Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1850-03-27
CONVENTIONAL REFORM BILL.

delegates to such convention.
Sec. l. Be it enacted by the General Assembly
of Maryland, That for the purpose of ascertaining
the of the people Of this State, to the expe-
diency of calling convention of delegates to be e.
lected by the people to frame new constitution
and form of government, except so far as regards
the. rights and relations existing between master
and slave now established and sanctioned by the
constitution and form of government of this State,
it is hereby recommended to the legal voters of this
state that on the second Wednesday i'm May next,
and at the places where county and city cleo
tions now held, that every person entitled to
vote in the election of delegates to the general
sembly, shall vote with reference to the question
ton proposed by this act, by expressing in writing
in printed form, the ballot he may cast, the
words ''For Conventon,' or the words against
"a Convention as the may be, and in case there
should be any ballots without the designation here
nbefore prescribed, the same shall not be counted
either for against convention, but separate re-
turn of the same shall be made by the judges of
election aforesaid, and it is also provided that
the sherfs of the several counties, of Howard Dis
tric, and of the city of Baltimore, shall give notice
of the day which under the provisions of this act,
the people recommended to ASSEMBLE to vote
for or against the said convention in the man
ner as notice is given of the election of dele
gates to the general assembly.
Sec. 2. And be it enacted, That it shall be the
duty of the several Judges of election Of this State
to receive; accurately count, and duly return the
number of ballots SO cast to the several clerks of
the county courts of this State as the are
required to be returned in the election fmenbers to
the House Of Delegates. and the several clerks
foresaid shall make return to the Governor with
in ten days after said election, the number of ballots
given for against the call of convention, and
the number of blank ballots cast in the same man
ner as they return the number of ballots for the
governor of this State, and the laws regulating
the returns for the said governor shall regulate,
Govern and anDlv TO the vote recommended IN
be taken by the provisions of this act, and Judge
or Judges of election failing to comply with the
provisions of this act, shall be liable to the same
penalties as he or they would be by the non-com-
pliance, with the existing election laws of this
State.
Sec. 3. And be it enacted That as soon as the
governor shall receive the returns Of the number
Of ballots cast in this State, for against
vention, and blank ballots cast it shall be the duty
of the governor, the chancellor of this State, and
the chief judge of the court of appeals, or maj
rity of them to proceed to count and cast up the
same, and if upon casting up the as made to
him by the judges of election as herenbefore pre-
scribed, it shall appear to the governor, chancellor
and chief Judge of tho court of appeals, MAORI
ty of the said officers that orty of legal voters
of the State in favor of call of convention,
the governor shall issue his proclamation ordering
an election to be held in the several counties and
city of Baltimore the first Wednesday of Sep
tember, eighteen hundred and fifty, for delegates to
the convention to form new constitution and form
Of government in such manner and under such re-
gnatons as are hereinafter provided Provided.
That if the chancellor and chief judge shall refuse
to act thentfesgoverRor shall alone proceed to dis
charge the duties specified in this sectien.
Sec. a. And be it enacted That at the election to
be held for delegates to the convention as prescrib
ed in the third section of this act, the legal voters
shall proceed, by ballot, to elect delegates the
convention, whose qualifications shall be the same
hos in thn Of
Delegates, and each county and city of Baltimore
shall be entitled to the number of delegates to
the convention, as they now have respectively in
both houses of the General Assembly of Maryland
and it is also provided that the sheriff of each con
ty of Howard District, and ofthe city of Baltimore,
shall give notice that the vote is to be taken as to
convention as hereinbefore provided for by pubca-
tion at least once week for three weeks before the
period fixed by the provisions of this act for holding
Of the same.
Sec. 5. And be it enacted, That the laws rela-
ting to the election of delegates TO the General AS
seubly, shall in all respects govern and apply to the
election of delegates to the said convention, and the
said convention shall determine on the validity of
the election and qualification of its members.
Sec. 6. And be it enacted, That the convention
assembling in accordance with the call ofthe people,
and this act of assembly, shall meet at the city of
Annapolis on the first Monday of November egh-
teen hundred and fifty and the said convention shall
ness for which they have been convened, shall be
fully completed and finished, and the compensation
of the delegates to the said convention shall be four
dollars day, and the mileage allowed by law
to members of The House of Delegates and the said
convention shall have power to appoint such clerks
and other officers, as may be deemed necessary to
facilitate the transaction of the business of the
vention, and to fix their compensation, and that the
Treasurer of the State of Maryland shall pay upon
the order of the President of said convention, to
each member thereof, the said sum of four dollars
per day, and the mileage now allowed by law to
members of the House of Delegates, as herein pro-
vded, and shall also pay to the said clerks other
officers, upon the order of the said President, such
compensation as thesaid convention shall determine
to allow.
Sec. 7. And be it enacted, That if any vacancy
vacancies occur by death, resignation, other
wise, in either Of the delegations kereinbefore pro-
vided for either before after the qualification of
said delegates the sheriff Of the county, Howard
district, or Baltimore city, in whose delegation such
vacancy or vacancies may occur, shall, upon infor
nation thereof by said delegation, or by the pres-
dent of said convention, by the governor of the
State, Immediately issue public notice for special
election be held at the usual places for holding
elections in said county, Howard district or Bat-
more city, in not less than five, nor more than ten
days after said notice. for the purpose of supplying
said vacancy vacancies.
Sec. s. And be it enacted, That the constitution
reported and adopted by the convention assembled
as aforesaid. shall the first Wednesday of June,
eighteen hundred and fifty one, be submitted to the
legal and qualified voters of the State, for their
doption or rejection, and the voters shall on their
ballots plainly designated express their assent
dissent TO the adoption of the constitution, submit
ted to them by the following words written or
printed on their ballots, to wit "For the new Con-
stution' or "A gainst the Constitution which
said ballots shall be counted by the judges of cleo
ton, and the number of ballots given for against
the adoption of the said constitution submitted to
the people by the convention shall be returned to
the governor of the State of Mary land by the clerk
aforesaid. within thirty days after the time of hold
ing the election, and in there shall he any bal
lots without the designation herein before prescrib-
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