JOINT RESOLUTIONS Recommending a Revision of the Constitution of the State of Michigan. Whereas, In the opinion of this Legislature, the time has arrived when a general revision of the constitution. of the State of Michigan is necessary for the well-being and better government of the inhabitants of the State; and Whereas, By the second section of article thirteen of the said constitution, it is made the duty of the Senate and House of Representatives in such case, to recommend to the electors, at the next election for members of the Legislature, to vote for or against a Convention to be called for the purpose of revising said instrument; therefore Resolved, by the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Michigan, That we do hereby recommend to the qualified electors of the State of Michigan, at the next general election for members of the Legislature, to vote for or against a Convention, to be called for the purpose of making a general revision of the constitution of this State. Resolved, That the above recommendation shall be submitted to the people at the next general election, and those voting in favor of calling a Convention shall have written or printed on their ballots, the words "For a Convention," and those voting against such Convention shall have written or printed on their ballots the words "Against a Convention;" which votes shall be canvassed and returned in the same manner, as near as may be, as required in section twenty-five, chapter seven, and sections twelve and thirteen, of chapter nine of the revised statutes of eighteen hundred and forty-six; and the Secretary of State shall report the result to the next Legislature thereafter. Resolved, That the Secretary of State shall cause these resolutions to be published in the State paper for three months in succession next previous to the next general election for members of the Legislature. Approved March 12, 1849. STATEMENT OF VOTES GIVEN at the General Election held within the State of Michigan on Tuesday the sixth day of November, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty-nine, for and against a Convention to be called for the pur pose of making a general revision of the Constitution of this State, recommended by the Legislature thereof for the year 1849, pursuant to section two of article thirteen of the Constitution of this State, by Joint Resolution No. 21, approved March 12th, 1849. Livingston, 1,523 142 1,665 Mackinac, 88 1,232 Oakland, 2,640 299 2,939 331 814 four thousand and ninety-five were given against the said Convention; and three of said votes were blanks. We certify the foregoing to be a correct statement of the votes given in the State of Michigan for and against the said Convention, submitted to the people of said State, at the said election, holden on the sixth day of November, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty-nine, as appears from the canvass and examination of the statements of votes given in the several counties, received by the Secretary of State from the respective county clerks, duly certified under their hands and seals of of fice. In witness whereof we have hereunto set our names at the office of the Secretary of State, this fifteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty-nine. GEO. W. PECK, Secretary of State, We, the undersigned, having, in pursuance of law, this fifteenth day of December, A. D. one thousand eight hundred and forty-nine, at the office of the Secretary of State, examined and canvassed the statements received by the said Secretary, of the votes given in the several counties at the 178 general election holden on the sixth day of November, A. D. one thousand eight hundred and forty-nine, for and against a Convention to be called for the purpose of ma1,399 king a general revision of the Constitution of this State, 824 and made out a correct statement of the whole number of 3,137 votes given at such election for and against said Convention, 3,416 and certified such statement to be correct, and subscribed our names thereto; and it appearing from such canvass 37,291 and statement that the greatest number of votes was given in favor of said Convention, do hereby determine that said Convention has been duly called according to the provisions of the second section of the thirteenth article of the Constitution of said State. The whole number of votes given at said election for and against a Convention to be called for the purpose of making a general revision of the Constitution of said State of Michigan, was thirty-seven thousand two hundred and ninety-one; of which votes, thirty-three thousand one hundred and ninety-three were given for the said Convention; GEO. W. PECK, Secretary of State, AN ACT To provide for the time, place and manner of holding the Convention to Revise the Constitution, and for the election of Delegates thereto. SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Michigan, That an election for delegates to the Convention to revise the constitution of the State of Michigan, shall be held on the first