I hereby certify that I have carefully compared the laws contained in this Sup- GEORGE W. MUNFORD. SUPPLEMENT TO THE REVISED CODE OF THE LAWS OF VIRGINIA. CHAP. 1.-An ACT concerning a Convention.* (Passed January 31st, 1828.) Whereas, it is represented to the general assembly, that a portion Preamble. of the good people of this commonwealth, are desirous of amending the constitution of this state, and this assembly feel it their duty to ascertain the wishes of the people thereon: 1. Be it therefore enacted, That it shall be the duty of the seve- Sheriffs, &c. to ral sheriffs and other officers authorized to conduct elections within open polls to take sense of the peothis commonwealth, at the time and place of holding their respec- ple. tive elections for delegates to the general assembly, in April next, to open a separate poll for the purpose of taking the sense of the people upon the question, whether they desire a convention or not. The poll to be opened shall contain two columns; one for the names of those who vote in the affirmative, the other for the names of those who vote in the negative, and shall be headed thus: "Shall there be a Convention to amend the Constitution of this Convention. Commonwealth?" No Convention. The sheriff or other officer conducting the election shall take the Who to be allow vote on the question aforesaid, of every person qualified according ed to vote, to the existing laws of the commonwealth, to vote for delegates to the general assembly, who shall come forward during such election to give his vote, and shall write the names of all those who vote in the affirmative, in the first column, under the word "Convention," and the names of all those who vote in the negative, in the second column, under the words "No Convention." No person shall be permitted to vote on the question aforesaid, who is not entitled to vote for delegates to the general assembly under the existing laws of this commonwealth, nor shall any one be permitted to vote in any county or corporation, who shall previously have voted upon the same question in another, Acts 1827-8, ch. 24, pp. 18-20. Under this act, the question of convention or no convention, was submitted to the qualified voters throughout the commonwealth, and decided in favor of a convention, by a vote of 21,896 to 16,637. Governor's message and accompanying documents, Dec. 1st, 1828. Polls to be kept June terms of courts. And more fully to ascertain the sense of the good people of this commonwealth on this momentous question: 2. Be it further enacted, That at the May and June terms of Open at May and their respective county or corporation courts, immediately succeeding the election aforesaid, it shall be the duty of the respective sheriff's or other officers authorized by law to conduct elections therein, to open said polls at their respective places of holding courts, and to continue them open during the whole of said terms, when they shall be ready at all times to receive and record, as required by the first section of this act, all the legal votes which may offer themselves to be polled on this question, during such terms; at the end of which terms, the said polls shall be returned to their respective clerks' offices. And it shall, moreover, be the duty of such sheriff or other officer, to make proclamation before the door, of the fact of such poll being opened, the place at which it is kept, and of his readiness to receive the votes of all persons entitled by this act to express their opinions on this question. Polls when returned to clerks' offices. Proclamation to be made by officers of readiness to re ceive votes. When sheriffs, commissioners examine polls. 3. Be it further enacted, That after the end of the June terms and clerks to meet in the respective counties and corporations as aforesaid, the said at clerks' office to polls shall be closed, and within ten days thereafter, it shall be the duty of the sheriff or other officer conducting the polls, and of the clerk or deputy clerk, and of the commissioner or commissioners of the revenue, (if there be more than one,) of the several counties or corporations, entitled to elect delegates as aforesaid, to assemble at the clerks' offices of their respective counties or corporations, on some day to be appointed and made known to them by the sheriff or other officer authorized by law to conduct the elections therein Notice of failure. as aforesaid. And if any of them shall refuse or fail to attend, it shall be the duty of such sheriff or other officer to give notice thereof to the attorney prosecuting for the commonwealth in such county or corporation, and those who do attend, shall proceed to examine Correction and ve- said polls, and having stricken therefrom the names of all such perrification of polls. sons as in the opinion of a majority of them are not legally entitled to vote under this act, to cause two fair copies of such corrected poll to be made out and verified