Middletown transcript., 1891-05-14

an oct 10 OTOc9ue JOf We HOtUtng "
special election for the purpose Of as
certaining the sense of the people in
respect to calling constitutional con-
rentioB.
"WHEREAs there appears to be general
desire that the General Assembly, at its
present session. shall provide by law for
the holding of special election for the pur-
pose of ascertaining the sense of the
MAJORITY of the citizens of the State en-
titled to vote for Representatives, in res
pect to the calling of Convention to
change, alter and amend the Constitution,
therefore
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of
Representatives of the State Of Delaware in
General Assembly met:
SECTION /. That ON the third Tuesday
of May, in the year of our Lord one thous-
and eight hundred and ninety-one, a
special election shall be held for the pur-
pose of ascertaining, by ballot, the sense Of
the people of this State in respect to call
ing q Convention to change, alter and
amend the Constitution of the State.
At the said election the citizens OF the
State entitled to vote for Representatives
may have written or printed on their
ballots the words ''For Convention" or
Against Convention" said ballots may
be of any size and form, not exceeding the
size now provided by law.
Sec. q That at said special election to
be held as prescribed in Section l of this
Act, the Inspectors and Judges chosen in
the several Hundreds throughout the State
to hold the last general election, shall hold
said special election. Every vacancy in
the said offices shall be filed in the same
manner as now prescribed by law.
SEC 3. The Sheriff of each county shall,
on or before the twelfth day of May in the
said year of holding said special election,
deliver to the Inspector of each Hundred or
Election District of his county, two suit
able ballot boxes, with tape and sealing
wax therefore, together with alphabetical
lists of voters and of delinquents and
written OF printed forms of tally-lists of
certificates of election, of official oaths or
afirmations of the election officers and the
certificates and directions relating thereto,
and also proper election stamp-all pre-
pared subject however, to such alterations
thereof as may be necessary to adapt them
to the requirements Of said special election
as now prescribed by law for the General
Election. The said alphabetical Lists of
voters and of delinquents shall be delivered
by the Clerk of the Peace of each county to
the Sheriff of his county, on or before the
Fifth Day of May in the said year Of hold
ing said special election. The said special
election shall be held at the same places,
during the same hours, in the same man
ner, according to the same regulations and
subject to the same penalties, 30 far as the
same may be applicable to the purposes of
this Act, as now prescribed concerning the
General Election and the votes cast at
said special election shall be counted,
tailed and certified by the Inspector,
Judges and Clerks Of each poll, and the
State of the said election shall be ascertain
ed and certified by the Board of Canvass Of
each county, on the Thursday next sue
ceeding the day of holding the said special
electian at the same time, in the same
manner. at the same places and by the
same persons as prescribed in Chapter
Eighteen of the Revised Statutes, and any
amendments supplements thereto, for the
counting, tallying and certifying the votes
cast at andsstor the ascertaining and certifying
theState and result of the last General Elec
tion, throughout each county. The certi-
fcates, respectively, of said special election
shall contain and show accurately the
in words at length, of votes cast
Z" For Convention" and /" Against Con-
vention.n
Sec. A. That the returns of said special
election, so certified by the Board of Can
vass of each county as aforesaid, and dupli-
Gates thereof, shall be delivered in the same
by the same persons, in the same
way, and to the same officers as the returns
of the election for Governor, and duplicates
thereof are required to be delivered by
direction of the Constitution of the State.
SEC. 5. That the General Assembly
shall, at the next session thereof after said
special election and on the second We'd
nesday after its organization, meet in joint
session, in the Hall of the House of Rep
to be present at the opening
and publishing OF the said returns of such
election, and to ascertain therefrom the re-
suit of said election throughout the State
by calculating the aggregate amount of all
the votes that shall have been given res
pectively 'For Convention" and
7" Against Convention" in all the counties
of the State.
Sec. 6. That if thereupon it shall ap-
pear that majority of all the citizens in
the State, having right to vote for rep
have voted at said special
election, For Convention" the General
Assembly shall, accordingly, at its said
next session after said election, make pro-
vision by appropriate legislation, for the
calling and election of Convention, to con-
sist of at least as many members as there
are in both houses of the Legislature, to be
chosen in the same manner, at the same
places and at the same time that Represent
atives are by the citizens entitled to vote
for Representatives, on due notice given
for one month, and to meet within three
months after they shall be elected. The
majority of all the citizens in the State,
having right to vote for representatives,
shall be ascertained by reference to the
highest number of votes cast in the State at
any one of the three general elections next
preceding the day of voting for Conven-
ton, except when they may be less than
the whole number of votes voted both for
and against a Convention, in which case
the said majority shall be ascertained by
reference to the number of votes given on
the day of voting for or against Conven-
tion.
Sec. T. That it shall be the duty Of the
Sherifs, or other officers to whom the
ballot boxes used at said special election
shall be delivered for the purposes of this
Act, to keep the said boxes, and the
ballots and certificates and tally lists of
said election, deposited therein, safely until
the meeting of the General Assembly at its
said next session after the said election,
and to hold the same subject to the order
of the General Assembly during the said
session.
Passed at Dover, March 81, 1891.