Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1871-02-17
T'||El ONVENTION iCT.
Az ~ cOnCLKNISa A CONVENTION THE PEOPLE.
CONVENTION ELECTION, THURSDAY. APRIL 10.

From tee Raleigh st ntinel.
WHEREAS The present Constitution Of
North Carolina is, IN many respects bur
Iensome and oppressive to the people of
the State, and some Of the provisions i'll
adapted to the wants and condition of the
people; and ,rhcycQs, the taxes required by
said Constitution TO be levied upon the
citizens of the State 10y this General As
sembIy, are, i'll the Judgment of this Gen
eral Assembly, too Cumbersome to be
borne by the tax payers OF the State, and
cannot be collected without effecting tho
ruin of the best interests of all our people;
and qrheredS, for tho reasons here set forth,
and many others in the judgmenG of this
General Assembly said Constitution re-
quircs such amendments and alterations as
Will give to our people the relief demand
ell by thGla from their present heavy bur
deus, which can Gully be Immediately and
iEliciously effected by a Convention Of the
people; and UrAereaS this General II esem-
bly,, III matters of such grave import is re-
iuctaut to undertake any change i'll the
fundamental law II tho State, without the
sense Of the people i'll whom, under our
government, all sovereignty resides, being
first lscertained; therefor
Section |. Tile General Assem6Iyof NORTH
CuyUl1tu to enact, That upon the paeeage
Of this act tho Governor of the state be
end he IS hereby required to issue proc
lamntiOn commanding tho She-itta of the
respective counties in the State to open
polls ut the 81 Veral places OF holding cleo
tons in said counties on Thursday, tho
18th day of April, A. ID. 1871, where and
when all persons qualified to vote for NOM
bcr8 OF the General Assembly may vote for
or against IL State Convention, under tho
restrictions hereinafter provided for those
who wish Convention voting with Il printed
or written ticket, "COn0entiO1t," aud those
who do not wish such Convention voting
III the sumo way, NO CO1lremiiOn :" also to
open separate polls ut the said time and
places, !or tic election of delegates to the
Cunt CutIon to be assembled III the city of
KalcIGh AT such time as Ii hereinafter pro
vidCd for, said polls TO be superintendent
10y two judges, or inspectors, at each of
said places OF holding tho election, to DO
appointed by the Commissioners of said
counties respectively, and officer APP
pointed 10y the Sheriff Of the county. each
Of whom shall be sworn faithfully and i'm
partially to conduct said election according
to law.
Sec. =, Jnat it shall DO the duly of said
Judges or inspectors, Immediately after the
closing of the polls, to count the ballots IN
the presence of such electors as may desire
to he present, and mako out correct
statement under their hHnds of the polls
at their respective places of holding said
election, which shall be scaled up and re
turned 10 the commissioners Of their re
sppctiyo couutics by y o'clock on Saturday
after said day of election; prOridci, the
counties of Carterct, Dare and Hyde shall
be allowed until Tuesday after the election
to make their returns and said
commissioners Tor any two OF them IN
presence Of five or moro of the citizens of
SAIL countjesl shall compare said returns
at the Court House. or other place OF hold
ing said court in their respective counties,
and make duplicate statements of said ro-
turns, swOln to before some person hu
thorized TO administer oaths, one copy of
which shall be deposited in the Office of
Register of Deeds OF tho county, and tho
other copy transmitted to tho Governor OF
the State at Raleigh, under the sanlo rules
and regulations and under the came penal
ties as are prescribed III the case of the
returns Of tho vote for electors of President
and Vice President, "a now provided by
law, Immediately after aid election.
Sec. 5. That 1t shall he the duty of tho
Governor, as soon ae he shall have received
said returns, not later than the 18th day of
May, A. D., 1871, in the presence Of tho
Sc cretary of State PublicIrt asurer and At
torney General of the State to compare the
number OF votes for and against Couven-
ton; and IL 1t shail appear that majority
of the votes polled are Ill favor of II Con
venti0n, ne shall forthwith issue prOcla-
nation, in such manner rs he may think
proper summOuing the delegates elected
10 said Convention aforesaid to convene
in Raleigh on tie 4th Monday in May, \,
D., 1871, bat if Il minority of tho votes
polled are against Conventiou, the Gov
ut,ult IN ilA
motion Of that fact.
Sec. /. That tue election afOros aid, shall
be acid with open doors, III the presence of
the electors assembled, mid conducted lii
the same manner, as elections for members
of the General Assembly and the vote shall
be counted, the scrolls compared, the re-
suit proclaimed, and certificates issued, in
the same manner, as now prescribed 10y
la <, for members of the House of Repre-
sentatiVes.
Sec. ). That the inspectors OF election
mentioned IN section LIST Of this act, shall
be appointed by the commissioners of each
county respectively, on the LIST Monday in
March, 1871, OF as soon thereafter as prGc-
tcable, and said commissioners at the same
time appoint Il registrar Of voters, for each
voting precinct or township, whose duty il
shall be to revise tue existing registration
books OF his precinct or township, in such
manner, that butu DOCKS shall SLOW GD &C
cufatc list Of al electors previously regis
tered ia such precinct or township, and
still residing tho,oiu. without requiring
such electors 10 be registered anew; and
such registrar shall also at all times, after
his appointment, up to, and on the day
OF election aforesaid, keep open said books,
and shall be at the polls on said day, with
said books for the registration of any cleo
tors residing in such precinct or township,
and entitled to registration, whose names
have never before been registered in such
precinct or township, or do not appear on
the revised list; no certificates of registra-
ton shall be given, and no elector shall be
| entitled to register or to vote, IN any other
precinct or township, than the one III which
| he is al actual and bonatido resident on
the day of election. Any person Offering
to vote, although his name may be on the
registration books, may be challenged AZ
to his right to vote on tho day of election
and the question shall be decided by the
inspectors OF the box and tho registrar o.
the precinct or township, before the ballot
!