Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-08-28
The November Elections.

A law of the Confederate States, ior tue
purpose of putting in operation the perma-
nent government of the same, declares "that
an election shall be held in the seVefai States
of the Confederacy, on the first wednesday
in November, 1861, for members OF the H"ese
of Representatives in the Congress OF the
f,onfederate States under the permanent Con-
.,;,n,;on which election shall be conducted
;. III rasnects according to said Constitution
.nd the laws of the several States IN loree
for that purpose and in States which may
not have provided by law for such eiection'
according to the laws heretofore existing IN
such States for the election OF members OF
the House of Representatives in the Congress
of the United States. And on the same day
the several States shall elect or appoint Elec-
tors for President and Vice President of the
Confederate States of America, according to
said Constitution, and in the manner pre-
scribed by the laws of the several States
made for that purpose and in States "here
no such law may exist, according TO the law7
heretofore in force in such States for the
election OF appointment of Electors for fresi-
dent and Vice President of the United States
IT is also provided 'sthat in case the State oil
Tennessee shall adopt and ratify the Constr
tuition for the permanent government oil lne
Confederate States of America, before the
elections provided for in this act, she shait
be entitled to elect eleven members to the
House of Representatives"
This law imposes upon the people OF THIS
State the duty Of holding these elections, at
the time specified. We have no law made
expressly for the purpose. and the ALTERNATIVE
of nroceeding under the law in relation to
similar elections under the United States, Is
met with the difficulty that we have an adj
ditional member to elect. flour Legislature
met in time to re-district the State under
the census of 1860, it would be easy to obVl-
ate the difficulty but it meets only one
month before the elections required IN No
xember. and it is supposed, would have hard
1vtime to mature bill for dividing the State
into eleven instead of ten districts as Is
now the case. 1t is suggested that the ten
districts elect Their members, as usual hereto
fore. and that the extra member should De
chosen by the State at large. 1t occurs TO
ms that this would come as near meeting the
difficulty as any other plan that could be de-
yised in the absence of a new apportlonment.
But we have heard another suggestion that
the whole eleven members should be elected
ON a general ticket, and voted for through
out the State. We give both the suggestions
believing that the public mind should come
TO some determination on the subject, at once
to avoid confusion and that the people may
understand the matter.
In the case of the Presidential electors
they being voted for on the general ticker
system, the difficulty in the case of members
of Congress will not apply; as it is easy tc
vote for three of them from the State at large
without possible injustice to any particular
locality or district.
We respectfully commend the subject tc
the attention of our contemporaries OF the
press. and ask them to express their views
upon it.