on woment he right to vote at all municipal elections. (S. B. No. 285, and H. B. No. 575). The Senate bill failed of adoption by a vote of 24-22, and the House bill was on the second reading at the close of the session. Two other House bills on the same general subject were presented. H. B. No. 487 was designed to protect women citizens of the State in the exercise of suffrage, and H. B. No. 500 was intended to extend to women the right to vote for presidential electors. Both bills were reported favorably but were not advanced beyond engrossment. On February 6, there was a joint session of the two Houses to listen to an address by Helen M. Gougar on questions relating to woman suffrage, and on February 16 a petition was presented to the House praying the General Assembly "to submit to the electors of the State an amendment to the Constitution striking out the word 'male' as a qualification for suffrage."

487. Qualifications to Practice Law.

The lawyers amendment was introduced in the Senate on March 9 by Mr. Martin M. Hugg, a Republican, and passed under suspension of the rules

by a vote of 45-0. This resolution does not appear of record in the House and was superseded by Senate joint resolution No. 10. Senate joint resolution No. 9 as introduced in and passed by the Senate was as follows:

RESOLUTION AS ORIGINALLY INTRODUCED (MARCH 9, 1907).

[Senate Journal, Sixty-fifth Session, 2417.]

Senate joint resolution No. 9 to amend Section 21 of Article 7 of the Constitution of the State of Indiana.

Section 1. 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 now agreed to and referred to the General Assembly of said State to be chosen at the next general election.

Sec. 2. The General Assembly shall by law prescribe what qualifications shall be necessary for admission to practice law in all courts of justice.

RESOLUTION AS FINALLY ADOPTED (MARCH 11, 1907).

On March 11, Senator Hugg introduced the same resolution in a somewhat altered form. Under suspension of the rules, the resolution was adopted by a vote of 42-2. The resolution passed the House the same day by a vote of 52-22.

[House Journal, Sixty-fifth Session, 2390.]

Engrossed Senate joint resolution No. 10: Whereas, a joint resolution was adopted by the General Assembly of 1903 and 1905, which was in the word and figures, as follows: A joint resolution to amend Section 21 of Article 7 of the Constitution of the State of Indiana.

Section 1. Be it resolved by the General Assembly of the State of Indiana, That the following proposed amendments to the Constitution of said State be, and the same is now agreed to and referred to the electors of the State of Indiana at the next general election:

Sec. 21. The General Assembly shall, by law, prescribe what qualifications shall be necessary for admission to practice law in all courts of justice.

And whereas the amendment to the Constitution provided for by such joint resolution was submitted under said joint resolution to the voters of the State of Indiana at the general election in 1906, and although receiving more than three-fourths of the vote cast upon it, failed for want of a constitutional majority; be it

Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of Indiana, That the following proposed amendment to the Constitution of said

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State be, and the same is now agreed to and referred to the electors of the State of Indiana at the next general election:

Sec. 21. The General Assembly shall, by law, prescribe what qualifications shall be necessary for admission to practice law in all courts of justice.

And be it further resolved that the State Board of Election Commissioners be directed to print said amendment upon the official State ballots to be voted upon at the next general election, as provided by law.

488. Compulsory Registration and Poll Tax for Suffrage (January 11, 1907).

On January 11, Senator L. Ertus Slack introduced his resolution of the preceding session requiring all voters to register, to produce a poll tax receipt and to be able to read the English language. On February 6, the resolution failed to pass the Senate for want of a constitutional majority, the vote being 21-18. On February 7, Senator Slack called up the resolution again and it failed of passage a second time, the vote being 23-19.

[Senate Journal, Sixty-fifth Session, 135.]

Senate joint resolution No. 1, entitled: A joint resolution to amend Section 2 of Article 2 of the Constitution of the State of Indiana.

Section 1. 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 now agreed to and referred to the General Assembly of said State to be chosen at the next general election: Amend Section 2 Article 2 of said Constitution to read as follows:

Sec. 2. In all elections not otherwise provided for by this Constitution every male citizen of the United States of the age of twenty-one years 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 upwards, 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 preceding such election, and shall have declared his intention to become a citizen of the United States conformably to the laws of the United States 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, and shall have paid on or before the first Monday in

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