The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1851-11-01
Letter from Fort Deposit.
Correspondence Of The Cecil Whig.]
Peter on the .NcU Constitution.

satisfactorily explained the 1st article
of the Constitution in regard to the me-
cessary residence of voter. His views
coincide with my own. There are many,
however, who think differently, whose
opinions are calculated to have some
weight. | will endeavor to give my
views in regard to it, and if fail to con-
vince any one of their error, it will be
because Of my inability to make myself
understood, and not because my premises
are incorrect.
The first paragraph of the LIST section,
of the list article, of the constitution en-
pressly declares: ''that every free white
male person of twenty one years of age
and upwards, who shall have been one
year next preceding the election afesi-
dent Of the State, and for six months 4
resident Of the city of Baltimore or Ct
any county in which he may offer to
vote, and being at the time Of the cleo.
ton citizen OF the United States, shall
be entitled 10 vote in the word or cisc,
ZION district in which he resides, in all
elections hereafter to be held" This
IS plain and unequivocal, the true intent
and purport of which no man can mis-
understand. The voter is required to
be citizen Of the State one wear and Of
the county six months, and TO reside at
the time Of the election in The district
in which he offers to vote. 1t is the
general principle by which we are to
be governed; but the trainers of the new
constitution, intending provide against
the system of colonizing votes for the
purpose OF carrying a particular congress
slonal, senatorial or other electoral dis
trlct, have inserted a prov!so to meet
such cases, in the words folownr:
"And in case any county or city shall
be so divided as to form portions Of dit
ferent electoral districts for the election
OF congressman, senators, delegates or
other officer, then to eltitle a person to
vote for such officer, he must have been
resident of that part Of the county or
city which shall form part of the elec-
toraI district in which he offers TO vote,
for six months next preceding the cleo
tom" otherwise lie must return to the
district from which he removed.
The great difficulty, apprehena, IN
the minds Of many persons, consists in
this: they contound electoral district with
elelt'on district; we all know what an
election district is, and they are always
the same. An Electoral District is
different thing and changes its character
with the officer to be elected. For in
stance the EastoGn Shore constitutes all
electoral district for Judge OF the Court
of Appeals, and Commissioner Of Public
" orks; the counties of Baltimore, Har-
ford and Cecil is an electoral district for
Circuit Judge; the counties Of Hartford
Cecil, Kent, Queen AIMS and Caroline,
form an electoral district for Congress,
and under the old system each OF our
election districts would have been an
electoral district TO elect County Com
mlsslonerS, whereas, now, the whole
county constitutes the electoral district
to elect commissioners.
Now it ought to be apparent to every
one, that our county is not divided into
different electoral districts, but comprises
in some cases an electoral district Of it.
self, and a part of an electoral district
in other cases. But there might arise in
the course of time, necessity to divide
the county so as to form parts OF two or
three electoral districts; for instance: the
Legislature might pass an act requiring
the delegates to the Legislature 10 be
elected singly, in single electoral dis
trlcts; our county is entitled to three
members, the LIST, 2nd and Bird election
districts might form one electoral dis
trict, the III and 9th another and the
9Th and 7th third. Now the conyen-
ton, to provide against fraud and to pre-
vent persons from moving out Of an
electoral district that may be very de-
cded, into doubtful district, for the
purpose of controlling said electoral dis
trict, has met the case by inserting the
proviso | have mentioned, requiring
them TO vote in the election district from
which they removed.
Now it appears TO me there can be no
difficulty in the matter; if the conStltu-
ton required that voter must reside
8 months in an election district to emit
tie him to vote in that district, why does
it not SO declare it, but on the contrary
it declares he must reside in the county
six months and be resident of the dis
trlct in which he offers to vote. And
if those who differ with me will refer to
the proceedings of the convention, or
enquire of any of the members, they will
find that a proposition requiring per-
son to be a resident of an election dis
trict 80 days was voted down, as also
proposition for ten days and also for
five. This of itself should be conclu-
sive. The whole difficulty as before
said is in confounding Electoral Dis
tricts with Election Districts.
Is it surprising, Mr.. Editor, that some