Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1834-05-01

first "Wednesday Of May IN each year
by the whole body Of the freemen Of the
company assembled at that place in per
son. This is the literal requirement o.
tho charter, and was made, we presume
in conformity to analogous customs in
England and Wales in the elections foI
counties and boroughs. The 4. Guilty
of convening the lreemen from the diff
ferent towns ofthe colony at the season
indicated, and the expense and incon-
venience attending their assemblage al
Newport for an uncertain length Of time
until an election could be effected, very
speedily suggested modification Of this
requirement. As early as October 26,
1864, a little more than one year after
the reception of the charter, after stating
the inconveniences attending personal
voting at Newport, the General Assem-
bly, ordained, that "voting by proxces
be enjoyed by all the freemen ofthis cob
lony, and that each freeman desiering to
vote by proxy shall subscribe their names
on the outside, and deliver his volts seal
cd up into the hands of a maj estrate in
the face Of IA towno netting lawfully cal
led, and notice given for that purpose
T. r. which sayd volts shall
be by such whome the General Assem-
bly, shall appoint, opened and delivered
forth as the respective choice ofthe sew.
eral volts shall requier; provided that
this order shall noe way prejudice or dis
corradge any who desier to be personal
ly present. ."-.anciem Records, p. 256.
This palpable departure from the orig
inal provisions of the charter, continued
to be the law Of Rhode-Island for near
ly century, viz until August, l76O,
when different arrangement was sub
stituted, but still more manifestly depart
ing from the literal requirements of that
instrument.
9. AS stated in our remarks immedi-l
ately following the passages ofthe char
ter above cited, the General Assembly
OF the colony was constituted into one
body, consisting of u governor, deputy
governor, and ten assistants, and 50 ma
ny deputies elected from the freemen Of
The several towns as are specifically sta
led in the second Of those quotations.
This single body was invested with all
he powers, legislative and judicial,
which the clauses ofthe charter enumer-
ate, and acted as a single body, deter
mining its acts by majority of voices
tor the three successive years, subse-
luent to its creation by charter. In
March 81, 1865, at the suggestion
IF the towns Of Portsmouth and War
wick, an act passed the General Assem-
,ly, "concerning deputies sitting apart"
After stating the Inconvenience of a
Iingle assembly, they enact and declare,
hat cit is freely agreed that the request
If the towns aforesaid be granted, and
'rdered that the magistrates" gov.
lep'y gov, and assistants) "sitt by them
elves, and the deputies by themselves;
md that each house soc sitting have G.
Iual power and priviledge in the propos-
ng, composing, and propogatting any
ct, order and law in General Assem-
ly, and that neither house in General
assembly shall have power without the
occurrence Of the majour part of the
Their house, to make any law or order
, be accounted as an acte of the Gener-
II Assembly. ."--.ancient Records, page
SO.
This law Of the Assembly of l666,-ll
nd not the charter, is the whole basis of
le present organization of the Legisla-
ire of Rhode-lsland, which consists, as
Q have before stated, as at present
onstituted, Of two branches-a Senate,
nd House of Representatives, each
med with a negative upon the other.
8. The act of Aug ust, 1850, is anoth-
and remarkable departure from the
!eral requirements of the charter Of I
ing Charles. BY the charter itself,
'e whole body Of treemen of the colony
ere to assemble, in person, at New.
'rt, and to elect, by a major vote of ?
le company, the governor, deputy 60
ernor, and assistants. The law Of Oc-
Der, 1864, relaxed this provision, and
Instituted mixed system of voting for
ese officers, partly in person, and part
by proxy. This continued to be in {
rec until the session of the General
ssembly in August, 1850, when law
as passed entitled "An act regulating
e general election" In the preamble
this act, it is set forth "that, it is l
und, by long experience, the freemen |
ling to Newport to put in their votes II
r general officers at the elections, is t.
'ry injurious to the interest and public p
cal OF the colony; and p
at all the ends Of voting may be as full L
attained by the lreemen's putting in Il
cir proxy votes at the town meeting in |
cir own towns, appointed by law for
at purpose, agreeable to the ancient a
d laudable custom of most Of the pru- Il
mt freemen. Therefore, "
"Be II enacted, That, for the future, p
ery freeman who ia disposed TO givc "