OHIO CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTIONS.

FIRST CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION.

1802.

The first Constitutional Convention of Ohio met in Chillicothe on the first Monday in November, 1802.

Provision for this was made by the enabling act which Congress passed the previous April.

Delegates to this convention were elected by the people, but the constitution was not submitted to the voters for their approval.

The Convention was in session from the first to the Twenty-ninth of November. There was a membership of thirty-five who represented nine counties.

The question of holding a Constitutional Convention was submitted

to the voters of Ohio in the year 1819 but was defeated.

Total vote cast..

Total vote for..

Total vote against..

36,302

6,987

29,315

SECOND CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION.

1851-2.

On March 23rd, 1849, a bill was passed by the two-thirds vote of both houses to submit to the people the question of holding a second Constitutional Convention.

This question was submitted to the voters at the October election of 1849 with the following result:

Total vote cast....

For Constitutional Convention.

Against Constitutional Convention.

235,370

145,698

51,171

The bill providing for the election of delegates was passed in December, 1849, and the election took place April 1, 1850.

The Convention convened at Columbus May 6, 1850 and remained in session there until July 9th. It then adjourned to meet in Cincinnati, December 2nd, and continued in session until March 10, 1851.

The Convention was in session one hundred and thirty-five days in all and was composed of one hundred and nine delegates. The new constitution was submitted to the votes of the people, June 17, 1851, and was adopted by the following vote:

For new Constitution...

Against new Constitution.

Majority in favor....

125,564

109,276

16,188

The question of license was submitted as a separate amendment and was defeated.