1855-05-23Essex, ss: To one of the Constables of the town of Beverly. Greeting:
You are hereby required in the name of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to notify and warn in
the usual manner the inhabitants of said Town qualified to vote for Senators and Representatives in
the General Court to meet at the Town Hall on Wednesday the twenty third day of May current at
one o’clock in the afternoon, for the purpose of giving in their votes by ballot for or against the
Articles of Amendment to the Constitution of this Commonwealth, agreed upon by the last and
present General Courts, and published in the manner required by the Constitution and submitted to
the people for their approval or rejection by Resolves of the Legislature. Approved May 1st. 1855. -
which Articles of Amendment are in substance as follows - viz..
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Article 1. Provides for the election of all elective civil officers to buy the highest number of votes.
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Article 2. Changing the date of the Annual State Election to the Tuesday next after the first Monday
in November annually.
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Articles 3. Provides for the election of Eight Councillors by the people, and for districting the state
therefore and other matters contingent thereto.
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Article 4. Providing for the election of Secretary, Treasurer and Receiver General, Auditor, and
Attorney General annually and other matters contingent thereto.
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Article 5. Providing that all moneys raised by taxation by towns and cities for the support of public
schools, and all monies appropriated by the state for the support of common schools, shall be applied
to and expended in, no other schools than those, which are conducted according to law, under the
order and superintendence of the authorities of the town or city in which the money is to be
expended, and such monies shall never be appropriated to any religious sect for the maintenance
exclusively of its own schools.
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Article 6. Authorizing the Legislature to prescribe by general law, for the election of Sheriffs,
Registers of Probate, Commissioners of Insolvency, and Clerks of Courts, by the people of the several
counties, and that the District Attorneys by the people of the several Districts for such term of office
as the Legislature shall prescribe.
Each of the said articles shall be considered as a distinct amendment to be adopted were rejected in
the whole as the people may think proper, and every person may express his opinion of each article,
without specifying in his ballot the contents of the article, by annexing to each number the word Yes
or No or any other words of the same import, but the whole shall be written or printed on one ballot.
- The poll will open at one o’clock and close at Four o’clock P.M.
Hereof fail not but make due return of this warrant with your doings thereon before said time.
Given under our hands and seal this Seventh day of May in the Year Eighteen Hundred &
Fifty Five.
Lawson Walker
Warren Prince
Zachariah ColeSelectmen of Beverly
George S. Millett
Aaron Dodge
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Beverly May 15 1855. Pursuant to the foregoing warrant I have notified the persons therein named
by posting notices according to the Town Regulations at or near each public meeting house in town.
John J. Dennis, Constable of Beverly.
A true record of the original warrant and return thereon.Attest.James Hill, Town Clerk.
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Pursuant to Resolves of the General Court of Massachusetts entitled “Resolves relating to the
proposed amendments of the Constitution,” approved by the Governor the first day of May in the
Year One Thousand Eight Hundred and Fifty Five, the inhabitants of the Town of Beverly “qualified
to vote for Senators and Representatives in the General Court” being duly convened at a meeting
legally warned and held on the fourth Wednesday being the twenty third day of May Eighteen
Hundred and Fifty Five for the purpose of giving in “their votes by ballot for or against said articles
of amendment” to the Constitution of this Commonwealth, submitted to the people for their approval
or rejection by the Resolves aforesaid, and having voted thereon in the manner prescribed the whole
number of votes given in were sorted, counted, reported, and declaration thereof made at his by law
and said Resolves provided and were as follows, viz.: -
Article First,Yes. Sixty-one votes
Article First,No. Fourteen votes
Article Second,Yes. Sixty votes.
Article Second,No. Thirteen votes.
Article Third,Yes. Fifty-three votes.
Article Third,No. Sixteen votes.
Article Fourth,Yes. Forty-eight votes
Article Fourth,No. Twenty-four votes.
Article Fifth,Yes. Sixty votes.
Article Fifth,No. Fourteen votes.
Article Sixth,Yes. Forty-eight votes.
Article Sixth,No. Twenty-four votes.
Dated at Beverly aforesaid this twenty-third day of May, one thousand eight hundred and
fifty-five, and in the seventy-ninth year of the Independence of the United States of America.
Lawson Walker
Aaron DodgeSelectmen
Zachariah Cole of
George S. Millett Beverly
Warren Prince
Attest.
James Hill,
Town Clerk.