Year: 1861

AN Acr TO PROVIDE FOR A STATE CONVENTION.

 SECTION l. Be H enacted 6y the General Assembly Of the Siate Of Arhansas, That the Governor shall issue his proclamation ordering election n all the counties in this State, submitting to the peo- pie the question of "COnvention or No Con yention," to be held on the eighteenth day of February eighteen hundred and sxty-one which election shall be conducted as State elections are now conducted Provided, that the sheritFs of the several counties shall be required to give but ten days notice of said election.

 SEC. 7. Be u further enacted, That at said cleo tion the people shall also vote for delegate or delegates to said convention, and each delegate elected shall be made special returning officer, and shall bring up the certified vote of his county on the question of convention or convention. which vote from all the counties shall be opened by the Governor, Auditor, Treasurer and Secre- tary of State or any three of them on the second day of March, eighteen hundred and siXty-one, and if on counting the votes of all the counties of this State it shall appear that majority of all the votes are for convention, then the Governor shall immediately issue his proclamation requir- ing the delegates elected as aforesaid to convene in the capitol on the following Monday, and organize themselves into a State convention by the election of president and such other officers may be required, and in case of sickness or any other unavoidable cause to prevent any dele

 

 he shall have power to send up the returns of his county by special messenger selected by him. self.

 SEC g. Be u further enacted, That the delegates or special returning officers shall be paid mileage the same rate that members of the General Assembly paid, to be certified by the Pres- dent of the convention, if one be organized and if not, the Auditor is required to issue his war rant for the same, taking the mileage accounts of the members of this General Assembly as a guide to regulate the amount to which the delegate or delegates coming from the same county may be entitled.

 SEC. f. Be u further enacted That the officers and members of said convention, if 1t shall be organ ized, shall be paid the same per diem pay that the officers and members of this General Assembly are paid; their accounts therefor to be certified by the President of the convention, and the Sec retary shall certify the account of the President.

 SEC. > Be H further eHacted That each county in this State shall be entitled to elect as many delegates to said convention it is now entitled to members in the lower branch of the General Assembly, and the qualifications for a delegate shall be the same now required for member of the House of Representatives.

 SEC. c. Be u furthr eRdcted, That fifty mem bers of said convention shall be necessary con stute a quorum to transact business.

 SEC. | Be H further enacted, That if any seat in the convention hereby provided for be contest ed, the convention shall have power to determine such contest, as the Generally Assembly has to determine contests for seats i'll the House, in the manner now prescribed by law

 SEC. S. Be furLher enacted, That upon the or ganzation of said convention 1t shall take into consideration the condition of political affairs, and determine what course the State of Arkansas shall take in the present political crisis

 SEC. g. Be u tt~thes senactea, That a sufficient amount of money be and the same is hereby ap- proprated out of the State Treasury to pay the necessary expenses of said convention, should one be held

 SEC. 10. Be t further enacted, That this act take effect and be in force from its passage.