Monday of May, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty. The township board of elections in the several townships, and the inspectors of elections in the different wards and cities of this State, shall, upon the day above mentioned, open the polis of their respective townships, wards or cities, in the manner prescribed by law for the election of Representatives to the State Legislature, at the same place at which the polls may be opened for the election of township, ward and city officers at the next spring election, and shall receive the votes of all electors who are qualified by law to elect Representa tives to the State Legislature. The electors shall be entitled to vote for as many persons as shall be entitled to a seat in said Convention from their several counties or districts by the provisions of this act, which votes shall be taken in the same manner as is now provided by law in elections for Representatives to the State Legislature. SEC. 2. The Secretary of State is hereby required to publish the notice of this election, and send copies thereof to the sheriffs of the different counties and districts in this State, which said copies shall be sent to said sheriffs at least three weeks before the day appointed for holding said election. Said notice shall contain the number of delegates and their apportionment to each county and district, and the Secretary of State shall cause said notice to be published in the State paper and in a paper published in each of the counties in this State, (where a paper is published,) three weeks in succession, previous to the day of holding the election. The copies of said notice to be delivered to the sheriffs, as aforesaid, shall contain the number of delegates to which the counties or districts to which such sheriffs belong, are respectively entitled; and the said sheriffs shall, immediately on the receipt of said notice, transmit a copy of the substance thereof to each of the township clerks in their respective counties or districts; and the township clerks shall, at least one week prior to the day appointed for said election, post up copies of such notice in three of the most public places in their respective townships. SEC. 3. The number of delegates in such Convention shall be one hundred, to be apportioned among the several counties and representative districts in this State as fol lows, viz: the county of Allegan, one; Barry, one; Berrien, three; Branch, three; Calhoun, five; Cass, three; Chippewa and the counties attached thereto for represen tative purposes, one; Clmton and the counties attached thereto for judicial purposes, one; Eaton, two; Genesee, three; Hillsdale, four; Ingham, two; Ionia and the counties attached thereto for judicial or that may be attached for representative purposes, two; Jackson, five; Kalamazoo, Kent and Ottawa and the counties attached to Kent and Ottawa for judicial purposes, three; Lapeer, two; Lenawee, seven; Livingston, four; Mackinac, one; Macomb, four; Monroe, four; Oakland, nine; Saginaw and the counties attached thereto for judicial purposes, one; Shiawassee, one; St. Clair and the counties attached thereto for representative and judicial purposes, three; St. Joseph, three; Van Buren, one; Washtenaw, eight; Wayne, ten. SEC. 4. The several township boards of election, and the inspectors of election of the different wards and cities, shall canvass and return the votes given at said election in the same manner as is now provided by law for the canvass and return of votes given at the election of Representatives; and the county and district boards of canvassers shall be appointed in the same manner, and shall meet and canvass the votes in their respective counties and districts in the same manner and in the same space of time after said election is held as is now provided for by law in the appointment of county and district canvassers, and the meeting and canvassing of votes for Representatives; and certificates of election shall be given to the persons entitled thereto by the same officer and in the same manner as Representatives now receive the same; and the county clerks of their respective counties and districts shall, within five days after such canvass, transmit to the Secretary of State certified copies, under their hands and seals of office, of such canvass in their respective counties and districts; and in case of contested élections to the Convention, the Convention shall have the same power to judge of the qualifications, return and election of its delegates as the Legislature of this State now have. Sec. 5. The delegates chosen shall meet in Convention at the capitol in Lansing, on the first Monday of June, one thousand eight hundred and fifty. They shall be judges of their own privileges and elections, and the delegates thereof shall have the same privileges to, which Representatives to the State Legislature are entitled, and shall by ballot appoint one of their number president, and may appoint one or more secretaries, a sergeant-at-arms, one or more reporters, and such messengers