Litchfield enquirer., 1864-07-28
CHAPTER XI.
An Act relating to the Proposed Amend ment to the Constitution of this State.

state, on the third day of November, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty three, the House of Representatives did pass resolution therein and thereby pro- posing a certain amendment to the constitu- ton of thls state. which said amendment was. by order of said house. continued to the present session of this general assembly, and published in the manner prescribed by the eleventh arti- cle of said constitution and tahereas, at this present session of said assembly, two. thirds of each> house thereof have approved of said amendment, in the manner prescribed and specified iE said article, which said amendment is in the following words, to wit:
 Every electot of this state who shall be in the military service of the United States eith- CT as drafted person or volunteer, during the present rebellion, shall, when absent from this state because of such service have the same right to vote in any election of state officers, representatives in congress, and electors of president and vice-president of the United States, as he would have if present, at the time appointed for such election, in the town in which he resided at the time of his enlistment into such service. This provision shall in no case extend to parsons in the regular army of the United States, and shall cease and become imperative and void upon the termination of the present war"
 No'o herefore, to provide for the considera- tion of said amendment by the inhabitants of the state, in town meetings to be warned and held for that purpose, pursuant to the require nents of the said eleventh article of the con- stitut,on of this state:
 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives, in General Assembly conveu- ed
 SEc. l. That the constables of the several towns in this state shall warn the electors in their respective towns to meet on the third of Monday in August, A. D., 1864. at nine o'clock in the morning of said day, for the purpose of signilying, in the manner hereinafter provided, their appreciation or disapprobation of said proposed amendment which meetings shall be held at the usual places of holding electors meetings in said towns respectively.
 SEC. 2 The town clerk and selectmen in the several towns are hereby authorized, if they deem it expedient, to designate the person who shall preside at such meeting of the electors i; but in case no presiding officer is designated by said board, the electors shall choose the presiding officer, in which choice the town present shall preside. The polls shall remain
  day and no longer, and in towns divided into wards or voting districts the ballots may be be received at the places and in the manner designated in accordance with the provision Of existing law
 SEC ,. It shall be the duty of the town clerk, in tue several towns, immediately after the organization of said meeting, to present to said meeting said proposed amendment to said constitution, according to the require mcnts of said eleventh article thereof and the e ctors present at said meeting shall be called upon by the presiding officer at said meeting, to b ing in to him their respective votes by ballot regarding suid amendment. Those in favor of approving or adopting said amend ment shall give in ballot with the word Yes written or printed thereon, and those who disapprove of said amendment shall give in a ballot with the word "No" written or printed thereon; which said ballots shall be examined, sorted and counted by the presiding officer, assisted by the town clerk and select meeting by said presiding officer.
 SEC. 4. The presiding officers in said several town meetings shall, under their hands respec- lively, make duplicate certificates of the num- Der of votes so given in and ascerteined es
  said amendment, and also of those disapprov- words at full length one of which certificates shall be dedosited in the office of the town clerk of the town in which such meeting shall be held and tue other shall be, by such presd- ing officer, transmitted by mail, to the Secre- tary of State. at Hartford, or shall be deliver ed, seated up, to the Secretary of State, within five days after the day of holding said meeting i; which certificate shall be in the form following, to wits
 "At meeting of the electors of the town of legally warned and held on the third Monday in August, 1864 for the purpose of receiving the votes of the electors of said town upon the adoption of proposed amend ment to the constitution of this state, there were given in favor of adopting said proposed amendment, votes, and against the adoption of the same, votes.
 Certified by
 A. B., Presiding Officer.
 And the superscription on oath of said cer- tiGcates to be returned to the Secretary of this State, shall be as follows, to wit:
 "To the Secretary of State. Votes of the electors of the Town of q upon the ' taken, and sealed up by
 A. B.. Presidi ngOficer.
 SEC. 5. The Secretary of State shall on or before the second Monday of August, 1864. transmit blank forms of the return of votes to be given pursuant to this act, to the town clerks of the several towns in this state, for the use of said towns.
 SEC. 6. The votes so returned to tue Secre- tary of State, shall be counted by the secretary treasurer and comptroller. on or before the tenth day of September, 1864, who, on or before the fifteenth day of September, 1884, shall transmit a certificate. under their hands, of the number of votes so returned in favor of ap- proving and adopting said amendment. and also of the number of votes so returned, disap- proving of the adoption of the same, to the person administering the government of this state, who, within five days after the receipt of said certificate shall issue his proclamation, re. citing such certificate; and if it shall appear therefrom that majority of said votes is in favor of approving and adopting said amend ment, he shall so declare in such proclamation and that majority of the electors present at such meetings aforesaid, have approved said 1 amendment, and that the same is valid to all intents and purpores, as part of the constitu ton of this state |: and if it shall appear from said certificate that majority of said votes are not in favor of approving and adopting said amendment, but are opposed to the same, he