as follows: Each sheet of such poll shall be subscribed with the names of the sheriff or other officer, of the clerk or deputy clerk, and of the commissioner or commissioners of the revenue, or such of them as may attend at the scrutiny of the polls as above required; and at the foot of the poll, each of them so attending as aforesaid, shall make an affidavit before a justice of the peace, to the following effect, viz: "This day of the Oath of officers. above named A. B. and C. D., et cetera, whose names are subscribed to the above poll, made oath (or affirmation) before me, a justice of the peace for said county, (or corporation,) that they have carefully examined said poll; that they have stricken therefrom no person who in the judgment of a majority of them had a legal right to vote, and that the name of no one remains thereon, whom a majority of them concur in believing is not entitled to a vote according to the existing laws of this commonwealth. And the aforesaid A. B. and C. D., (the sheriffs or other officers conducting the polls,) also made oath (or affirmation) that they conducted the poll aforesaid, and verily believe it represents fairly the votes given by the persons whose names appear thereon, according to the best of their knowledge and belief. "One copy of the Polls how dispos. Given under my hand, this day of ⚫ed of. poll so made out shall be retained by the clerk of the court, to be by him preserved amongst the files of his office, the other copy thereof shall be transmitted by mail, by the said clerk, to the executive of this commonwealth, within ten days after the proper attestation of said copies by the aforesaid officers. certained by exec municated to le 4. And be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty of the Result to be asexecutive to ascertain the result, as exhibited by the returns received, tive; to be pubon or before the first day of September next, and within five days lished and comthereafter to cause the same to be published by proclamation from gislature. the governor, and also to communicate the result of all the returns made from all the counties and corporations within this commonwealth, entitled to elect delegates as aforesaid, to the succeeding legislature, and to take such other steps therein, as may be required of them by law. in taking, examin and transmitting 5. And be it further enacted, That if any sheriff or other officer Penalty on officers authorized to conduct an election, shall refuse or fail to take a poll for neglect of duty at his next spring election, and at the succeeding May and June ing, authenticating terms of his county or corporation courts, as required by this act, or polls. shall fail or refuse to make out, examine and authenticate, as required, a copy of the poll so taken, or if any clerk refuse or fail, by himself or his deputy, to aid in making out, examining, authenticating and transmitting to the executive, as required by this act, the poll aforesaid, such sheriff, clerk or other officer, shall forfeit and pay for such offence, a fine of five hundred dollars; and if any Penalty for other neglect. sheriff, clerk or other officer shall refuse or fail to perform any other duty required of him or them by this act, he or they shall forfeit and pay a fine not less than one hundred, nor more than five hundred dollars, for which it shall be the duty of the attorney of the commonwealth to prosecute in behalf of the commonwealth, and for the benefit of the literary fund. ed. 6. Be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty of the execu- Act to be publishtive, forthwith, after the passage of this act, to cause it to be published in such newspapers in the different sections of this commonwealth, as in their opinion shall be best calculated to diffuse general information thereof to the good people of Virginia, and to cause such publication to be made at least once in every two weeks until the last day of April next. 7. This act shall commence and be in force from and after the Commencement. passage thereof. CHAP. 2.—An ACT to organize a Convention.* [Passed February 10th, 1829.] Whereas, in pursuance of the act of the general assembly, passed Preamble. at the last session, entitled, "an act concerning a convention," the sense of the good people of this commonwealth has been taken on the question, whether they desire a convention to amend the state constitution, or not; and it has been thus ascertained, that it is the wish of the people that a convention shall be called for the purpose aforesaid: In order, therefore, to the forming and assembling of 'such convention : thorized to vote. 1. Be it enacted, That the persons qualified according to law to What persons auvote for members of the house of delegates, in each county, city and borough, within the several senatorial districts of this common *Acts 1828-9, ch. 15, pp. 17-22, amended by act of February 12th, 1830. Acts 1820-30, pp. 12-16, post. ch. 3. |