CONSTITUTION SUBMITTED TO THE
PEOPLE.
In obedience to the requirements of the
sixth section of the 12th article of the constitution,
and for the purpose of ascertaining
the sense of the people of the State in regard
too the adoption or rejection of the constitu-
tion the governor on the 9th day of Septem-
ber issued the following proclamation:
STATE OF MARYLAND,
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT.
To the Sheriffs of the Several Counties of the
State and of the City of Baltimore :
Whereas, by an act of the general assem-
bly of Maryland, passed at January session.
in the year eighteen hundred and sixty-four,
entitled "An act to provide for the taking
of the sense of the people upon the call of a
convention to frame a new constitution and
form of government for this State, to provide
for the election of delegates to said conven-
tion, and the assembling thereof, it was
among other things enacted that the constitu-
tion which might he framed by said conven-
tion should be submitted to the legal and
" qualified voters of the State for their adop-
tion or rejection, at such time, in such man-
ner and subject to such rules and regulations "
as said convention should prescribe; and—
Whereas, the said convention assembled
in conformity to said act, and did adopt a
new constitution, in which they provided that
for the purpose of ascertaining the sense of
the people of this State in regard to the adop-
tion or rejection of said constitution an elec-
tion should be held in the city of Baltimore
on the twelfth day of October, in the year
1864, and in the several counties of this State
on the twelfth and thirteenth days of the
same month, and did direct that the governor
should issue his proclamation to the sheriffs
of the said city and counties, directing them
to give the usual notice of said election.
Therefore, you are hereby commanded to
give notice in the manner now prescribed by
law, that an election will be held in the city
of Baltimore on the twelfth day of October
next and in the several counties of the State
on the twelfth and thirteenth days of October
next, at the usual places of holding elections |
in said city and counties, for the adoption or
rejection of said constitution by ballot, in the
manner by said constitution provided, which
election shall be held as aforesaid between
the hours of eight o'clock A. M. and five
o'clock P. M., on the day or days so respec-
tively appointed for said city and counties,
and tire judges of election "shall receive at
said election the votes only of such electors as
are qualified according to the provisions of
said constitution "
Given under my hand and the great seal of
the State at the city of Annapolis
[L, S.] this ninth day of September in the
year eighteen hundred and sixty-four.
By the Governor,
A. W. BRADFORD.
WM. B. HILL, Secretary of State.
CORRESPONDENCE.
After the issuing of this proclamation,
doubts were expressed as to the legality of
the provisions of the constitution, by which
its adoption was to be submitted to a vote of
the people. While these doubts were agita-
ting the public mind the following corres-
pondence took place and about the fifth of
October was made public, viz :
FIRST LETTER OF MR. VICKERS.
CHESTERTOWN, September 14, 1864.
His Excellency, A. W. Bradford, Governor
of Maryland :
My Dear Sir—1 beg leave, most respectful-
ly, to call your attention to the proceedings
of the late convention, which assembled at
the city of Annapolis to remodel the consti-
tution or propose a plan of a constitution for
the State. I am now living under the only
constitution of the State in existence, framed
and adopted in the year 1851. That consti-
tution secures to the male inhabitaints of the
State, over twenty-one years of age, and res-
ident twelve months in the State and six in
the county (or city) in which they may re-
side, by its first section, the right to vote in
the ward or election district in which they
reside, in "all elections hereafter to be held."
The act of the general assembly passed on |
