Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1843-06-17

ARTICLE VII
Hlds Of revising fhe Constitution.
Sac |. Whom experience eralI point rnt
the necessity Of amending this conetIfntl"n'
and a majority ot aIIf,ha members elected 10
each house ii the general assembly shall with
in the first twenty days Of their stated annual
session, concur in pafe'ng a law, specifying
The alterations Intended to be made, Tor taking
the sense If tho ruod people Of this state, az
to The necessity aud tHTndthrv nj caIllilI a
convention. ii shall he The duty 81 the several
returning officers, al The next general election
which eltall be held for representatives alter
the passage IF such law, tn rpnn a poll for, aud
luahc return to tie secretary for the time be
iiu. Of Tho trantes IF al thnse entitled to vote
for representatives. WIN have voted for calling
a convention: and if tterourul,. It shall appear
that a majority nj all the citizens OF this slate,
entitled to vote for representatives. have 70
tod for n convention. the general assembly
e'all direct that n similar poll shall We opened,
and taken for Tho next year and II '~hcrCir-
M, il shall nrrear that a majority nl the Cit
cons If this state entitled to vote for torrnsen-
]totiyps, have voted for q convention, the gen.
nraI assembly shall, al their next session. call
= convention to ronsis, oE as many members
"a there shall be in thc general assembly, and
no mote. to he lie chosen IN The SAME manner
and proportjor, at The game places and at the
same time, that representatives are, by cltl-
IONS entitled vote for representatives. anu to
meet within three months after The said cleo
| ton. for the purpose ut readnPtl''n. alnend'i'V
or changing this constitution. But Al II shall
hy the vote of either year, as aforesaid, that a
majority Of all the citizens entitled to vote Tor
representatives did moi vote for n convention,
= convention shall not be called.
From the above, it is evident that before The
Constitution can lie changed in any way, Ger.
tain lorSs must he complied with, the first o
which @sgrns, is. the passage nj a law by tho
IpuislatuIe 'eprrifving the alterations intend.
| ed to he made Here is tho law in fulfill.
ment Of that form
mo. i AN ACT
For taking tie sense Of the good people IF this
State as to The necessity and cNpcdicnry
of calling a Convention to amend tic
Constitution.
SrrrrrN |. Be il enGcfcd b. fhe Senate mo
| House IF Representatives If the Stdfe q Lou
| isidna IN General Assembly conro'tei, That
the sense OF the people of this State be takcl
at the next general election as to the neccs,
sitv and expodionty Of calling a convention tc
amend The constitution lv Incorporating IN II
the following principles and provisions.
lsi. That eighth section of the second ar
ticle Of the Constitution be amended SO as tt
fix and determine IN a more specific manner
the qualifications Of all persons exercising tho
right Of suffrage.
"a. That a more equal and Just system q
representation both in the Scna G aud House
If Representatives, he adopted so that eacl
Parish and every section ni the State may be
more equally represented in proportion witt
the respective population Of each.
I'd. That the Governor be elected by the
people alone, without the intervention OF The
| Legislature. whenever he shall have had al
absolute majority Of the whole vote given.
Ilh That the second and third sections o
article 4fh Of the Constitution be amended 81
as TO enable the Legislature, if they deem
proper, To enlarge the jurisdiction of the Su
prclne Court, by comforting on it a general su
nnrvisorv control over inferior courts. AM
making il a Court of Errors in civil and Grim
inal cases.
9Th. That the third section Of sajl atttrl,
ith Of the Constitution he amended SO as Il
authorize other places besides those mentiotc'
in said section for holding The sessions Of tn
Supreme Court.
9th That the preamble of the Constitution
be amended 50 as to include the Florida sec
ton Of the State in the formerly rFcscfibe'
limits Of the State OF Louisiana.
SEC. 2. Re IL further enacted, dc, That i
all Writs of elections issued by the Governor
and IN All notices or advertisements by Paris
Judges, and others officers for the next Gene
raj Election, il shall be announced and pro
claimed that the votes Of The people are to b.
taken TO the exredicncy of calling a Conven
ton TO amend the Constitution and ii shall
be the duty Of the Judges of elections and th'
Sheriff., or other officers attending them, 4
to make il known TO the voters at tho time o
voting.
SEc 3. Re IL further enacted, Dc. That q
the next general election, every voter shal
express in the vote he gives for Representa-
tive or other officers, his opinion for or agains
a Convention and it shall be the duty of tp
ridges Of elections and the several returnin.
officers at the said election, 10 open a poll iot
and make a return to the Secretary Of Stat,
for the time being, ut the names OF all tllos
entitled to a vote for Representative, who hay,
voted for calling a Convention, and of thosa
who voted against it, with The numher of vote
tor and against It and during the first wee.
of the ncAt succeeding session oI the Genera
Assembly, the number OF votes thus take
and returned, shall be received and conntc
by the President of the Senate, and Spoakc
Of the House of Representatives, in prescnc
of both Houses, assembled in Joint session
and tho result ot the votes as to calling a Cou
~vontion asccrtainod, proclaimed aud rocordo
IN tho journals Of both Houses, in tho sam
manner. as the vote for Governor.
Approved January 30th, lSil.
We consider it almost impossible that an
intelligent reader can honestly mistake II
intention Of The above article from the coust
tuition, explained as it is by the law which 70
lows il. Vet some have done so-or what
worse, hayc wjl(ully perverted it. 1t is clea
Iy the Intention OF this Article OF the ~constitl
ton, that IN voting Tor or ,agalnst The tonvcl
ton, people shall vote ia reference to Il
amendments proposed in this law--tor
against thcm-tor or against a convent,
! NhtSt SIt'idA buSiie@S Eltdil ht w piUItHl
{ and properly digest these propositions, s,
how far they may 20, where thcy need r
%stralnt, aud adapt them for, and incorpora
1 them into The body Of the constitution.
But the common, and only objection, v
l believe, to this doctrine is, that it cramps Il
sovereign people, and that sovereign Cam
be bound, or has liz law but his will. TT
objection, with the admission that the vic
we have taken of the constitution and law
correct, is very clearly and definitely setGor