The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1832-03-27

STATE OF RHoDE.IsLAND AND PRoviDENcE
PLANTATIONS.

AN ACT in addition to an act, entitled, Ah
act regulating the manner of admitting free
men. and directing the method Of electing
officers in this State"
Sec. i. Be il enacted by the General As
sembly. and BY the authority thereof 1t 10 en-.
acted That whenever, at the annual general
electiop, il shall be found that no election OF
Governor for the year then ensuing has been
made by a majority Of the freemen, voting Tor
general officers for such year, the House OF
Representatives shall thereupon, as soon as
duly organised, order new election for the
choice of Governor, by the freemen OF this
State in their respective town meetings, to be
holden on the same day throughout the state'
not 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 thereinre.
ceived for Governor shall be sealed up and
delivered as in said act prescribed, to Sen
ator or Representative of the town in which
the same were received and shall 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-
yided by law, in respect 10 annual election
and engagement of the Governor on the first
Wednesday in May. But if no person shall
be found to he 80 elected, then the House OF
Represe natives shall again order a new g.
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 OF the
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 a.
mother shall be elected or engaged in his
place, and shall receive such proportion of the
salary as corresponds with the time he shall
so serve. And il al any annual general cleo
ton, when it is found that no person has been
elected Governor as aforesaid, 1t shall be
found that the freemen have also failed to
elect any other general officer or officers by
n majority as aforesaid, in such case the or
der for new election, shall be for Governor
as aforesaid, and also Of persons to fill 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 to the nature ofthe Offices so to be
flied, as is herein before prescribed in re-
spect to the election of Governor.
Sec. 9. And be it further enacted, That
whenever, at any annual general election, 1t
shall be found that no Lieutenant Governor
for the year then ensuing is elected by ma
iority of tho freemen voting, and so long as
there shall be no Lieutenant Governor elect
ed, the senior Senator in rank who shall have
been duly elected and engaged. shall act as
Lieutenant Governor and in case OF the
death, resignation, absence from the State, or
inability of the Governor, such Senator shall,
during such last mentioned vacancy, absence,
or inability ifthere be no Lieutenant Governor
as aforesaid, perform and execute all the
functions and duties of Governor.
Sec. 3. And be il further enacted, That
whenever, at any annual general election, it
shall be found that not so many as six Sena.
tors, besides Governor or Lieutenant Gov
ernor, for the year then ensuing, have been
elected by q majority Of the freemen voting
for General Officers for such year, the House
of Representatives shall, thereupon, as soon
as duly organised, order new election, for
the purpose ofenabiing the freemen BY their
votes in their respective town-meetings, to
elect General Officers to fill all the Offices,
/whc,her of Senators or of other General Of.
ficers,J for which there shall have been no
election for such year, by the freemen as a.
foresaid; in which case the same proceed
jnrs, having regard, however, to the nature
Of the Offices to be filled, shall be had in all
respects, and as to times and manner, as are
provided in the first section thereof, in rela-
ton to a new election for the choice Of
Governor and in such case as in the section
above provided for, the General. Officers Of
the then past year, who have not been re-
elected, but in whose places no others have
been elected, shall in tho mean time continue
under their former engagements respectively,
to act in and perform all tho duties, and ex'
ercise all the powers and functions OF the re.
spective Offices which were filed by them re-
spectively, up to the said annual general 9.
lection, until others are duly elected and en-.
gagged in their places respectively; and shall
be entitled respectively to such compensation,
provided for their respective Offices, ss cor.
responds with the time they shall 30 serve !:
and in such cases, the Senate shall, until the
places of those who have not been re. elected
as aforesaid shall be filed as aforesaid, be
composed of those who are newly elected and
engaged, and those who have not been re.
elected as aforesaid, but in whose places no
others have been elected. But in all cases
in which il shall be found, at the annual gen.
eral election, that as many a. six Senators,
besides Governor and Lieutenant Governor,
have been elected by majority Of the free
men voting ss aforesaid, the two Houses in
Grand Committee may elect General OFF,