33 

 MEMBERSHIP OF CONVENTIONS 



Generally ppetiklng^ the total nemberahip of conventions and 

 the qualifications and apportionment of convention delegates among 

 the coxinties of the State have closely followed those of the lower 

 house of the General Assembly, These factors have in every case 

 been governed by the statute or ottier official act calling (or 

 authorizing a vote by the people on calling) a convention. The 

 Constitution has never fixed the number of delegates of which a 

 convention should consist or the method of their apportionment. 

 The proposed Constitutions of 186& and 1933r would have fixed 

 total convention membership at 120 and have apportioned the 

 delegates under the House apportionment formula in every case, 

 but both of those constitutions were rejected by the people. 



The unicameral Provincial Congress was a state legislative 

 body v/hich functioned from 177U until the end of 1776. The Fifth 

 Provincial Congress, meeting in November and December, 1776, framed 

 and ratified the Declaration of Rights and Constitution of 1776,' 

 In that Congress, following the prevailing system of apportionment, 



each of the 35 counties was allowed five members and each of the 



3 



nine borough towns vjas allowed one member. 



In calling the Conventions of 1788 and 1789> the General 

 Assembly provided that each county should elect five delegates 

 and each of the six borough toims should elect one delegate. 



■••Proposed Constitution of North Carolina , 1866, Art. VIII, 

 ^Proposed Constitution of North Carolina , 1933, Art. XII, Sec, 1. 

 3 The Journal of the Provincial Congress of North Carolina, Held 



at Halifax. November the Twelfth Day. Anno, Pom, 1776 , 12 Nov. 1776, 



10 Colonial Records 913-915, 



^Senate— First Journal— 1787 . 6 Dec. 1787, 20 State Records 371; 

 Senate Journal— 1788 3 17 Nov. 1788. 20 State Records 51ii-51$j House 

 Journal— 1788 . 19 Nov, 1788, 21 State Records 66. 



