The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-05-04
NANsEMOND COUNTY.

Correspondence OF the Richmond DIspatch.I
SUFFOLK, Va, May I, 1882.
During the late session OF the Legisla-
ture an act was passed amending the
charter of the town OF Suffolk in such
way as TO make any person who may be
elected mayor OF the town ineligible to the
same Office for the term next succeeding
that for which he may be elected, which Is
equivalent to saying that the election OF n
man once to the Office OF mayor shall dis
qualify nm from being elected to the. office
or holding il again for the succeeding
term. Here, then, is q restriction upon the
qualification OF person for Office which the
Constitution does not impose. The Con-
stitution says that all persons entitled TO
vote shall be eligible to any office within
the gift OF the people except as restrictedin
the Constituencies Article ILL.,, section
2. Turning to the Constitution-section ],
Article Hive find that il does not re-
strict O man qualified to vote from being
elected to and holding any Office within the
gift OF the people, because, forsooth,
he has been elected to that Office once
before, except in the case OF the Gov
ernor, as provided by section !, Article
". On the contrary, any person entitled
to vote may be elected to the same Office
NAV see fit to elect him to that Office, it
would seem, because the Constitution does
not prohibit it, II, then, the Legislature
cannot impose any restriction upon qualifi-
cation for Office not imposed by the Consti-
tuition. it must follow that the act referred
to above amending our charter is uncon-
stitutional. Why, we have only to con-
slider the act for a moment to conclude that
il must he unconstitutional. What right
has the Legislature to say that election
TO Office shall disqualify: Is it not
contradiction in terms, saying in SUBJ
stance TO the candidate before the people
that for one term you can be elected. You
are qualified to be elected; you labor under
no disability but nevertheless, your very
election, your very qualification, shall debar
YOU from holding the same office for an
other term. OF course the act must be I'M
constitutional, and it is surprising to know
that Governor Cameron did not detect it.
He saw quickly with eagle eyes the unc0n-
stitutional parts of some acts of the late
Legislature where they would hardly have
been noticed, while in other acts, as in that
amending our charter, he failed to see
them, where they were apparent to every
body.
The true inwardness CT the thing is this
We have IN the Office OF mayor a gentleman
who is very popular and has been elected
to the office time and again, and will be,
perhaps. elected 10 the office for as many
terms as he may desire; but he is obiec-
tionable to a few ReadiusterS, who, wish
ing to compass his defeat or get him out OF
the office, and not being able 10 do it other
wise, originated the bright idea OF amend
inc our charter as mentioned above to get
him out of the oflice-not beng able to do
it otherwise than by making him ineligible,
or attempting to make him ineligible, by
disqualifying him from holding the office
for term succeeding that to which he may
be elected.
Hon. Richard II. Rawles has to-day quail
flied and entered upon his duties as Judge
Of our County Court. lie was late State
senator from this district, and was elected
Judge OF our county while serving as men,
Der of the Senate. This creates another
vacant seat in the Senate. SUFFOLK.