Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1842-05-26

ed iOF the CnoiCc VI utie&dtcs W tHG 4uhi"
fled voters, august ls4l,) mass meet.
ing was held by The friends Of an extern
sion o( suffrage at Newport, at which
meeting q committee was appointed, cali.
cd the State Committee, who were au.
thorized by said mass meeting TO take
measures for calling a convention to
! frame n constitution.
That this committee, thus au,horized,
issued request for meeting of the male
| citizens in the several towns TO appoin.
delegates to the proposed convention.
That meetings, of unqualified voters
principally, (as we believe were accord.
inrly holden in the several towns, unau-
/ thorized by law, and contrary TO the in.
variable custom and usage OF the State
from 1868 down to that period. Tha,
the aggregate vote appointing The dele
gates 10 that convention was, according
to their own estimate, about 1900;
whereas the whole number OF male citizens
over tweniy-one years Of age, after max.
Ing deduction for foreigners, paupers,
&c., was, also according 10 their own es-
innate, over $4,000.
4 That this convention, thus constituted,
4 convened in Providence in October, ls4l /,
and The constitution called the "reople's
! constitution" was the r. suit oftheir dellb.
CREATIONS.
That, a, subsequent meetings Of por.
tons Of the people, in December, ls4l,
by the authority Of this convention alone,
elected as its delegates had been, by u
bout onethrd Of the voters, according to
their standard OF quali6caion,) all males
over twenty-one years Of age were ad.
miited 10 vote for the adoption Of the peo'
: PIES constitution. That these meetings
were not under presiding officers whose
legal duty or legal right it was to inter-
pose eny check or restraint as 10 age, re-
sidence, property, or color.
By the fourteenth article OF their con-
sttuiion il was provided, that ''lhis con-
s;tu,on shall be submitted to the people,
for their adoption or rejection, on Monday
the eth Of December next, and on 'Ae
succeeding days" "And every
person entitled to vote as aforesaid, who'
from sickness or other causes, may Be un'
ablo to attend and vote in tho town OF
ward meetings assembled to vote upon
said constitution, on the days aforesaid, Is
requested to write his name on ticket
and to obtain his signature upon the back
Of the same of a person who has given il
his vote as witness thereto. And tho
moderator or clerk Of any town or ward
meeting. convened for the purpose afore-
said, shall receive such vote on either OF
the three days next succeeding the three
days before named for voting for said
constitution"
During the first three days, about nine
i thousand votes were received from the
n hands OF the voters in the open town meet.
ngs. BY the privilege granted TO every
0 and all the friends Of the constitution, OF
, bringing their meetings the NAMES Of yo.
I ters, during the three following days, five
s thousand votes more were obiained-m
. ing an aggregate ofaboui fourteen thou
!, sand votes.
h This constitution, thus originating and
: thus formed, was subsequently, declared
/. by this convention TO be the supreme
law of tie land. By its provisions, a
Government is TO be organized under il,
a by the choice OF Governor, Lieutenant,
! Governor, Senators and Representatives
4 on the Monday preceding the third Wed.
/ nesday ID April, 1912.
By the provisions of The "landholders'
constitution Gs the legal constitution is
called, every white male native citizen,
, possessing the freehold qualification, and
over Iwenty-one years Of age, may vote,
upon a residence OF one year; and with
out any freehold, may vote upon resi-.
dence Of two years, except in the case Of
votes for town taxes, in which case the
voter must possess tho freehold qualihca.
ton, or be taxed for other property Of the
value Of $3.50.
By the "people's constitution" ''eyery
white male citizen Of the United States, Of
the age OF twenty. one years, who has re.
sided in this State for one year, in the town
where he votes for six months" shall DO
permitted 10 vote, with the same exception
as 10 voting for town taxes as is contained
IN the other constitution.
The provisions therefore, in relation 10
the great subject in dispute, the elective
franchise, is substantially the same 10
RI the two constitutions.
On the list, cad and 23d March last,
nv ga SohottNhopj Wy an uCt Oi Tue ic-
glslaturc, was submitted to all persons
who, by its provisions, would be entitled
to vote under it, after its adoption, for
their ratification. Ii was rejected by
majority OF GIG. the number OF votes poll.
ed being over 5000. Ii is believed that
many freeholders 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 vo.
ters to the polls; and the result of The
vote was, under the scrutiny of opposing
interests in legal town meetings, that the
TRENDS OF the Peoples constitution brought
to the polls probably not over 1000 10
1900 votes. The whole vote against the
legal constitution was about 5000.
If we allow I 900 as the number of free.
holders who voted against The legal con-
siituiion, because they are opposed to any
constitution, il would leave tho number oil
the friends Of tbs peoples constitution T..
600, or one-thrd of the voters of the State (
uoder the new qualification proposed BY
either constitution.
| In seems incredible TINT thera ean be