The tenth Article of Amendment was adopted by the General Court during the sessions of the political years 1829-30, and 1830-31, and was approved and ratified by the people May 11th, 1831. The eleventh Article of Amendment was adopted by the General Court during the sessions of the years 1832 and 1833, and was approved and ratified by the people November 11th, 1833. The twelfth Article of Amendment was adopted by the General Court during the sessions of the years 1835 and 1836, and was approved and ratified by the people November 14th, 1836. The thirteenth Article of Amendment was adopted by the General Court during the sessions of the years 1839 and 1840, and was approved and ratified by the people April 6th, 1840. The General Court of the year 1851 passed an Act calling a third Convention to revise the Constitution. The Act was submitted to the people, and a majority voted against the proposed Convention. In 1852, on the 7th of May, another Act was passed calling upon the people to vote upon the question of calling a Constitutional Convention. A majority of the people having voted in favor of the proposed Convention, election for delegates thereto took place in March, 1853. The Convention met in the State House, in Boston, on the 4th day of May, 1853, and organized by choosing Nathaniel P. Banks, Jr., President, and William S. Robinson and James T. Robinson, Secretaries. On the 1st of August, this Convention agreed to a form of Constitution, and on the same day was dissolved, after having provided for submitting the same to the people, and appointed a committee to meet to count the votes, and to make a return thereof to the General Court. The Committee met at the time and place agreed upon, and found that the proposed Constitution had been rejected. The fourteenth, fifteenth, sixteenth, seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth Articles of Amendment were adopted by the General Court during the sessions of the years 1854 and 1855, and were approved and ratified by the people May 23d, 1855. The twentieth, twenty-first and twenty-second Articles of Amendment were adopted by the General Court during the sessions of the years 1856 and 1857, and were approved and ratified by the people May 1st, 1857. The twenty-third Article of Amendment was adopted by the General Court during the sessions of the years 1858 and 1859, and was approved and ratified by the people May 9th, 1859. The twenty-fourth and twenty-fifth Articles of Amendment were adopted by the General Court during the sessions of the years 1859 and 1860, and were approved and ratified by the people May 17th, 1860. The twenty-sixth Article of Amendment was adopted by the General Court during the sessions of the years 1862 and 1863, and was approved and ratified April 6th, 1863. The twenty-seventh Article was adopted by the General Court during the sessions of the years 1876 and 1877, and was approved and ratified by the people on the 6th day of November, 1877. The twenty-eighth Article was adopted by the General Court during the sessions of the years 1880 and 1881, and was approved and ratified by the people on the 8th day of November, 1881. The twenty-ninth Article was adopted by the General Court during the sessions of the years 1884 and 1885, and was approved and ratified by the people on the 3d day of November, 1885. The thirtieth and thirty-first Articles of Amendment were adopted by the General Court during the sessions of the years 1889 and 1890, and were approved and ratified by the people on the 4th day of November, 1890. The thirty-second and thirty-third Articles of Amendment were adopted by the General Court during the sessions of the years 1890 and 1891, and were approved and ratified by the people on the 3d day of November, 1891. The thirty-fourth Article of Amendment was adopted by the General Court during the sessions of the years 1891 and 1892, and was approved and ratified by the people on the 8th day of November, 1892. The thirty-fifth Article of Amendment was adopted by the General Court during the sessions of the years 1892 and 1893, and was approved and ratified by the people on the 7th day of November, 1893. The thirty-sixth Article of Amendment was adopted by the General Court during the sessions of the years 1893 and 1894, and was approved and ratified by the people on the 6th day of November, 1894.] ELECTIONS FOR SENATORS IN CONGRESS. [Sections 14 to 19, Revised Statutes of the United States.] SECT. 14. The legislature of each State which is chosen next preceding the expiration of the time for which any Senator was elected to represent such State in Congress shall, on the second Tuesday after the meeting and organization thereof, proceed to elect a Senator in Congress. SECT. 15. Such election shall be conducted in the following manner: Each house shall openly, by a viva voce vote of each member present, name one person for Senator in Congress from such State, and the name of the person so voted for, who receives a majority of the whole number of votes cast in each house, shall be entered on the journal of that house by the clerk or secretary thereof; or if either house fails to give such majority to any person on that day, the fact shall be entered on the journal. At twelve o'clock meridian of the day following that on which proceedings are required to take place as aforesaid, the members of the two houses shall convene in joint assembly, and the journal of each house shall then be read, and if the same person has received a majority of all the votes in each house, he shall be declared duly elected Senator. But if the same person has not received a majority of the votes in each house, or if either house has failed to take proceedings as required by this section, the joint assembly shall then proceed to choose, by a viva voce vote of each member present, a person for Senator, and the person who receives a majority of all the votes of the joint assembly, a majority of all the members elected to both houses being present and voting, shall be declared duly elected. If no person receives such majority on the first day, the joint assembly shall meet at twelve o'clock meridian of each succeeding day during the session of the legislature, and shall take at least one vote, until a Senator is elected. SECT. 16. Whenever on the meeting of the legislature of any State a vacancy exists in the representation of such State in the Senate, the legislature shall proceed, on the second Tuesday after meeting and organization, to elect a person to fill such vacancy, in the manner prescribed in the preceding section for the election of a Senator for a full term. SECT. 17. Whenever during the session of the legislature of any State a vacancy occurs in the representation of such State in the Senate, similar proceedings to fill such vacancy shall be had on the second Tuesday after the legislature has organized and has notice of such vacancy. SECT. 18. It shall be the duty of the executive of the State from which any Senator has been chosen, to certify his election, under the seal of the State, to the President of the Senate of the United States. SECT. 19. The certificate mentioned in the preceding section shall be countersigned by the secretary of state of the State. |