Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1875-03-19

The CONVENTION BILL.
Bill to be entitled an act to call q
Convention Of the people of North
Carolina
WHEREAS, The present Constitution
of North Carolina is, in many import
ant particulars, uusuited to the wants
and condition of our people; and
aOhereas, in the judgment of this Cen
eral Assembly, a Convention of the
people is the only sure, and is besides
the speediest aud most economical
mode of altering or amending it, and
believing the end in view utterly iu.-
practicable by Legislative enactment
on account of the great number OF dis
cordant and conflicting provisions OF
the Constitution as it now Is. now
therefore,
SECTION l. The General AsscnaJky |
IF North Carolina do enact, Gwo- |
thirds of all the members of each |
House concurring), That a Convention |
of the people of North Carolina be,
aud the same is hereby called, to meet
III the Hall of the House of Represen
;atives at the city OF Raleigh, on
Monday, the 9th day of tptember A.
D., 1875, for the purpose of consldel-
| ing and adopting such amendments o
the Constitution as they may deem
| necessary and expedient, subject Only
| to the restrictions hereinafter pro-
vide1.
SEC. 2. The said Convention shall
consist of one hundred and twent.
| delegates, and each County shall be
entitled to the same number of dele
gates that it has members of the
House of Representatives. under the
present aportionment, and the said
delegates shall have the qualifications
required OF members of the Huus" of
Representatives, of which qualifc,i-
tons the Convention shall be tine
Judge.
SEC. 3. On the LIST Thursday OF
| August, 1875. the Sherfffs of the Sta e
shall open polls for the election OF del
egates to the said Convention from
their re< pectlve counties, and the eie c.
ton aforesaid, and the registration FOR
the same shall be held and conducted;
the officers thceof, including registrars
and judges of election, appointed; the
vote counted and compared; the re-
suit proclaimed, aud certificates issued
| III the same manner as is now prcvld-
ed by law for the election OF members
IF she Hou of Representatives of
the trneral Assembly.
SIC. 1. The said delegates shall be
called to order at II o'clock on the day
fixed for, hy the Chief Justica or
one of the Associate Justices OF the
, supreme Court Or Secretary of Stn.e,
who, II there be not quorum, shall
| adjourn them to the sans place, aud
:, from day to day, until quorum shall
| appear; and on the appearance OF q
| quorum, he shall admin ster to each
j., of tn m the following oath:
, You, A. B., do solemnly swear Ton
affirm, as the delegate elect siIall
!, choose, } that yon will faithfully maiu.
= tain and support the Constitution ot
the United States AID the severa
amendments thereto, including 'hs
l3tn, 18th and 10Th amendments; aI3C
. that you will Ii lther directly or III
. directly eyade or disregard the dutl,i
= enjoined nor the restrictions impcz eC
= upon the Convention by the act ci tin
! General ASST mbly authorizing YOU
= election. so hip you God.
And no delegate SHALL be permitte:
:. to sit OF he emitted to a seat IN s..i,
Convention, or act delegate tier. tc
until he shall have sub>crlbed to til
above oath or affirmation; and as 500
y =
shall have tbus appeared and bee
!. sworn in, they shall then proceed f.
elect tier presiding officer, ana sac
other officers and servants a. they
: from time to time, shall find peeeseas y
and If a VacaIcy shall occur, the SAM
shall be fiji q i'll the same manner Il
; | the like vacancies are filled By law i
- the case of vacancies III the Gen.rt
Is Assembly, Said CDnv. ntiou sha
= have no power to consider, debate
adopt or propose any amendment
the existing Constitution or ordinanc
- upon the following subit cts:
* ID The Homestead and Persona
- PrOl0erty exemptions, the III. chanlc
~ ana iaborers' lien, ard the rights {
IN married Womeu. as how secured h
IA law, nor to alter or amend section
or s. article Y. of said Constitution
=. nor change the ratio betwesn the pc
80 and property tax as therein pubiishe'
"a nor shall tie said Convention ha'
power to propose or adopt any ament
ment or OrdInauca rac0ting any 0Jic
or term Of 0tfcC 72O3C c.ristin9 az
fittcd or held by virtue Of any ctcc
ae ion Or GppOintncnt under the e.cisti'
Constitution and i0sos, until the san
shall be vacated or expired under e.
may recommend the adjustment of al
It office when the present term theIe
Ig shall expire or vacancies occur, al
y, they ID ~ provide for filing such v
L. cancies, otherwise than as now, al
A limiting the terms thereof NJ
nr shall said Convention adopt or ok
: pose any plan or amendment {
scheme Of compensation to the Owl
ers of emancipated slaves, NJ
for the payment Of any liability il
ct Cured wholly or in part in aid of tt
ed late war between the States, nor for tt
~ restoration of imprisonment tor deb
ne nor shall they require or propose al
y educational or property quaiiiicatlC
r. for office or voting; nor shall said Coz
IN vention pass any ordinances legislati'
IN their character, except such as Gl
Ie necessary to submit the amended Coz
Ks stitution to the people for their ratii
so cation or rejection, or to convene IL
r. General Assembly.
III SEC. 5. The Constitution, as amen,
to ell, shall be sub omitted to the peop
( for their ratification. and shall not |
w binding until the same shall have bee
le ratified by the qualItied voters of Il
at State, and the Convention shall pre-
he scribe the mode whereby the sense
ne the people thereon shall be taken al
recorded
IL Sec. g. There shall be printed in
t. mediately ten copies of this act fc
Of each member OF the General Assem-
IN bly,, and one hundred copies with
q thirty days after it's ratification f,
Ia each board of county commissioner
I. and the use of the registrars an
as judges of election in their respectiy
ct counties; and this act shall be in fore
g. and take effect from and after its rat
Is tication
Ks
le
~ The Nashville Union. and America
h saws singular development of civ
80 rights has occurred in that revenu