Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1871-03-17
THE WILMINGTON JOURNAL
WILMINGTON. N. c.,
FRIDAY. MARCH 10. 1871
convention.

fundamental law is paramount to every
thing else. Retrenohment ana l'eiofh1 -
absolutely re-. uisite to cave tue fe'pAo
from impending ru1n'
We are clad to know that an effort VIII
Iva made to have the question Of ConTen-
lion submitted to tho deoipion OF the neo-
nle nj an election to be held III Augus a
Dronogitien which The Radicals ouGat ho'
to oppose. II the people are adverse ~
Convention, as that party ASSUMES 'no5
will so declare at the polls. Or II that par
~ ran secure a majority of the delegates
aa thew claim. they Will have cauge to con
e,ratuIate themselves upon this early ana
effioacious manner Of regalnlng Their lnst
power =. 49,,
We are indebted to the Raleigh sentinel
for the following synopsis of the bill as
introduced into tue Legislature
The preamble sets forth that the present
Constitution is, in many respects. burden
some and oppressive to the people and III
adapted to their wants and condition that
the taxes required by it to he levied arc
too grievous to be borne and cannot be
collected without cffecting tho ruin OF the
neopIe : that q majority Of the voters OF
the State are DESTROYS to amend the SAID
Constitution in many particulars and that
it is the duty of the General Assembly 10
adopt measures for ascertaining the will OF
their cons ituents and to provide the
means for carrying that will into effect
when ascertained, &C., therofore-tWo-
thirds of all the members OF each house
concurring)-
Section provides that tho sheflits OF
the several counties of this State shsl!
open polls as now established by law, on
the first Thursday in August next. where
the qualified voters of the State may vote'
in the usuaI manner, for Convention or NO
Conveution and for Delegates-the regis
ters of the precinct aud two judges or IN
spectors at each election precinct to be ap-
pointed by the Commissioners OF the re-
specti7e counties.
Section prescribes the duties OF the
registers and judges or inspectors after the
close of the polls. The returns shall be
made to the County Commissioners, by II
O'Clock on Saturday after the election, eX-
cept that Carteret, Dare and Hyde shall
have till the Tuesday after the election to
make their returns. II from any cause
the returns from any precinct be not IN by
3 o. M, the commissioners shall adjourn
TO meet on the following Tuesday at Il
NJ, when the polls shall be compared and
the result proclaimed at the court house
door-tmeantime the sheriff shall compel
the attendance of any delinquent return
ing officer with the vote of his precinct
Sec. 8. The Register Of Deeds for each
county is required to transmit by mail,
on or before the 10th day of August. to
the Attorney General, certified state
ments OF the votes given, and also, on or
before the aame day, shall give TO the
Delegate or Delegates duly elected, ccrti-
hcates of their election, If there be no
Register of Deeds III any county. the
commissioners of said county shall appoint
one for the purposes Of this act,
Sec. 4 provides that on the fourth Inura=
day Of August the Attorney General shall
open and count the votes for aud against
Convention IN the presence Of the Froal'
dent of the Senate, the Speaker Of the
House Of Representatives and the Score
tary Of State, or any two Of them, and tho
result shall by them he announced III suof
manner as they may deem beat. II the
vote be against Convention the dcleGatef
elect shall not assemble, but if for ConyGn
tion the delegates shalI assemble on the
third Thursday Of September, ISL, tol
the purposes declared III thia acL,
Sec. provides that these elections ghal
be held in strict conformity to the exist
ing laws of the State regulating election
for members of the General Assembly. ant
according to the provisions of this act.
Sec. &. The inspectors Of election men
toned in the first section shall be appoint
ted by the commissioners on the first Mon
day in June. The remainder of this sec
tion Is as provided in section of the Ac
Of February 9Th, 1871, concerning Con
Vention of the people.
Sections 7, s. 0 and 10, of this act Ar
identical with sections 6, Z, s and ., c
the Acs Of February 6th, and provide fo
filling vacancies by death, &C., of dele
gates the number Of delegates to be cleo
ed; the pay of officers and members of til
Convention, and that the Convention eha
be the judge of the qualification of il
members.
Sec. II provides that 1.-The propose
Convention shall have power to consid'
and propose all necessary amendmen
and q. terations to The Constitution, not IL
consistent with the Constitution of II
United St.tes," except as follows: III
said Convention shall have 40 power {
authority whatever
!. To offer or propose any amendmel
60, or alteration of, or in anywise interior
with, repeal or modify the Homestead or
Personal Property Exemptions, as Pr
vided for in article 10 of the Constitute
Of the State
2. To modify, repeal, or do any oth'
act to restrict. impose or in any way int
fere with the rights, privileges or immnn
ties of any person in the State on aceoul