as their convenience shall require; and such delegates of the Convention shall be entitled to the same mileage for travel, and the same per diem allowance as is now paid to members of the Legislature; and the president, secretaries, repor ters, sergeant-at-arms, door-keepers and messengers shall receive such compensation as the Convention shall see fit to allow. The amount due each person shall be certified to by the principal secretary of the Convention, and countersigned by the president; and the Treasurer of the State shall pay the certificates so certified to and countersigned, out of any moneys in the treasury hot otherwise appropriated; and the said Convention may furnish for its own use such stationery as it may require, as is usual for legislative bodies, and the amount due therefor shall be certified to and paid for in the same manner as the dele. gates and officers are paid. And it shall be the duty of the Secretary of State to attend said Convention at the opening thereof; and he and all public officers shall furnish such Convention with all such papers, statements, books or other public documents in their possession, as the said Convention shall order or require. And the State printer shall perform the printing required to be done, by said Convention, at such times and in such manner as they shall direct, and said printer shall receive the same com pensation and in the same manner as now provided by law for compensation and payment for legislative printing; and in case the said printer shall refuse or neglect to perform the duties aforesaid, the said Convention may appoint a printer to perform said duites, who shall receive the same compensation and in the same manner as SEC. 6. The proceedings of the said Convention shall be filed in the office of the Secretary of State, and the revision of the Constitution agreed to by said Convention shall be recorded in his office. The said revision shall be submitted by the Convention to the people, for their adop tion or rejection, at such time and in such manner as the Convention may prescribe. SEC. 7. All willful and corrupt false swearing in taking any of the oaths prescribed by this act, or by the laws of this State made applicable to this act, or any other mode or form in carrying into effect this act, shall be deemed perjury, and shall be punished in the manner now prescribed by law for willful and corrupt perjury. Sec. 8. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage. Approved March 9, 1850. STANDING COMMITTEES OF THE CONVENTION. On Supplies and Expenditures--Messrs. Hanscom, Danforth, Beeson, Chapel and Eaton. On Printing-Messrs. Gardiner, Britain, Roberts, Bush and Hascall. On Bill of Rights-Messrs. S. Clark, Rix Robinson, Gardiner, Gibson, Webster, P. R. Adams and Prevost. On the Division of the Powers of Government-Messrs. J. Clark, Newberry, Hart, Barnard and Asahel Brown. On Impeachments and Removals from Office-Messrs. Sullivan, J. Clark, W. Adams, Beardsley and P. R. Ad ams. On the Elective Franchise--Messrs. Whittemore, Alvord, Hascall, Lovell and Wait. On the Executive Department-Messrs. Whipple, Skinner, Mowry, Eaton, M. Robinson, Anderson, Sutherland, N. Pierce and Daniels. On the Schedule-Messrs. Mason, Hart, Robertson, Moore, Alvord, Wells and Backus. On the Legislative Department-Messrs. McClelland, E. S. Robinson, Beeson, Bagg, Soule, Gale, Crouse, Alvarado Brown and Chandler. On the Judicial Department-Messrs. Crary, S. Clark, Church, Hanscom, Sullivan, Walker, Kingsley, Tiffany. Backus, Butterfield, Hixon, Comstock, Cook, Asahel Brown, Hathaway, Mowry, Lee, Town and Bagg. On County Officers and County Government-Messrs. Rix Robinson, Cornell, Amimon Brown, Conner, Hixon, Green and Wait. On the Militia-Messrs. Hanscom, Arzeno, Dimond, O'Brien, White, Anderson and Daniels. On Education-Messrs. Walker, Van Valkenburgh, Butterfield, Eastman, Desnoyers, J. D. Pierce, Barnard, Williams and Edmunds. On Finance and Taxation-Messrs. Britain, Bush, Fralick, Axford, Morrison, Burns, Choate, Wells and Chandler. On Banking and other Corporations, except Municipal -Messrs. Cook, Raynale, Hascall, Danforth, Gardiner, Crouse, Moore, White and Comstock. On Salaries-Messrs. Storey, Van Valkenburgh, Mason, Desnoyers, Eastman, Morrison and Williams. On the Seat of Government-Messrs. Kingsley, Axford, Danforth, Storey and Willard. On Exemptions and the Rights of Married WomenMessrs. J. D. Pierce, Newberry, Lee, Chapel, Fralick, H. Bartow and Tiffany. On the Punishment of Crimes-Messrs. Witherell, Sturgis, M. Robinson, Woodman, Warden, Kinne and Pre On Township Officers and Township Government-liams. Messrs. Bush, Eaton, Chapel, Town, Beeson, Harvey and Leach. On the Organization of the Government of Cities and Villages-Messrs. J. Bartow, Skinner, Marvin, Witherell and Raynate. On the Government and Judicial Policy of the Upper Peninsula-Messrs. Roberts, McLeod, Cornell, Willard, Hanscom, Edmunds, Gale, Robertson and Graham. On State Officers, Except the Executive-Messrs. Redfield, Roberts, Mosher, Orr and Carr. |