Elizabeth-Town gazette., 1819-09-28
STATE OF NEw.JERoEY.
An Act concerning the Constitution
of this State.

VI CftCS OthCCs
WHEREAS the meeting OF the Leslsid'
ture on the fourth Tuesday OF OCTOBER
annually, as prescribed in the consti'u-
ton OF this state, is attended win muc''
Inconvenience and expense to the peo-
| pie, in particular as it occasions TWO
siltings in order to fulfil in satisfactory
manner the duties OF the Legislative DE-
partment and as no method is pointed
out in the said constitution, whereby
| the citizens of this state may obtain
amendments thereof, it seems to be the
duty oil their representatives, where u
appears to them for the public good, to
propose any amendment, aud prescribe
the manner in which the sense Of the
people may lawfully be takea on the
same, and it so appearing to the Legis-
lature 10 this case-~THEREFoRE,
Sec. J.. BE 1T ENACTED By The
Ce.ac:! cad General Assembly Of this
State, and it is hereby enacted by the aa.
thority of the same, That it be proposed
laRd it is hereby proposed, TO the people oi
this state to amend the constitution there
Of, SO that the first meeting Of the members
of the Legislative Council and General
Assembly, after their annual election,
shall be on the first "Wednesday OF Jann-
ary in every year, instead of the fourth
Tuesday in October, aud that the first
meeting under said proposed amendment
be on the first Wednesday in Janu-
ary one thousand eight hundred and twen-
ty-one, and that all officers holding COM
missions under any Joint Meeting ap-
pointment, whose Office shall expire at
the session of the Legislature in October
preceding the annual meeting on the first
Wednesday of January one thousand eight
hundred and twenty-one, or preceding the
first Wednesday 10 January in any year
shall continue in their several
offices until the said annual meeting, and
then expire. And when any such officer
is salary officer, the Legislature may by
law enact rateable compensation.
Sec. 2. And be 1T enacted, That 10 or
der to obtain the sense of the people on
said proposed amendment, the several!
persons 10 this state qualified to vote for
Of the Legislative Council and
General Assembly in the several counties
Of this state, are hereby requested to ex-
press their opinion for or against the same,
by inserting on their respective tickets,
wherein is contained the names of mem
bers of Council and Assembly voted for,
at the next annual election the word
e amendment" or the words "no amend.
ment" as they may think fit, which words
may be printed or ln handwriting.
Sec. 3. And be ii enacted, That the
votes so given in regard to amendment or
no amendment as aforesaid, shall be re-
ceived and counted off by the officers Of
election in the several townships of this
state, aud returned to the clerks Of the
courts Of common pleas Of their respective
counties at the times and places, and in
manner as required by law in respect Of
members of Council and Assembly: And
the said clerks respectively shall make
one general list of the same with the mum,
Der of votes, for aud against, 10 proper
columns, and date and sign the same, and
make return of such list at the expense oI
the state, to the Governor or person ad
ministeriDg the government thereof, on
the fourth Tuesday in October next en-
suiag, at Trenton, which returns SC
made, the Governor or person administer.
ing the government as aforesaid, shall, il
the same week, lay before The Council
who shall cast up the same, and ascertain
whether two thirds of the votes be in ia.
YOUR of the proposed amendment, and
shall communicate the result without de.
lay to the House of Assembly and if il
shall appear that two thirds of the said
votes are 10 favour of said proposed a.
mendment, it shall thereupon be deemed
part Of the constitution of this state, and
the Governor or person administering the
government, shall by his proclamation
make known the same to the people.
Sec. A. And be 1t enacted, That the
Secretary of State shall cause copy Of
this act TO be published in all the public
newspapers printed in this state, for the
space Of three months preceding the
second Tuesday 10 October next, twice
in each month
Passed February 9, 1919.
A true copy,
JAMES LINN, Secretary