Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1842-05-26
FACTS RESPECTING n RHODE ISLAND
rANppnyrpGN

wv AaiNh w olc OF the OWu lnitlttus We iaN ne |
fore our readers this brief exposition. copied from
The statement submitted to the President or the T.
nitod States on behalf OF the constituted authorities
of Rhode Island:
That the people Of Rhode Island have no funla.
mental law. except The charter of King Charles tho
Second. granted in 1863. aud the usage OF the lie.
g'slature under H.. Legislative usage under their
charters has been decided by the = iSreme Court of
the Usited States To be The fundamental law, both
In Connecticut and Rhode Island.
That from the date Of The Rhode Island charter
down To tho year 1871. n perioi of nearly two hum
dted years. no person has hcen allowed 10 vote for
town or State officers. unless possessed Of competent
estates. and admitted free in The several towns in
which they resided.
That. since Inc statute Of 1873. no person could
be admitted n freeman ofany t,wn unles, he owned
u freehold estate Of the value Fixed by law. (nov
one hundred and thirty four dullars.) or was the
eldest son Of such 4 freeholdcr.
That, until the past year, no aitomp, has been m ido
to our knowledge. Co establish any other fundtmen.
tai law. by force, than the one under which the peO-
pie have lived for So long a period. .
That, at the January session OfIhe Legis allure in
ISL. n petition. signed by five or sI hundred male
inhabitants. praying for such an extension ofsuHuge
as the Legislature might, in heir wisdom. deem. eI.
pedient 10 pnnp1se. was presented
That, influenced by that petition, n well ns by
other considerations. the legislature. at that Session.
requested the qualified voters. or frcemen. rs they
are called with rs. To choose delegates at their reg.
ulnr town meetings To be holden in August. 1871.
for n cunveniirn. 10 be holden in November, 1911.
60 frame n written constitution.
That the result of the last meeting Of This legal
ccnvento, la February. 1912. was the constitution
accompanying this statement; MARKED. which, in
case at its adoption by the people, would have been
the supreme law uf the Stale.
Most Of the Above facts are contained in the Prin.
ted report of n numerous committee of the Legisln.
ture. at their ses ION in Ma CHI. 1912. which report
was adopted by the Legislature.
That. ia May. 1871, after SAID legal convention
had boon provided FOR by the Legislature. and before
the time appointed Gr the choice Of delegates by the
qualified voters. IAugusi. lSill a mass meering was
held by the friends ui an extension of suffrage nj
Newport. nj which meeting a committee was az.
printed called the Stale Committee. who were an.
ihorized by SAID mss meeting 10 take measures for
railing 4 convention To frame a constitution.
That this committee thus authorized. issued a re-
quest fr a meeting Of the male citizens in The sew
eral towns To appoint delegates TO the proposed con-
veniion.
That meetings, Of unqualified voters principally.
las We belIeve.l were accordingly holleu Ia the Sc
veral ruwn.. unauthorized by law, and contrary Ia
the Invariahle rusium and usage uf The State frm
1868 down to that period. That tho aggregate vote
appnintIng the delcg ttes 10 that convenrIun was, nc
cordirg To their own estimate, about 1880; whereas
the whole number of male citizens. over Iwcniy-one
years 81 age. after making a deduction for foreigners.
pnupers. &r. was. also according To their own esii.
male, over 2S O0O.
That this convention. thus constituted, convened
IN Providence. in OcIuher. 1871. aud the cunsIilu
ti"n called The "penple's constitutions" was the result
OF their deliberations,
That, ni subsequent meetings OF portions Of The
Pc pile. ia Dec. 1911 10y the authority ofIhis conven-
ton alonrI elected. a It's delegates had been infurmed
by about one third of the voters, according to their
standard of qualiiiraIIonl all males over twenIy-one
years OF nge were Admitted 10 vote for The adoption
"f tho peoples constitution. That these IN. erincs
were not under presiding ollircrs whose legal duty
Or legal right Il was 10 ~inteTp1se any check or re-
straInt rs 10 age, residence. property or color.
BY The fourteenth article Of their constitution il
was provided, that THAT This constitution shall be
submitted In the people. for Iher adoption or rriec-
lion, rn Monday the 27ih of December next, and
on the two Succeeding days" . = Aud every
PersDn entitled 10 vote a. aforesaid, who. frnm sick.
ness or other causes may b" unable To attend and
vote in the town or ward meetings assembled for
vOIiug upon said constitution. on The DAYS aforesaid.
~ requested To write hs name on a ticket, and To-
obtain the signature npnn tho hack nG the same ola
person who has gwen IN his vote as wines here.
To. And The moderator or clerk Of any town or
warl meeting. convened Tor the purpose aE,resail.
shall receive such vote on either Of the three days
next succeeding the three days before named for yo-
ing for said constitution"
Daring the FIRST three days. about nine thus sand
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 constitution, of
bringing into their meetings the names Of voters du.
ring rhe three following days, five thousand votes
more were obtained, making on aggregate Of about
fourteen thousand votes.
The const iuuun, thus originating and thus formed
was subsequently declared by his convention 10 be
the supreme law OfIho land. By lis pruyisions. a Go.
vernment Is 10 he organized under u, nv the rhoics
of "A (.uyprupr Lent Euy.rp.r G.,ot,r. .nl D.
enthiiyes, on the MONDAY preceding the third We'll.
nesIay in April. 1912.
BY the Provisions of Inc "landholders' constitution
as the legal Constitution ~ called, every white male
native citizen. possessing tbs freehold qualification,
and over tweniy-One years of age, may ,oIe. upon n
residence OF enc yearilnd without any freehold. may
vote. upon a residence Of Two years. except IN the
case OF votes Tor Town iaXcf, ~ which case, the voter
must possess The freehold qualification or he taxed
for other property Of the value ofsl50.
BY the peoples constitution" every white male
citizen Of the United States ofrhe nee of fScnry-ope
years. who has resided IN the State for one wear and
IN the town where he votes for SIX months" shall he
permitted to vote, with The same exception as To vol.
ing for town taxes is contained in The other consIItu-
tim.
The provision, therefore. in relation 10 the great
subject ~ dispule'ihe elective franchise is substantial
ly the same 10 The two constitutions.
On Inc 2ls ,22d. and 23d. March last. The legal
constitution, by an net Of The legislature. was submit
TED 10 nj. the persons who,hy he provisions, would be
entitled 10 vote under IT, after IFS adoption. for their
ra'ihcalioh. 10 was rcjcctedb by a mnJpriiy Of G76. the
number Of votes pOllod being over I6 600. Il is be.
neved that many freehoders voted against iLbecau.e
ihey were attached 10 The cd form or government A. /
were against any new constitution whatever. Both
parties used uncommon exerions io bring oil tbcir
voters TO The polls; and The result Of The vote vns.u IN
ger TIE scrutiny oiopposing interests. in legal Town
mesunss' maj ne friends Of the peoples coniliiution
Drought TO the polls probably not over 1000 &c $500
votes The whole vote against the legal eOnstintips
was about $500. II we allow 1000 as The number
Of ir9eholders who voted against The legal const,tu.
hon, because they are oppossI oany constitution ~
would leave The number Of the friends oTtbe peoole's
constitution 1000. or one third If the voters of Tho
STATE under the new qualification proposed by either
constitution.
hseems incredible that there can be $4,000 friend.
~ me peoples constitution ~ The Stale. anim1fed as
lhey are by a most extraordinary and enthusiastic
feeling, and yet. upon this traIip the usp,I o., -