Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1875-06-18
An Act to Call a Convention of the
People of North Carolina.

An Act to Call a Convention of the
People of North Carolina.
WHEREAS, The present Constitution
of North Carolina is, in many impor.
tant particulars, unsuited to the wants
and condition of our people and
aOhere0s, in the judgment of this Gen
eral Assembly. a convention of the
people is the only sure, and is besides
the most economical mode of altering
or amending it, and believing the end
in view utterly impracticable by legis-
latlve enactment on account of the
great number of di cordant and con-
flcting provisions of the Constitution
as 1t now l., now therefore.
SECTION 1. The General assembly
| Of North Carolina do enact, two
thirds OF all the members of each
House concurripg,) That Convention
OF the people of North Carolina, be
and the same is hereby called, to Heet
IN the Hall of the House of Represen-
tatives in the city of Raleigh, on Mon
day, 9th day of September, A. D.,
1919, for the purpose of considering
and adopting such amendments to the
Constitution as they may deem neces-
sary and expedient, subject only to
viz AOob41Sb1OuS pIOVlOGus
Sec 2. The said Convention shall
consist of one hund1 ed and twenty del
egates, and each county shall be enti-
tied to the same number of delegates
that 1t has members of the House of
Representatives under the present
aportiOnment, and the said delegates
shall have the qualifications required
of members of the House of Repre-
sentatives, of which qualifications the
Convention shall be the Judge.
Sec. 3. On the -7st Thursday CT
August, 1875, the sherlffs of the State
shall open polls for the election of del
egates to the said Convention from
their respective counties, and the cleo
tlon aforesaid, and the registration for
the same, shall be held and conducted;
the officers thereof, including regis
trars and judges of election, appoint
ed the votes counted and compared
the result proclaimed, and certificates
issued i'll the same manner as is pro-
vlded by law for the election of meni-
bers of the House of Representative
OF the General Assembly.
Sec. 4. The said delegates shall be
called to order at II o'clock on the
day fixed therefor, Wy the Chief JUS
tlce or one of the Associate Justices
OF the Supreme Court or Secretary of
State, who, If there be not quorum,
shall adjourn them to the same place,
and from day to-day, until a quorum
shall appear; and on the appearance of
a quorum he shall administer to each
of them the following oath:
'You, A B, do solemnly swear Cor
affirm, as the delegate elect shall
choose that you will faithfully main
tain and support the Constitution of
the United States and the several
amendments thereto, including the
18th, 18th and 18th amendments; and
that you will neither directly nor indi-
rectly evade or disrt gard the duties
enjoined nor the restrictions imposed
upol the Convention by the act of the
General Assembly authorizing your
election. So help you God"
And no delegate shall be permitted
to sit or be entitled to a seat in said
Convention, or act as a delegate
thereto, until he shall have sub
scrlbed the above oath or affirma-
tion; and as soon as majority of the
delegates elect shall have thus ap-
peared and been sworn in, they shall
then proceed to elect their own pre-
siding officer, and such other officers
and servants as they, from time to
time, shall find necessary; and if va
cancy shall occur, they shall be filled
IN the same manner as the like Vacan-
c!es are filed by law i'll The case Of va
cancies in the General Assembly.
Said Convention shall have no power
to consider, debate, adopt or propose
any amendment to the existing Con-
stitutiOn or ordinance upon the follow
ing SUBJECTS:
TheHomestead andPt rsonal Proper
ty Exemptions, the mechanics and la
boreGs' hen, and the rights of married
women, as now secured by law, nor to
alter or amend section 3 or 5, article
V, of said Constitution, nor change
the ratio between the poll and proper
ty tax as therein established; nor shall
the said Convention have power to
propose or adopt any amendment or
ordinance vacatlng any office or term
of office now existing and filled or
held by virtue of any election or ap-
pointment under the existing Consti-
tuition and laws, until the same shall
be vacated or expired under existing
laws; but the said Convention may re-
commend the abolishment of any
office when the present term
therein shall expire or vacan-
cies occur, and they may provide for
filling such vacancies, otherwise than
as now, and limiting the terms thereof.
Nor shall the Convention adopt or pro-
pose any plan or am ndment or scheme
of compensation to the owners of
emancipated slaves, nor for the pay
ment of any liability Or debt incurred
wholly or III part in aid of the late war
between the States, nor for the restor-
alton OF imprisonment for debt; nor
shall they require or propose any edu-
cational or property qualification for
Office or voting; nor shall said COnven-
ton pass any ordinances Legislative in
their character, except such as are
necessary to submit the amended
Constitution to the people for their
ratification or rejection, or to convene
the General Assembly.
Sec. 5. The Constitution, as amend
ed, shall be submitted to the people
for ratification or rejection, and shall
not be binding until the same shall
have been ratified by the qualified
voters of the Statn, and the Conven-
tion shall prescribe the mode where
by the sense of the people therein
shall be taken and recorded.
sec. t. Ihere snail De printed I'M
mediately ten copies of this act for
each member of the General Assembly,
and one hun}red copies within thirty
days after ratification for each board
of county commissioners, and the use
of the registrars and judges of elec-
ton IN their respective counties; and
this act shall be III force and take ef-
feet from and after its ratification.
Ratified the 10Th day of March, A.
d. 1875.
The Wadesboro Herald says: On
his reoant trim To Wilmington i'NOrth