Year: 1863

ons before that provided the Constitution for the election
of Councillors Before and the the Senate was created
the Constitutional provision for the election of Councillors re-
quired that they should be elected the time and place
and the provided in the Constitution for the election
of Governor Lieut. Governor and Treasurer and in respect


time and lce such the present constitutional provisions
lang the election of Senators In the 9TH Article the words


At every election of after the shall have been
taken the Constable presiding officer assisted by select
and civil authority present. shall and the said
votes important and they clearly prescribe the place. and
the only place where electors Of the officers above referred to-
can exercise the right of suffrage, viz at a Freenas
Meeting within the jurisdiction Of its presiding officer and
within the jurisdiction Of the eecmen, and the other civil
authority of the Town The selectmen and civil authority
whose duty it is to assist the presiding officer in sorting
and counting the chosen by the electors of the
pecv Towns and with reference such duties and by the
Constitution the seecmen and civil authority constituted
the Judges of election Their authority the premises
is confined the Town that elected hem and they
unless they present the Freemens Meeting Every elect
has right be present and witness the voting and challenge
the vote all questions relating the right of person
be decided Freemen Meeting and by the selcctmen
and civil authority present.


1t appears that the trainers of Constitution did


intend leave any doubt and that reasonable doubt arise
in respect the time place of choosing Senators and
that the officer whose duty made by the Constitution
ceve and the for Senators would be compelled
to reject all votes that certified him by the presiding
officer of a Freemens Meeting


Article 20 of Amendments the Constitution provides that
the County Officers mentioned in Articles H. IS 16 and IT,
of that Amendment Assistant Judges of the County Court
Sheriff High Ba States Attorney and Judges of Probate
shall be elected the times and the directed in the
Constitution for the choice Senators We have already
erred the Constitutional provision for the election of Senators
respect time place and manner of their election but Article
20 further notice in regard the election of County
Officers and make the following quotation And the pre-
siding officer of each Freeman Meeting after the shall
have been taken and shall open meeting make


certificate of the Of each person voted for with the
number of given for each annexed to his and degna
ting the office for which the votes given record of which
shall be made the Town Clerks office and he shall seal up
said certificate and shall thereon the the and
the words Certificate of for and add thereto in
writing the title of the office voted for the may be- and
shall deliver such certificate representative chosen
member of the General Assembly whose duty shall be
certificate of be delivered the Committee of the
General Assembly appointed to canvass the same


The words Freemens Meeting used in Article 20 the
Constitution be construed reasonably anything
more nor less than meeng IN Mis State, of
the qualified electors County Officers for the county which
such meeting is holden. The article further requires that
record shall be made of the certificate of the presiding officer
and is obvious that record be made by the Town
Clerk of the which the Feemens Meeting holden


The Article of the Constitution provides that there
shall be committee appointed of and by the General Assembly
who shall be the faithful discharge of their duty and
whose duty shall be examine such certificates and ascertain
the number of given for each candidate and the persons
receiving the largest number of for the respective Offices
shall be declared duly elected and by such Committee be report
ed the General Assembly and the officers elected shall be
commissioned by the Governor The Committee of the Gen.
ea Assembly mentioned in this Article of the Constitution have
discretionary power respect the votes they shall examine
The language is and whose duty shall be to examine such
certificates referring the certificates of votes that aken
sorted and counted by the presiding officer of each Feemen
Meeting the County, and by him sealed up supescrbed and
delivered to the Committee


Such the constitutional provisions relating the election