3k 



(From 1776 until 1835, the House of Commons consisted of two mem- 

 bers from each county, plus one member from each of the six — after 

 1789, seven — borough toims.) 



The act calling the Convention of 1835 limited each county to 

 two members (the same representation each then had in the House of 



Commons), but denied the seven borough towns the right of representa- 



6 

 tion which they then enjoyed in the House of Commons, The Amendments 



of 1835, which wrote into the Constitution for the first time a 



method of calling a convention, made no provision as to the total 



number of delegates who would compose future conventions, nor 



7 

 was a system of apportioning members prescribed. 



The acts calling, or authorizing a vote of the people on cal- 



8 Q 10 11 

 ling, the Conventions of I86I, l86l-62,^ 1875, and 1919 each 



provided that the convention should consist of 120 delegates, each 

 county being allowed the same number of delegates as it had members 

 of the House of Commons or House of Repre,sentatives under the pre- 

 vailing apportionment. The proposed Convention of 1871 would have 

 consisted of 121 delegates, one being allotted to the nei'ily- formed 



County of Dare, and the other 120 being apportioned as was the House 



12 



of Representatives at the time. 



The Convention of 1865-66 vjas called by proclamation of the 

 Provisional Governor under presidential authorization, and the 

 Provisional Governor fixed the number of delegates at 120 and 



^ Constitution of North Carolina , 1776, Sec, 3, 



^Laws 183U-35 , C. 1, Sec. 8, 



" ^Amendments of 1835 , Art, IV, Sec. I, CI. 1. 



8 Public Laws I86O-6I , C. 17, Sec, 6, 



^ Public Laws I86I (1st Extra Session), C. 9, Sec, h, 

 IQ public Laws l87lj-75 , C. 222, Sec. 2. 

 ^^ Public Laws 1917 , C, 60, Sec, 2. 

 l^Public Laws 1870-71, C. 211, Sec. 8, 



