Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1862-03-04

QuAIaslC,rinH CT VOTERS.
u. Every ~h:r nr:'H cltizuu uf the Com
onWealth, o; ti, -. OF twenty -onc wears,
WHO has been Z. .,;'ient of the State for two
years, ana OF the .',:a;v, city or town whcrs
De ouers to vote, IcF iwalve yesrs next proceed.
'hg In election. Gi:;! %:!n, in such county, city
or to~n, Shall has ;,ce;i aagnased Tith part Of
the revenue al IL. ;'uIulnon va!lh, culn:
! ieVies or poor rat iHv the year ncXt precod-
'og, ana shall i.a." actually paid the same,
anu no Other person, aall be qualified TO vote
lor members Of ne l,aaersl Assembly, and all
oincsrs slectsti iny h- people; bu. no person
in the military, ll-ts! -, marine scrvice of the
Conte crate State s;:r! o. deemed resident
OF this State b; ;:sSon OF being stationed
therein; a2d 70 persJa shall have the right
70 vote who IL q casound mind. or II paupe:,
or non-commissuiei officer, soldier, soaman
OF marine in ,ao regular army OF navy Of thu
! Confederate Sac, q" wbU has been convicted
OF orloory III M:i e.cr;ian, nr c! any Infamous
ofrsucs."
Mr.. Scol-T, .! Fscr,:er l,oTc % ,mar: ::
that sectioo y: '''>ertiny after i;ia word
'c"nnip, III I'll 80, tioc. ua:!"" ii,. DEAD ai
''qual!ncati,:u oi .uLc.s, the wo:is ''or cor
poration, so thH 'nst part ot :ho Sect.oa, ii
amended, Til. :e'., shall have Seen assesScd
with part L! L., 'avenue ot The Common
wealth, coanty o: corporation levies or p;.or
rates, Tor the yea: acXt preceding" &c.
The ame''r:Hoa. wAs adopted.
Tno Sscrernr.' .hcn read the 9th section, as
follows:
'" Tbs gra!i'ie'i voters OF the Common
wealth, who nay &c absent from the counties
or corporati'": o! ;heir residence, on the day
OF election II E9 Il! iitary service OF the STATE
or of the Confe|?:.r.r States, may vote for the
ratification or r -:t'ou of the ameudea Cunsti.
tuition aud sch:,,';!c, end for aud against the
qualifications lie rignl OF suffrage, at such
| place or places within their encamptneot OF
post as the cullmandant Of sch encsmpment
or pos. shall designate. whether tha said en-
| camptnent or post shall be within thr limits OF
this State or not. For each place % voting he
shall appoint upcrintcndcn,, three commits
sioners and as many clerks as shall he n.ces-
sary, who, after having been first duly sworn
by him, shall perform the duties required OF,
and be liable to the penalties imposed upon
such officers under tse election LAYS OF this
State"
M. SEAwELL.-l move to amend that sec-
ton By striking out all sitter the word "bc, " in
the first line, down to the word 'electicu," ia
the third line.
The words proposed 10 he stricken OFT ere
| these "be absent from TIC raua.ies or co:po-
rationS Of their residence III ,;,. c:.y .; cleo
ton"
Tue amendment WAS adopted.
NJ. SCOTT, Of Fauql;er.-t move further to
amend the 9th section b. adding thereto the
following:
The qualified 7o:ers Of the Common ea!sh,
not IL the military service, who may be absent
from the counties or corporations Of their resi-
,.ence, by reason Of the presence .,f the public
enemy, may vote il aaJ cour;y o. corpors-
1ion in which theT ibny be, o.l tau dsy G: .la:-
tion."
The amendment vas adopted.
Mr.. BRcoxE.-I 81 not dseiro 70 de!sir The
Convention; bat presume it is dosigned by
the Convention 70 open the door OF suffrage rs
widely as possible, and not prevent any ciliSen
from voting BY reason O! the I.,hi;c onsny.-
Believing that 10 70 the oolect Of lns body, !
will offer the following gmendtaent to coIne
in after 'he word mot, in tho sth limo:
"Bn: il, ca the said day o: election, tho
Convention o. e.: regiment nadc up il
whole O. in part Of persons qualified in ssd
to 7ore, within tne pos! or encspuent
to which such regiment may bslong /;
such election, 50 Tar as said regiment
is concerned, may be hold on any other
day, to be fixed by tks commander OF such
post or encampuent, SO thu. the same be moi
more than ten days after said day nf election"
Tne amendnen. was as:oed 80, and the SOC.
ton, as amended, WAS shen atnlted.
The Secretary then read IN: -! section: as
follows
"7T. The officers contuc;isg 80 said election
shall on the d-f after election, or as svon
thereafter es may be, dei;T1r -. pol books to
their said commander, wi:u >tai forthwith
forward tho same tc the O;,:ef13c Of this Com
monweslE, who snail cou5; ;ls sGid votes in
ascertairing the resul. D; !i:. sr!d ,bctioa in
the State"
This section was adopted
The Sth section was linen rad IS follows:
"6. The Secretary OF the Comm onweaith
shall cause to be sent 10 tie clerks Of each
county and corporation court, and to the mil-
itary commanders above referred to, the poll
books and forms necessary in the election
herein provided tof-transmit:ing the same,
when necessary, by special messengers. The
expenses incurred in providing said poll books
and forms, and transmitting the game, and III
procuring writers to enter the names OF the
the voters therein, shall be betrayed as in !he
case of the election OF members TO the Gene
raj Assembly.
This section was adopted.
The 9th section 1as next reai
"9. The duties to DO formed by the officers
conducting the election, the privilege of the
voters, spd the penalties for m'sconducto on the
part Of any person, sha! bs tie Same in all
respects as are prescribed ~ iaT in The case
of other elections.
This section was adopted.
Mir. scorT, Of Fauquier-I would ask the
Convention to go back to TIA: part Of the sec
ton andor the head of "Quaiied Voters"
with view to enable mG 70 make slight cor
recton. The part to which | refer is that
which reads "shall have been assessed"
propose to change it 80 as that i: shall read
"who having been assessed"
Mr.. PIcE-If the gentleman will give me
his attention for moment, he will find that
that subject was considered, and that it was
regarded as necessary that the Totc shall
have been assessed" If hs has no., the con-
clud:ng portion of the section will exclude him
from voting any how. Is it not his duty tc Uc
asssssedf you impose this restriction upon
the right Of suffrage, it will be his duty to be
assessed He has certainly something to DO
assessed with-his own head, for instance
he can pay his csp;tation tax, and if he does,
he pays taxes, and can. tferef,rc, vn!e.
Mr. ScoTr, OF FSuqlicr.-l waive ;l.s a.nen:.
ment
Mr.. BLAkEr.-My understanding wts. !Eat
ifa person was assessed with anything, he vas
reonired to pay 1t to bo eatitlad to vote. If
he was uot assessed, ha aonld ne: Pay nnJ-
thing.
Mr. BoULplN will reuaw the sueEdmcn:
of Mr. ScnTr.
As The article nov reads, it requires not
only that tho taxes. poor ra:rs and county
levies shall be paid, but that ito part paying
shall be assessed.
Well, now, il by law :!s b:s HothiEs WITH
10: = in