The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-12-06
Airbnlunn Dispatrt.
The Bill 81 Rishss and Amended Csns,i.
tNtfon.

FRIDAY MORNING. Df.tI. n. lsel.
The Bill ~ Rishss and Amended Csns.i.
tWsisn.
the State Convention yesterday adopted
the Bill Of Rights, amended In some few In.
stances by restoring features OF the earlier
and better days of the Commonwealth The
Attn section now reads. "That the legisla-
tive and executive powers OF the State should
be separate and distiH net from the Judiciary;
and that the members Of the two first may
be restrained from oppression by feeling and
participating the burthens OF the people,
they should, at fixed periods, be reduced to a
private station" DC. In the sixth section,
which declares that all elections ought TO be
free, the Convention has changed the lam
guage thus: That elections Of members to
serve as representatives Of the people in As
sembly ought TO be free,' &c. The eighth
section, relative TO trial by jury, has been
amended by striking out the words "of
twelve men" leaving the number Of thu
jury undesignated; and sinilsr amend.
ment occurs In the eleventh section. No furs
Their chan yes have been made In the Bill of
Rights.
In the Constitution, important amend
ments are introduced, OF which we have,
from time TO time, advised our readers The
establishment Of two Courts Of Appeals, the
election of Judges by the Legislature, are
among the most prominent.
The schedule requires the peooie shall
have the privilege OF voting for ratifyiug or
rejecting the Constitution as amended tho
polls to be kept open fer three days and at
the same time another Pollock is TO be
opened, headed "Ths right OF suffrage. -
containing two columns, one headed "For
The payment OF The revenue, county, and cor
poration ieyies, and poor rates, assessed
within the previous year, as q auahGca,io
to vote" and the other headed {" For the
right of suffrage u:tsow the payment of the
revenue" &C., as g qualification to vote
Should u majority Of the votes be CO..
in favor of The qualification of the right ri
suffrage, then the Arst section Of The third
article OF the Constitution will read as fol.
lows:
~. Every white male citizen OF the Cor,.
mon We alIh, of the age OF twenty -oae v.ars
VINO has been Il resident of the State for two
years, ana OF the county city or TO Wn Whera
he offers 10 vote, for twelve months next pre-
ceding an elecuon, and who III such cor,nt v
city or toWu, SHAH have been assessed win
part of the revenue OF the Commonwealth.
county ietles or poor rates, tor the year ne \ I
preceding, and shall have actually paid the
sAIne, ana no other per son, shall be Qualified
to vote tor members Of the General Assembly
and all officer elected by the people but !. n
person IN tbs military, naval or marine ser
vice Of the CoLiederate States, shall be deem ed
resident OF this state, by reason OF being sta =
toned tnersin; anu no person snail have the
right TO vote who is OF unsonnd mind or 2
pLGper, or 81 nvn- comm / as . ned officer sol
der, seaman or IL arire, Ia lac regular amy
or navy OF the ConfeGerat e Sta ties, or who mas
been convicted OF berry III au election or of
any Infamous offence
Qualified voters of the Comm onv-sa!.h
who may be in the military service, are to
have the privilege of voting IN their cam Us
upon the ratification or rejection Of the
amended Constitution and Schedule, and the
proposed qualification of the right of SUI
frage.
We subioin portion OF the Schedule, as a
matter OF general information:
"All persons who shall be in Office when
this amended Constitution il adopted shall
continue In office until the exuira Il On OF their
respective. terms OF service, and until their
successors are qualified, unless sooner re-.
moved pursuant To law. Vacancies occur
ring in the office Of justice of the peace after
the adoption OF TINS Constitution, and before
any election OF justices is held under it, shall
be fiiied in the = me manner Is therein
pro- iGed for filling vacancies occurring in
sald Office after the hrst election.
the Supreme Court of Appeals shall con-
t,nue 10 exercise its present jurisdiction I'M
Ill the Court OF Appeals, established by this
Constitution, shalt be organized ANA the
judges thereof who may be i'll Cfiice at III.
first session of the Geuersi Assembly under
this Constitution may be assigned to the Gu
TIES OF either OF the Courts OF Appeal, ucccrd-
ing to the pleasure OF the General Assem- Div.
All laws in force when this Constitution Is
adopted, and not inconsistent Herewith, and
sill rights, prosecutions, sections, claims, and
contracts, shall remain and con .inue as Ii This
Cons titutiOn was hot adopted.
60 the term OF service OF the Delegates first
| elected to the General Assembly under this
| Constitution shall commence at the end OF
| the term OF service OF the Delegates now elect.
ed. Tae first general election Of Deieg ates IL
the General Assem- bly, under this Consti tu
| ton shall be held on the fourth Thursday in
| May. 1868.
The Convention last night made some fur
| Their amendments to the Constitu ton, anl
| adopted it as a whole by a vote of II to 8
| The schedule was then taken up and at lat.
| hour a warm debate was progressing upon
| motion to am end so as to postpone the tim
| Of voting for ratification or rejec ton t,
"three months after peace shall have beer
| declared between the United States and tn,
| Confederate States" There seemed to b.
| little prospect of termination of the labor
| of the Conve ntion last night.