Arkansas true Democrat., 1859-09-28
"The Congressional Election Laws of
 Arkansas"

Arkansas"
 ''lt will be admitted, we presume. with out controversy that, that clause of the constitution requiring representatives to be chosen every second year began to operate in Arkansas at the time of her first congressional election, and applied to that and all subsequent elections. This being admitted, let us see if the present laws are in pursuance with the provisions of that clause. "- Old Line Democrat
 "The first congressional election held in Arkansas, was held" under section seyen Of Me schedule of he constitution of Me ,Stote f Arkansas on Me first 1Nonday of August im Me year 1886, tone eren mumbered year. ''Then 1t was that this clause of the con stitution (of U. S) took effect and began to operate as a law in Arkansas; and accord ing to the provision of which every subse- quent election should have been held, at regular intervals of two years from the said first Monday of" August, 1886, "to the present and all future time "- Had this been done-had the provisions of that clause of the constitution (of U. 5. we are now discussing, been strictly pursued from that time, we should now be holding our congressional elections on the first Monday in'' August of every e0en gear, which would bring the next election on the first Monday in" August, 1860, "Me oery doy and year fired Jy'' Me eriaing laws. Is it not, therefore, plain, as Gov. Conway stated in his veto message, that "our law as it stands does not violate either of these provisions of the constitution of the United States, but was so enacted as to accord with them, and instead of being framed in such manner as to deprive the people of the State of Arkansas of all re- presentation for any stated time, was made expressly to guarantee to them, as far as possible at oH Hines, their full compliment of representation"
 The harmony between the provisions of tho constitution of the U. $. and our law was disturbed by section one of the act of 1lth January, 1851, which provided |" that on the first Monday in August, 1851, there shall be an election held for the election of one representative to the Congress of the U. S." It deprived the people of all rep resentation for several months in every term of two years, and was held on an odd year instead of an even numbered year. To get rid of these difficulties and make the law accord with the constitution in se- curing to the people of Arkansas the repre- sentation in Congress to which they are entitled, and to have the representatives chosen every second year as required by the constitution of the U. S., the act of the 4th of January, 1853 was passed The election held under this act, on the first Monday in August, 1853, was to fill the vacancy in the term which, under the con- stitution and laws of the United States, commenced with the 4th of March, 1851. The election held under this same act, on the first Monday in August. 1854, was for the full term, and on an even numbered year; so that the mischief done by the act of 11th January, 1851, could only be remedied by having one election to fill out the term held in August, 1853, and the regular election held the next year. We think the governor acted correctly in veto- ing bill which would not only have de- prived the people of representation, but was clearly in violation of the constitution of the United States.