Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1857-04-11
The Free Suffrage Acts.


We publish below the act passed at the last SEES
sion to amend the Constitution Of the State and also
tie supplementary act passed at the same session,
to take the of the people Of the State relative
to the proposed amendment.
The amendment proposed, our readers are
aware, passed the Legislature of 1913, by three
fftis vote, and the last Legislature by two-thirds
vote of all the members of the two Houses. The
next step will be to submit the proposed amend
mcnt to the freemen of the State-that is to al!
persons qualified 10 vote for members of the House
of Commons, for their approval or rejection; and
this will be done on the first Thursday in August
next, the day on which the people will elect mem.
bers of the federal House of Representatives. If the
people approve the amendment, 'the Governor shall
cause to he endorsed Oh the said amendment as en-
rolled by the two houses of the General Assembly,
and shall thereto certificate usder his sig
nature, declaring the said amendment has been
ratified by the people of North Carolina; and the
Secretary of State shall countersign the said cer-
cate and thereto the great seal of the State
and the said amendment, enrolled with the GER
tticate aforesaid, shall be forever kept among the
archives of the State in the Office of the Secretary
aforesaid"
We would respectfully call the attention of the
County Courts of the State to section ID of the sup
Elementary act, which requires them, at their first
term after the first day of April, 1887, to appoint
inspectors for the Free Suffrage box. We take it
for granted that this duty will be performed in all
the Counties, and that it is only necessary to call
the attention of the Courts to the law The Sheriifs
will also observe that certain duties enjoined
them by the supplementary act; and that failure
live
ments Of the act will subject the officer so failing to
forfeiture of one thousand dollars.
That the people of the State will ratify this pro-
posed amendment, we have not the slightest doubt.
We shall look for majority of from TIIlET1 to
FIFTY THOUSAND VOTES in it's favor. In
der however, to ensure that immense majority
which is due to the ITSELF and to the great
party under whose favor and by whose persistent
and patriotic advocacy it has gone forward towards
its contamination, it will be necessary that its friends
in all portions of the State should be on the alert,
and should see TO it that the character of the
ure is thoroughly understood by every voter.
We recollect with pride that it fell to lot to
write the first Editorial that appeared in favor of
this measure Nine years ago We unfurled the Free
Suffrage banner with the of its noble-hearted
author, DAVID S. REID, inscribed upon it. That
banner has never been lowered. Swaying here and
there flashing in the thickest of the conflict at all
points where victory was in doubt, it has been at
once the cause and the signal Of success. The
mighty hand of the people held the flagstaff, and the
flag was therefore, safe. The great principle which
it represented was now and then defeated but each
defeat added to its strength. We never the
day when we doubted its triumph and had fai I'd
in 1854, or in 1856, we should again have taken it
up and contended for it with the old ardor and en-
thusasm of 1913. We kncw it acouM triumph
Truth and justice belong to particular time, but
the whole sweep of years is theirs; and if they fail
to day, they will rise tomorrow. This measure is
THE pEoPLE's-the honor of having originated it be-
longs to the Democratic party.
An ACT TO AMEND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE
OF NORTH CAROLINA.
Whereas at the session of the last General As
semb'y bc gun and held at Raleigh, on the third
Monday Of November in the year of our Lord one
thousand sht hundred and fifty four, bill entitled
"a bill to amend the Constitution Of the State OF
North. Carolina" was read three times in each house
of the said General Assembly, and agreed to by
thce-tltths of the whole number OF members OF each
house respectively: and whereas, the bill agreed
to, hath been duly published six months previous to
the election of the members of this present General
Assembly, according to the clause of section one OF
article fur of the amended constitution, and the
directions contained in the second section of the
said bill and it is the intention by this bill to agree
to the preamble and first section Of the bill afore-
said, containing the said alteration Of the constitu
ton of this State: and Whereas large number OF
the people disfranchsed by the freehold quail
ficaon required Of voters for members of the
Senate therefore,
Sec l. BE it enacted by the General assembly OF
the State Of North Carolina and IL is hereby enact
ell ty the authority Of the same (two thirds of the
whole number of members of each house concu: ring,
That the second clause of the third section of the
hrst article of the amended constitutions ratified by
the people Of North Carolina, on the second Monday
Sl November, in the year of our Lord, eigt'teen,
hundred and thirty five, shall be amended to read
as f"llows Every free white man Of the age OF
t~eny-one years. being native naturalized citi-
zen OF the United States, and who has been an in
habitant Of the State for twelve months immediate civ
preceding the day of any election, and shall have
PAID public taxes, shall be entitled to vote for a
member of the Senate for the district in which, he
resides." Ratified the 1lh dug Of December, 1856.
SUPPLEMENTARY ACT TAKE THE SENSE THE
PEOPLE OF THE STATE RELATIVE TO THE PROPOSED
AMENDMENT OF THE CONSTITUTION.
Whereas, bill to amend the Constitution of the
state of Carolina has been read in each house
o the present General Assembly on three several
Gays, and agreed to by two thirds of each house
respectively, in the precise words following: "a bill
10 amend the Constitution of the State of North.
Carolina":
whereas, at the session of the last General As
semo'y, begun and held at Raleigh, on the third