CONVENTION ACT,
Passed, tooth Houses of the
GENERAL ASSE1 MB
-on the-
U.'CiOna. oD.csjsT O.SI3(3I3£Lo
AN ACT to provide for a State Convention.
Sec. 1. Be it enacted by the General As¬
sembly of the State of Arkansas, That the
Governor shall issue his proclamation or¬
dering an election in all the counties in this
State, submitting to the people the question
of " Convention" or "no Convention," to
he held on the eighteenth day of February,
1861, which election shall he conducted as
State elections are now conducted; Provided,
That the sheriffs of the several counties shall
be required to give hut ten days' notice of
said election.
Sec. 2. f it fuftht.- enacted?. That at
Jigid election the people shall also vote for
a delegate or delegates to said convention,
and each delegate elected shall be made a
special returning officer, and shall bring up
the certified vote of his county on the ques¬
tion of convention or no convention, which
vote from all the counties shall be opened
by the Governor, Auditor, Treasurer and
Secretary of State, or any three of them
on the second day of March, 1861, and if
on counting the votes of all the counties of
this State it shall appear that a majority of
all the votes cast are for a convention, then
the Governor shall immediately issue his
proclamation requiring the delegates elect¬
ed as aforesaid to convene in the capitol on
the following Monday, and organize them¬
selves into a State convention by the elec¬
tion of ft president and such other officers
as may be required, and in case of sickness
or any other unavoidable cause to prevent
any delegate to the convention from getting
to the capital, he shall have power to send
up the returns of his county by a special
messenger selected by himself.
Sec. 3. Be it further enacted, That the
delegates, or special returning officers shall
be paid mileage at the same rate that mem¬
bers of the General Assembly are paid, to be
certified by the President of the convention,
if one be organized, and if not, the auditor
is required to issue his warrant for the
same, taking the mileage accounts of the
I 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,
j Sec. 4. Be it further enacted, That the
officers and members of said convention, if
it shall be organized, shall be paid the
same per diem pay that the officers and
j members of this General Assembly are paid;
their accounts therefor to be certified by
the President of the convention, and the
\ Secretary shall certify the account of the
| President.
Sec. 5. Be it further enacted, That each
i county in this State shall be entitled to elect
as many delegates to said convention as it
j is now entitled to members in the lower
j branch of the General Assembly, and the
; qualifications for a delegate shall be the
same as now required for a member of the
; House of Representatives.
Sec. 6. Be it further enacted, That fifty
! members of said convention shall beneces-
: sary to constitute a quorum to transact
j business.
Sec. 7. Beit further enacted, That if any
; seat in the convention hereby pr ovided for
' be contested, the convention shall have
| power to determine such contest, as the
I General Assembly has to determine con-
| tests for seats in either House, in the man-
: net now prescribed by law.
Sec. 8. Beit further enacted, That upon
: the organization of said convention it shall
| take into consideration the condition of po-
\ litical affairs, and determine what course
S the State of Arkansas shall take in the pre-
\ sent political crisis.
\ Sec. 9. Re it further enacted, That a suf-
1 ficient amount of money be and the same is
J hereby appropriated out of the State trea-
: sury to pay the necessary expenses of said
:> convention, should one be held,
s Sec. 10. Beit further enacted, That this
| act shall take effect and be in force from its
j passage.