The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1842-04-17
Statement.
SUBMITTED BY MEssns. WHIrrLx, FRAScIs, AND POTTER,
TO THE President OF THE UsITED srArss.

thS Opi " saNA W hitdSuiSo Us, III DuI
opinion, may tend to prevent domestic violence, beg
leave, most respectfully, to state the following, among
the leading facts, to which your attention is more partic.
ularly invited.
That the PEOPLE of Rhode Island have no fundamental
law except the Charter of King Charles the Second,
granted in 1868, and the usage of the Legislature un-
der it. Legislative usage under their charters has
been decided by the Supreme Court OF the United States
10 be the fundamental law, both in Connecticut and
Rhode Island.
Tha. from the date of the Rhode Island Charter down
to the year lsl, a period of nearly two hundred years
no person has been allowed to vote for town or State
officers unless possessed Of competent estates, and ad.
united free in the sever al towns in which they resided.
That since the statute of l72S, no person could be admit
ted a freeman Of any town unless he owned a freehold
estate Of the value fixed by law, (now one hundred and
holder.
Taa,, until the past year, n. attempt has beeu made, to
our knowledge, 10 estaoiish any other fundamental law
by force than the one under which the people have lived
for so long a period.
That, at the January session of the Legislature in Is4l,
q ptt ton. signed by five or six hundred male inhabitants
praying for such an extension Of suffrage as the Legisla-
ture might, in their wisdom deem ~expedient to propose,
That, inhuenced.b by that petition, as well as by other
considerations, the Legislature at that session, requested
the qualified voters, or freeman, as they are called with
US, to choose deleg ates at their regular town meetings to
be holden IN August, l6ll, for a Convention to be holden
in November. ls4l, TO frame a written constitution:
THAI the result Of the last meeting OF this legal Con-
vention, in February, ls43, was the Constitution accom-
panying this state ment, marked -, which, in case of
its ado stion by the people, would have been the supreme
Most of the above facts are contained in the printed re.
port Of the numerous committee Of the Legislature at
their session in March, lsi3, which report was adopted
by the Legislature.
That inMay lsai after said legal Cow ention had been
ppGvasd o 10y .he Leg,sis.nre, ana before me time ap'
pointed iorthe cnoice o u delegates by me quaiihed vo'
tiers, august, ls4i) a mass meeting was held by the
FRIENDS Oh an extension Oh suffrage at Newport, az which
Committee, who werssuthorized by said mass meetingt to
take measures for calling q Convention to frame q Con.
stitutlon.
That this Committee, thus authorized, issued a request
for a meeting Of the male citizens in the several towns,to
sPpV'n' aeieF ave " the PloPosea convention.
Ina, meetings, Oh uhqusiihed Voters principally, tas
we peheVe,J were acco!olhgiy, noiden In tne several
towns, unautnorised oy law, ana contrary to the invari'
sDie custom ana usage OF the stats from 1868 down to
that period That the aggregate votes appointing the
delegates 20 tnat Convention was, according to their own
estimate about 7aoo. whereas the whole number Of male
deduction for foreigners, paupers, &c. was, also accord
ing 10 Their own estimate, over 2a,ooo.
Providence in October, ls4l, end the Constitution called
the Peoples Constitution" ives the result Of their deli
berations.
That at subsequent meetings CT portions Of the people
in December ls4l, BY the authority of this Convention
alone, elected, as its delegates had been, by about one
third CT the voters, according to their standard of quail.
fcation( all males over twenty -one years OF age were
admitted to vote for the adoption of the Peoples Consti-
tuition. That these meetings were not under presiding
officers whose legal duty, or legal right 1t was TO inter
pose any check or restraint, as to age, residence, proper
ty or color.
By the fourteenth article OF their constitution it was
provided that"This constitution shall be submitted to
the people for their adopti.n or rejection, on Monday the
9th of December next and on the two succeeding days"
"And every person entitled to vote as aforesaid,
who from sickness or other causes, may be unable to al,
tend and vote III the town or ward meetings, assembled
for voting upon SAID constitution, upon the days afore'
said, is requested to write hi, name on q ticket, and to
obtain the signature upon the back Of the same, OF q
person who has given in his vote, as a witness thereto.
And the moderator or clerk OF any town or ward
m nM;sa .sc So v",e ON ei,h me 81 t tbr sh,ss SsS. snsn e
ceed,ng the three days before named LOT voting Tor said
Constitutisn.'
During the hrst three days about niae thousand votes
were received from the hands oil the voters IN the open
meetings. BY the privilege granted to every and ell the
friends Of the Constitution, Of bringing in to their meet
ings the names OF voters, during the three following days
five Thousand votes more were obtained, making an az
This Constitution, thus originating and thus formed,
was subsequently declared oy ms convention 70 De the
fupreme ia" Oh the isnd. ny hs provisions a govern
vernon, Lieut.. Governor, Senators and Representatives
on the MONDAY pfeseoins the 'hHd WEDNESDAY In Apih,
is42. =.
ny the p1ovlsions 81 .ne .LHndhoIders Constitntion
!. u ,;sa. Unssamm ~. 1890 maI ns'
over we ., vcsra Of ase' NAV vote mon a rssidsnce 81 o ~
year and without any freehold, may vote upon a resi-
taxes in which cas-. the voter must possessth the freehold
Sualidca,iop. or be taxed for other property Of the value
nf sI5O
Nv the "People,,, Constitution. aevsrv white mala
citizen Of the United states of the rye Of twen,y.one
yib esr town where ISs he votes for o six months = shall sraI bs sh ne IN
mited to vote, with the same exception as to voting for
town taxes as is contained in the other Constitution.
iect in dispute, the elective franchise, is substantially
The same in the two Constitutions.
,n ON the he 2 an a. sa Of ana ,Ss a sss MdsSn ,s' xa aas su iesal JV IN XII
the pei sons. who by its provisions would be entitled to
vote under it, after its adoption. for their ratification. 1t
polled being over 10000. II is believed that many free
holders voted against it because they were attached to
the old form of government, and were against any new
| Constitution whatever. Both parties used uncommon
exertions to bring all their votes to the polls, and the re-
suit Of the vote was, under the scrutiny OF opposing in.
terests, in legal town meetings, that the friends Of the
| Peoples Constitution brought to the polls probably not