The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1830-03-31
cation, in order that it may become part of
the Constitution of this Commonwealth.
ARTICLE OF AMENpmENr.

wednesday OF January, instead OF the last We'd |
nesday In May; and the General Court shall
assemble every year on the said first Wednes- !
day of January and shall proceed at that session
10 make all the elections, and do all the other
Acts, which are by the Constitution required
! TO be made, and done, at the session which has
heretofore commenced ON the last Wednesday
OF May. And the General Court shall be dis
solved on the day next preceding the first We'd
nesday Of January, without any proclamation or
other Act OF the Governor But nothing here
In contained, shall prevent the General Court
from assembling at such other times, as they
shall Judge necessary, or when called together
by the Governor. The Governor, Lieutenant
Governor, and Counsellors shall also hold their
respective offices for one year next following
the first Wednesday of January and until others
are chosen and qualified in their stead
The meeting for the choice Of Governor,
Lieutenant Governor, Senators and Representa-
tlves, shall be held on the second Monday of
November, IN every year; but meetings may
De adjourned, if necessary, for the choice Of
Representatives, to the next day and again to
the next succeeding day, but no farther But
IN case second meeting shall be necessary for
the choice of Representatives. such meetings
shall be held on the fourth Monday of the same
month of November. All the other provisions
! OF the Constitution, respecting the elections
and proceedings of the Members of the General
Court, or OF any other officers or persons what
, ever, that have reference to the last Wednesday
OF May, as the commencement of the political
year, shall be so far altered as to have like ref
erence to the first Wednesday of January. This
article shall go into operation on the first day of
October next following the day when the same
shall be duly ratified and adopted as an amend
i ment OF the Constitution and the Governor,
g Lieutenant Governor, Counsellors Senator'S
r Representatives, and all other State officers,
who are annually chosen, and who shall be
$ chosen for the current year, when the same
shall go into operation, shall hold their respect-
) i've offices, until the first Wednesday of Janua-
ry, then next following, and until Others are
chosen and qualified in their stead, and no long,
er. And the first election os the Governor
a Lieutenant Governor, Senators and Represent
atives, to be had in virtue of this article, shall
s be had conformably thereunto, in the month of
n November following the day on which the same
shall be in force and 90 into operation pursuant
o to the foregoing provision.
o All the provisions of the existing Constitu
r ton, inconsistent with the provisions herein
# contained, are hereby wholly annulleG.
IN the House Of Representatives., Feb. 2, $780,
! The foregoing Resolution and Amendment
having been passed in this House, by a constitu-
e tional majority, twothirds of the members pres
ent and voting thereon, having voted in the affir
NATIVE, the same are accordingly sent to the
senate w. b. CALHOUN, Speaker.
i IN senate, Fec. H. 1880.
II The Resolution and Amendment aforesaid
!. having been agreed to, by a majority of the
- Senators present and voting thereon the same
: are accordingly referred to the General Court
next to be chosen, and ordered to be published
. SAEUEL LATHRoP, President.
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS.
In General Court, at the January Session
u thereof, A. d. 1880.
u Resolved by both Houses, the same being
agreed to by majority of the Senators, and
two-thirds OF the members of the House of Rep
resentatlves present and voting thereon, that it
! IS proper. and expedient to alter and amend the
. Constitution of this Commonwealth by adopt
ing the subloined article of Amendment; and
that the same as thus agreed TO, bo ontorod
the Journals OF the two Houses, with the Yeas
and Nays taken thereon, and referred to the
> General Court next TO be chosen, and that the
same be published, to the end, that if agreed to
by the General Court next to be chosen, in the
manner provided by the Constitutions it NAV
be submitted to the people for their ratification,
in order that it may become part of the Con-
stltution of this Commonwealth.
a ARTICLE OF AMENDMENT.
The members of the House of Representa-
E tlves shall be elected in the following manner:
Each City, Town, or District containing
+, twelve hundred inhabitants, may elect one
4 Representative, and two thousand four hundred
g inhabitants shall be the mean increasing num
. Der which shall entiIle any City, Town or Dis
trict to an additional Representative and the
number of inhabitants in each City, Town or
District shall always be ascertained and deter
e mined by the next preceding Census. taken mn.
!. der the authority of the United States, if no
! provision for that purpose be made by the Leg.
: lslature of this Commonwealth
In every case where any Town is now united
to any other Town or to a District, for the pur-
pose OF eiecting Representative, such Towns
or Districts so united, are and shah be consid.
cred, respectively, one Town, in all things re.
sPectlng the election of Representatives, as pro-
vided for in this article.
Every Town or District containing less than
I, twelve hundred inhabitants shall be entitled to
2 elect one Representative each, every other
year, and for this purpose the Legislature shall
divide all such Towns and Districts, within each
4 County in this Commonwealth, into two classes
!, as nearly equal as may be and determine the
time and manner that each class may elect their
> Representative, as herein provided. And any
contiguous Town and District, or any two con-
tiguous towns, neither of which would by the
provisions OF this article, be entitled to send one
representative every year, may unite and send
Representative every year, if they prefer so
to DO, in such manner as the Legislature shall
. provide.
And to prevent the House of Representatives
from becoming too numerous, the number of
Inhabitants, which shall entitle City, Town
or District 10 elect one Representative, and the
f mean increasing number which shall entitle it
to elect more than one, shall! be proportionally
increased, II found necessary in the year of our
/ Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty-two,
. and every tenth year afterwards, so that the
\ House of Representatives shall never consist of
moro than. three hundred and fifty Members,
who shall be paid for their travel and attend
ance, out of the public Treasury
3 Not less than seventy-ive members of the
/ House of Representatives, shall constitute a
quorum Tor doing business. And all the provis-
ions of the existing Constitution inconsistent
with the provisions herein contained, are here