The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1832-03-20

STATE OF RHODE ISLAND AND PROVIDENCE
PLANTATIONS.
IN General assembly, Jan. Session, a. ID. 1892.
AN ACT in addition to an act, entitled, Gan
actregulating the manner of admitting free
men, and directing the method Of electing
officers in this State.'
Sec. ]. Be it enacted by the General AS.
sembly, and by the authority thereof it is en-
acted, That whenever, at the annual general
election, it shall be found that no election of
Governor for the year then ensuing has been
made by majority ofthe freemen, voting for
general officers for such year, the House OF
Representatives shnll thereupon, as soon as
duly organised, order new election for the
choice Of a Governor, by the frcemen Of this
State in their respective town meetings, to be
holden on the same day throughout the state,
moi more than thirty, nor less than ten days
from and after the date of such an order
which town meeting shall be conducted, and
the voting therein shall be regulated, in man.
ner as is prescribed in the act to which this
act is in addition and the votes therein re-
I'ceived for Governor shall be sealed up and
delivered as in said oct prescribed, to SEN
ator or Representative Of the town in which
the same were received and sholl be by him
delivered to the Governor for the time being,
or in his absence, the Lieutenant Governor,
or presiding officer Of the Grand Committee,
in open assembly, on the second day Of the
then next session of the General Assembly
whether the same be holden by adjournment
or otherwise, at which session, the person
who shall be found to be elected Governor,
by a majority of the votes of the freemen so
voting, shall be engaged, and the proceedings
in relation thereto, and to the declaring the
election, shall be in all respects as now pro-
vided by law, in respect 10 annual election
and engagement ofth Governor on the first
Wednesday in May. But if no person shall
be found to be so elected, then the House of
Reprose natives shall again order new e.
lection, which shall be ordered and conducted
in all respects, and as to time and manner, as
herein before provided; and so on until a
Governor is elected, or until such proceeding
shall become necessary, by reason Of the pro-
vision OF law for the next annual election ;
and in every such case as in this section pro-
vided for, and in all cases the Governor ofthe
then past year shall continue under his former
engagement to be Governor, and to exercise
all the powers and perform and execute all
the functions or duties of Governor, until q.
mother shall be elected or engaged in his
place, and shall receive such proportion ofthe
salary as corresponds with tho time he shall
so serve. And if at any annual general elec-
ton, when it is found that no person has been
elected Governor as aforesaid, it shall be
found that the freemen have also failed to
elect any other general officer or officers by
a majority as aforesaid, in such case the or
der for new election, shall be for Governor
as aforesaid, and also Of persons to ill such
other offices for which there shall have been
no election as aforesaid; all which elections
shall be conducted in the same manner, hav.
ing regard 10 the nature ofthe Offices 30 to be
filed, as is herein before prescribed in re-
spect to the election Of q Governor.
Sec. 2. And be il further enacted, That
whenever, at any annual general election, II
shall be found that no Lieutenant Governor
for tho year then ensuing is elected by ma
jcrlty Of the freemen voting, and so long as
there shall be no Lieutensnt Governor elect
od, the senior Senator in rank who shall have
oeen duly elected and engaged, shall act as
Lleutenant Governor and in case Of the
death, resignation, absence from the State, or
inability ofthe Governor, such Senator shall,
during such last mentioned vacancy, absence,
OF inability ifthere be no Lieuten nj Governor
as aforesaid, perform and execute al the
functions and duties Of Governor. ,lII
Sec. 3. And be il further enacted. .Tha,
whenever, st any snnusl general election, !,