Southern standard., 1851-03-08
Conyen tion Of the State OF Mississippi.
An Act to provide for Conueation Of the People of
Stdte of MississipDi

An Act TO provide for Conuntion of the People of The
State of Mississippi.
WHEREAS, The Legislature of the Congress of the
Cnted states controlled it was, at its last session.
dominant majority, regardless of the constitutional
rgnts of the slaveholding States and refectng the
VIII OF section whose population are hostile in feeI
lIgs ana opposed in principle to long established and
tcherlshed institution of the States of the South G
iorus alarming evidence of settled purpose on the
part OF SAID majority to destroy said institution ana
supvert the sovereign power of this and other save
hoaihg states: and whereas it is becoming and nron
er that sovereign State should PROMPTLY resort r. H.
most efficient means for the maiutainance of !, go
erelgnty and the preservation of its const,u,ionI
rights, as member of the confederacy when ass.iJ
by the exercise of the highest power recognised under
our Republican form of Government the exnrossI
VIII OF the sovereign people :-Threfore
SECTION l. BE 1t enacted bv the LeoiSlatyre of tLo.
otde O mississippi, That election for Delegates 10,
"a convention of the People of the State of Missis
PP shall De heid IN the several counties thereof on
tne ISL Monday and day following in the month of
september in the year eighteen hundred and Gfv-one
That SAID election shall be held at all the precincts
tablshed by law and shall be managed and conducted
W e shehs or other proper officers of the counties,
respectively IN the manner and according IN tbe
same rules and regulations as are prescribed hy Law,
or the election OF members of the Legislature And
is hereby declared to be the duty of the Governor to
issue MS proclamation to the several sheris of the
SIate' at least ninety days before the time appointed
1or holding sad election requiring them TO hold and
conduct the same according to law and the said sber
ms shall advertise the time and place of holding said
election for at least twenty days. by publishing the
same in the several newspapers of their respective
countless and by posting notices at at least four nnbI
places in their counties
Sec. 2. BE u further enacted That each countv
snail be represented in said convention by the same
number OF delegates such county has of Represen-
taves in the House of Representatives ncluding tho
representation OF any city or town in any county
SEC B. BE at further enacted, That no person not
citizen of the State of Mississippi who shall not at
M fCaII IpIn h.,,a i. r
previous thereto in the county, and shall not have at
tanned the age of twenty years shall be eligible TO
a seat in the Convention.
SEC. T. BE further enacted, That it shall be the
duty OF the sheriff or proper returning officer of each
and every county, within twenty days after said elec
uon to make complete returns to the Secrv of State
OF the votes cast for delegates his county, and the
certhcate OF election of the returning officer of the
proper county or of the Secretary of State in favor of
any delegate shall be evidence of his RIGHT TO seat
IN sad Convention sub ect, if contested to decision
by snd Convention in such manner as they NAV
prescribe.
SEC. 6. Be at further enacted, That the delegates
elected under the provisions of this shall assemble
at the Capital of the State, on the I'd Monday of No.
vember, A ID. eighteen hundred and fty-one and or
game themselves into Convention by the election
OF President and such other officers as they NAV
deem necessary, and the appointment of a suitable
number of assistants and shall proceed to consider the
then existing relations between the Government of
the United States and the Government and peonle of
tdte OF hsslssppl, TO devise and effect
the means OF redress for the past and obtain certain
security for the future and to adopt such measures for
vndcatlng the sovereignty of the State and the pro-
tecton OF its institutions shall appear to them to
De demanded Said Convention shall adopt such rules
and regulations for its government and for the proper
transaction OF business they shall think proper-
The officers, members and assistants of said Conven
tlon shall receive the compensation as is now
allowed by law to the officers members and assistants
OF the Legislature, and the Auditor of Public Ac
counts shall issue his on the Treasury therefor
upon the certificate of the President of the amount
Tue.
SEC g. BE 1t further enacted, That in case of anv
'acancy occurring in said Convention bv the death
eslgnaton or removal of any member it shall be the
uty OF the Governor to such vacancy to be FL
ed by issuing his writ of election to the sheriff of the
proper country requiring him, on ten DAYS notice to
old an election according to law, to fill the same
SEC T. And be 1t further enacted, That the acts of
he Convention proposed to be held by this act. be-
ore they become binding this State shall be sub
ntted to the people at the balIot-box for their an
roval, at such time, and such manner as the Conven
ion may determine.
JOHN J. McRAE
Speaker Of the House of Representatives.
JOHN |. GUION
President of the Senate
Approved November Both 1870