Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1851-10-18
VIRGINIA ELECTIONS.

VIRGINIA ELECTIONS.
ON THURSDAY, THE 23d OF OCTOBER,
an election will be held of REPRESENTATIVES IN Con-
eREss for all the fifteen Congressional districts OF NH
ginia !: ofSrATE SENATORS for the Amsha, beGf0f6,
Spotsulpania, AIbemarle, Fduquier, AUGUSTA She
nandoah, and MonOngalia districts; and OF DELEGATES
for the cities counties and election districts according
TO the existing apportionment OF representation This
election will be held under the present Constitution
and Acts Of Assembly, aud those persons only will be
entitled to vote for Representatives Senators and De-
eoates who are qualified under the present Constitu-
lion The election will be limited 10 one day, unless
kept open Tor the special now allowed by law
ON THE SAME DAY, vote will be taken
throughout the State the question oil ratiiyng or re-
iecting the amended Constitution and Schedule, re
commended by the late Convention. The same DIN
csrs who conduct the elections of Representatives,
Senators and Delegates will keep the polls and record
the votes "or ratityng' and fo rsIectlng;' and will
keen them open THREE DAYS. Thsy are directed by
the Schedule to receive and record the votes "ot all
persons qualified under the existing amended Con-
stuton to exercise the right OF suffrage = and these
words wereintended by the Convention, and are con-
s.rued BY the Attorney General to include BOTH those
who are qualified to vote under the present Constitu-
ton. and those who would be qualified under the
amended Constitution of 1851 ii it had been already
ratified by the people. The following are the provs-
ions ofthis amended Constitution touching the "qua-
fication of voters"
ART. III.
Sec | Every white male citizen of the Common
wealth. of the age OF twenty years, VINO mas been
resident OF the State for TWO years, and OF the coun
tv CITY or town where he oil RS TO vote loi Twelve
months next preceding all election, and no other per-
son shall be qualified vote tor members oil the Gener
al Assembly and all officers elective by the people, but
no person in the military naval or marlre service OF
the United States shall be deemed resident OF this
State bv reason of being stationed therein And no
person shall have the right vote, who IS OF unsound
mind or pauper, or a non commissioner oflcer
soldier seaman or marine in the service OF the Unl-
ted States who has been convicted OF bribery In an
election, or OF any infamous offence
Sec In all elections votes shall be given openly
piva uoce and not by ballot. But dumb persons en-
titled to suffrage, may vote by ballot.
If a majority of the votes taken on the 23rd, 24th
and 18th of October be for the ratification of the
Constitution, and the Governor having proclaimed
The fact an election will be held, throughout the State
ON THE sTH OF DECEMBER NEXT, of GOV
ERNOR. LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR and AT
TORNEY GENERAL, and of members of the SEN
ATE and HOUSE OF DELEGATES. All persons qualified
according to the provisions of the new Constitution
aboyecitad and no others, will be entitled to vote in
his election; and it will vaeate the seats OF the men,
hers of the General Assembly elected in October,
In a statement similar to the above, published
for some days past by the Enquirer it is said, of
he election to be held on the 8th of December, that
"all persons qualified 10 vote on the question Of
the adoption of the amended Constitution will
have the right to vote, in the counties, cities, OF
towns in which they reside" This is clearly nor
accurate; for both these persons who are qualified
under the present Constitution, and those qualified
according to the new, will vote on the ques~
ton of ratification But some who are qualified
under the former, may not be qualified under the
latter.
For example, person now qualified by virtue
of having been possessed of freehold for six
months, may not have resided in the city, county,
or town where he offers to vote, for twelve months,
or in the State for two years.
Again, person who now has vote in a city,
county or town where he does not reside, WILL un-
der the new Constitution. lose that vote, and may
not for want of sufficiently long residence, have
acquired a vote where he does reside.
The removal of person from one county, city
or town to another, will disqualfy him to vote at
apv election within twelve months after the re-
moval. Such a removal of residence, between the
October and December elections will, of course,
mer, from voting at the latter.
A person residing in 'tuwn" will be entitled
to vote only in the town, although it be (like Win
chester merely one precinct of the county in
which it lies, and it would seem that, in such case
if person remove from the county into the town.
he WILL under the new Constitution, lose his vote
in the county, and not acquire one in the town
until after a residence of twelve months-and
ujce versa This last operation of the provisions of
the new Constitution was probably not foreseen
by the Convention Gnasmuch as it is an unneces-
sary and unreasonable restriction) but it appears
to US to be certain; for the words are in effect,
that the voter must have been "a resident of the
town where he offers to vote, for twelve months
next preceding the election" 1t may be said,
indeed, that a resident of the town is also resi-
dent of the county in which the town is situated
but the same is true of the resident of city, and
it will scarcely be held that person who shall
have resided in Richmond for six months can vote
in Henrco by reason Of previous residence there
The new Constitution distinguishes towns, as
clearly as does Giles, from counties. In the
of several counties included in enc election dis
trct it is clear that a removal from one to the
other, disqualifes from voting fora year.
We take pleasure in inserting the manly card
of Mr. Joseph Segar. The new constitution by
enlarging the election district in which he resides