Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1842-06-13
From the N. Y. American.
FACTS RESPECTING THE RHODE
ISLAND CONTROVERSY

~ the emu mat all may understand what the
quarrel really is which has threatened bloodshed
aud anarchy in one of the Old Thirteen, we lay
heloie our readers this brief exposition, copied
from the statement submitted to the President of
The u ;. on behalf OF the constituted authorities
of Rhode Island
That the people OF Rhode Island have no
fundamental law except the charter of King
Charles the Second granted in 1863 and the u
sage OF The Legislature under il. Legislative IL
sage under their charters has been decided by the
Supreme Court of the U. s. to be The fnndamen-
tai law, both in Conn, and r. I.
| That, from the date of the Rhode Island char
ter down to the year 1871, period OF nearly two
hundred yenrs, no person has been allowed to
for town or State officers unless possessed of com
petent Estates and admitted free in the several
towns in which they resided.
Tint, since the statute of 1923 no person could
he admitted freeman of any town unless he own
ed freehold estate Of the value fixed by law,
(now Sl34) or was the eldest son OF such free
holder.
That, until the past year. 10 attempt has been
made, 10 our knowledge, to establish any other
fundamental law, by force, than the one under
which the people have lived for SO long period.
Tint, at the January session of This Legislature
IN ls4l, petition signed by five six hundred
mnle inlahitants, praying for such extension Of
suffrage rs the Legislature might, in their wisdom,
deem expedicnt 10 propose, was presented.
That, influenced by that petition, as we'll as by
oller considerations, The Legislature at that
slon, requested The qualified voters ireenen, rs
they are called with us, 10 choose delegates ut
their regular Town meetings TO he holden in No
velnber, lo4l, TO frame written constitution.
That tue result OF the last meeting OF this legal
Convention, in February, 1912 was the Conslilu-
ton accompanying this statement, which, in
OF lis Adoption by the people, would have been
the supreme law of the State.
Most Of the above facts ure contained in the
printed report of numerous committee of the
Legislature nj their session in March, 1912, which
report was adopted Ivy the Legislature.
That, in May, l64l, after said legal convention
had been provided for by the Legislature and be-
fore the time appointed for The choice of dele
gates by The qualified voters, august, lS4l,) a
mass meeting was held by the friends of an ex.
tension of suffrage ut Newport, at which meeting
committee was appointed to he called the Stale
ConmltIee, who were authorized by said mass
meeting To take measures for calling a Gonven.
uon for framing Constitution.
That this Committee, thus authorized issued
request tor u meeting of the mule citizens in the
several towns TO appoint delegates to the proposed
! Convention.
That meetings, OF unqualified voters principally,
(as we heleve,) were accordingly holden in the
several towns, unauthorized by law, and contrary
to the invarlabe custom and usage OF the STATE
rom 1868 down to that period. That the nggre-
gate voters appointing the delegates 10 that con-
venIIon was according TO their own estimate, a.
bout 1850; whereas, the whole number OF male
citizens, over twenty years OF age, after ma
king deduction for foreigners puupers, &c, was,
also, according TO their own estimate, over 22OOO.
That this convention, thus constituted conven-
ed IN Providence, in October, lS4l, and the con.
sttul0B called the Peoples Constitution" was
the result of their deliberations.
! That al subsequent meetings Of portions Of the
people, December, le4l, by The authority of this
Convention alone elected as delegates have been,
! by about ne.lhrd of the voters. according 10
their standard OF quulihcaton) all males
twenty one years OF age were admitted 10 vote for
the adoption of the peoples constitution. That
these meetings were not under presiding officers
whose legal duly or legal right was TO nterpose
any check or restraint as 10 age, residence, prop
erly or color.
| BY the fourteenth article of their constitution
it was provided that, This constitution shall be
submitted To The people, for their adoption or re-
jecIion, on Monday The 9Th Of December next,
aud ON the two succeeding days" "And
| every person entitled 10 vote as aforesaid, who
from sickness or other causes, mny 90 unable TO
attend and vote in the town, or ward meetings as
sembled Tor voting upon SAID constitution, on the
days aoi esad, Is requested to write down his
name oh "A ticket, and TO obtain The signature upon
the back Of the same Of person who has given
in his vote, as witness there 10. And the mod
ernor or clerk of any town or ward meeting, con
vened for the purpose aforesaid, shall receive such
vote on either of the three next succeeding the
three days before named for voting for said coll
s.iiulon."
During the first three days, about nine thousand
votes were received from The hands of the voters
in the open town meetings. by The privilege
granted to every and all the friends of the consl-
lullon, of bringing into town meetings The names
of voters during the three following days, five
thousand votes more were Obtained, making an
aggregate OF about fourteen thousand votes.
This constitution thus originating aud thus for
| s1aA H. a hu
ton 10 be the supreme law Of the land. BY its
provisions, Government is 10 he organized un
der il, by the choice of Governor, Lieut.. Gov
ernor, Senators aud Representatives on the Mon
day preceding the third Wednesday in April,
1912
By The provisions Of the "landholders" con-
stituon, as the legal constitution is called, every
white mule citizen, possessing the freehold quail
hcation, and over twenty one years oil age, may
vote upon residence oil one year, ana without
any freehold, may voie upon residence OF TWO
years, except in the OF votes Tor Town taxes,
in which case, the voter must possess the freehold
qualification, or be taxed for other properly TO the
value of $3.50.
By the Peoples Constitution" "every white
male citizen of the United States of the age of
twenty one years, who has resided in the State
for one year, and in the town where he votes for
six months" shall be permitted 10 vote with the
same exceptions as 10 voting for town taxes is
contained in the other constitution.
The provision therefore, in relation TO the great
subject in dispute, the elective franchise, is sub
sIantally the same in the two constitutions.
On the 2lst, ped and a3d March last the legal
constitution, by an act OF the Legislature, was
submitted to all persons who, by its provisions,
would be entitled to vote under il, after it's adop
tiUn, for their ratification. Ii was rejected by
a majority of 676 the number of votes polled be-
ing over 10000. 1t is believed that many free
holders voted against, because they were attached
TO the old form Of Government, aud were against