Chap. 68.—JOINT RESOLUTION proposing an amendment to section
117 of article 8 of the Constitution of Virginia, and providing for
publishing said amendment and certifying the same to the next general
assembly. (S. 1.)

Resolved by the senate and house of delegates (a majority of
the members elected to each house agreeing thereto), That the
following amendment to the Constitution of Virginia be, and the
same is hereby proposed and referred to the general assembly to
be chosen at the next general election of senators and members
of the house of delegates, for its concurrence, in conformity to
the provisions of section one hundred and ninety-six of article
fifteen of said Constitution, namely:

Strike out from the Constitution of Virginia section one
hundfed and seventeen, which is in words and figures following,
to-wit :

Sec. 117. General laws for the organization and govern-
ment of cities and towns shall be enacted by the general assem-
bly, and no special act shall be passed in relation thereto, except
in the manner provided in article four of this Constitution, and
then only by a recorded vote of two-thirds of the members elect-
ed to each house; and except also in the case of cities having
more than fifty thousand inhabitants, as hereinafter provided.
But each of the cities and towns of the State having at the time
of the adoption of this amendment a municipal charter may re-
tain the same, except so far as it shall be repealed or amended
by the general assembly; provided, that every such charter is
hereby amended so as to conform to all the provisions, restric-
tions, limitations and powers set forth in this article or other-
wise provided in this Constitution.

Notwithstanding, however, anything in this article contained
the general assembly may, by general law or by special act
(passed as prescribed in article four of this Constitution), de-
part in any respect (except as otherwise in this section expressly
provided) from the form of organization and government pre-
scribed by this article for cities and towns, and may provide,
from time to time, for the various cities and towns of the Com-
monwealth such form or forms of municipal government as the
general assembly may deem best ; but no form or forms of gov-
ernment authorized by the second paragraph of this section shall
become operative except as to such cities or towns as may there-
after adopt the same by a majority vote of its qualified electors
at an election to be held as may be prescribed therefor by law.
All the limitations on the powers of the council of cities and
towns imposed by this article shall apply in like manner to the
principal legislative authority under any form of government
which may be authorized hereunder. The term “council” as used
in section one hundred and twenty-five and one hundred and
twenty-seven of this Constitution shall be construed to include
the body which, under any form of municipal government, shall
atin with the principal legislative authority of such munici-
paiity.

The, general assembly, for the purpose of this article, may
classify cities according to their population, but the maximum
population prescribed for any class shall exceed the minimum
population for the same class by at least ten thousand. The gen-
eral assembly, at the request, made in manner which may be pre-
scribed by law, of any city having a population of over fifty
thousand inhabitants, may grant a special form of government
for such cities.

Any law or charters enacted pursuant to the provisions of
this section shall be subject to the provisions of this Constitu-
tion relating expressly to judges and clerks of courts, attorneys
for the Commonwealth, commissioners of revenue, city treasur-
ers and city sergeants.

And insert in lieu thereof the following: |

See. 117. General laws for the organization and government
of cities and towns shall be enacted by the general assembly,
and no special act shall be passed in relation thereto, except in
the manner provided in article four of this Constitution, and
then only by a recorded vote of two-thirds of the members
elected to each house. But each of the cities and towns of the
State having at the time of the adoption of this amendment a
municipal charter may retain the same, except so far as it shall
be repealed or amended by the general assembly; provided, that
every such charter is herebv amended so as to conform to all
the provisions, restrictions, limitations and powers set forth in
this article, or otherwise provided in this Constitution.

Notwithstanding, however, anything in this article con-
tained, the general assembly may, at any time, by general law
or bv snecial act (such special act to be passed as prescribed in
article four of this Constitution), depart in any manner (except
as otherwise in this section expressly provided), from the form
or forms of organization and government prescribed or per-
mitted by this article for cities and towns, and may provide and
authorize, from time to time, for the various cities and towns
of the Commonwealth such form or forms of municipal govern-
ment as it may deem proper and suitable; and may submit to the
electors of such cities and towns the choice of several forms of
government; and the fact of having voted unon one form of
government, whether the same be adopted or not, shall not pre-
clude nor prevent such electors from voting upon such other
form or forms of government, from time to time, as they may
desire, in such manner and under such conditions as may be pre-
scribed by the general assembly; but no form or forms of gov-
ernment which shall change (or which shall afterwards re-
adopt, in the event of such change), any of the provisions of
this article requiring the division of cities into wards, the elec-
tion of councilmen thereof by wards, the council of cities to be
composed of two branches and the election of mayors of cities
by the people, shall become operative except as to such cities as
may thereafter adopt the same by a majority vote of its electors
voting thereon at an election to be held as may be prescribed by
law. All the limitations on the powers of the councils of cities
and towns imposed by this article shall apply in like manner
to the principal legislative authority under any form of govern-
ment which may be autnorized hereunder. The term “council”
as used in this article shall be construed to include the body
which, under any form of municipal government, shall be vested
with the principal legislative authority of such municipality.

Any laws or charters enacted pursuant to the provisions of
this section shall be subject to the provisions of this Constitu-
tion relating expressly to judges and clerks of courts, attorneys
for the Commonwealth, commissioners of the revenue, city
treasurers and city sergeants.

Resolved, That the clerk of the house of delegates be author-
ized and required to cause this proposed amendment and these
resolutions to be published for three months previous to the time
of the next general election of the members of the house of
delegates.

Resolved, That the clerk of the house of delegates be re-
quired to transmit to the general assembly at its first regular
session held after the general election of members of the house
of delegates of said proposed amendment and these resolutions,
together with the certificate of publication by the publisher of
newspapers in which the said amendment shall have been pub-
lished.