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thirteenth judicial districts shall expire on the twenty-seventh day of February, anno domini, one thousand eight hundred and thirty nine ;of the ninth and fifteenth districts on the twenty-seventh day of February, anno domini, one thousand eight hundred and forty-of the sixth and first districts on the twenty-seventh day of February, anno domini, one thousand eight hundred and forty one of the fourth and sixteenth districts on the twenty-seventh day of February, anno domini, one thousand eight hundred and forty-two;-of the twelfth and seventh districts on the twenty-seventh day of February, anno domini, one thousand eight hundred and forty-three; of the seventeenth and eighth distric s. on the twenty-seventh day of February, anno domini, one thousand eight hundred and forty-four;-of the nineteenth and fifth districts, and the commissions of the associate judges of the first district, shall expire on the twenty seventh day of February, anno domini, one thonsand eight hundred and forty-five;-the commissions of the president judges of the eighteenth and third districts, shall expire on the twentyseventh day of February, anno domini, one thousand eigt hundred and forty-six ;-of the second and tenth districts, on the twenty-seventh day of February, anno domini. one thousand eight hundred and forty-seve«; – and of the fourteenth district on the twenty seventh day of February, anno domini one thousand eight hundred and forty-eight.

GEO. W. WOODWARD,
EPHRAIM BANKS,
HIRAM PAYNE.

Laid on the table and ordered to be printed.

Mr. M'SHERRY, on the behalf of a minority of the committee appointed to prepare and report a schedule to the amended constitution, made the following report, viz:

The undersigned, a minority of the committee appointed to prepare and report a schedule to the amended constitution, recommend the adoption of the subjoined sections in place of the eighth and eleventh sections reported by the committee, viz:

VIII. The commissions of the associate judges of the several courts of common pleas of this commonwealth (as well as of those of the first judicial district,) now in commission, shall not be affected by the said second section of the said fitih article. Their successors shall hold accor ding to the tenure therin prescribed.

XI. All aldermen and justices of the peace now in commission shall continue to hold their offices according to the terms of their present commissions. Whenever the number of these officers in any ward, borough or township, shall be reduced by death, resignation or otherwise, below the number which may be prescribed by law, the vacancies shall be filled in the manner and upon the tenure prescribed by the seventh section of the sixth article of the amended constitution.

J. M. SCOTT,
JAMES M'SHERRY,
W. P. MACLAY.

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Laid on the table and ordered to be printed.

SCHEDULE.

The convention resumed the second reading and consideration of the report of the committee appointed to prepare and report a schedule to the amended constitution, to whom was referred the resolution instructing said committee to report when it will be most expedient for the citizens of the state to vote upon the amendments to the constitution, which may be submitted to them for their approbation.

The amendment to the amendment to the said report being under consideration, as follows, viz:

To strike from the amendment the werds "second Tuesday of October." and insert in lieu thereof the words "first Tuesday of November."

Mr. REIGART of Lancaster, said. I presme we may take the ques. tion very soon on the matter now before us, and I will give any reason.. If the election is to take place in November, according to the amendment now immediately under consideration, it seems to me that it will be more likely to beget political excitement, than if held at any other time, and that parties will array themselves one against the other in reference to these amid.neats. The electin for governor will then have passed, an the parties, according to the success of their respective candidates, will arose themselves for or against the amendments. Every thing of this kind has been properly deprecated by the gantleman from the city, (Mr. Scott) an I concur with him in the views he has expressed on that point. But I do not agree with him in the position, that a day in November, will be better than the se ond Tuesday in October. I do not see how political considerations can be mixed up with the question of the amendments, if we fix on the latter day. It is uncertain who will be elected governor, and we may suppose that the election if held at that time, will go according to the merits or demerits of the amendments them. selves. I, therefore, go in favor of the second Tuesday in October; and moreover, I think that a greater number of votes will be polled, than on any other day that can be fixed upon. It is true, that in the cities and towns, the people can go out to the polls at any time, but it is not so with the agricultural interests.

There is another matter which may seem unimportant to the minds of some gentlemen, but which in my estimation is not so. I allude to the expense of a special election. We may differ as to which day will be best; but if we do not differ as to the day on which the greatest number of votes will be given, it seem to me that the expense, although a small matter, should be allowed to enter into the computation.

I shall vote for the second Tuesday in October.

Mr. FULLER, of Fayette, said:

I believe there are only three objects connected with this question. The first is, to have a fair and full expression of the opinions of the voters on the amendments which may be agreed to by this convention. This is the first and most important object; because if there should not be such an expression of opinion, I take it for granted that the minority of the voters of this commonwealth, not being satisfied with many, or most, of

the amendments that may be adopted by the people, will be more willing to make application for further changes in the constitution. But if the amended constitution should be adopted by the vote of a large majority of our people-as I have no doubt it will be, if the election shall be held at a proper time-I believe that all questions of this kind will be put at rest for many years to come.

The question then presents itself, what is the proper time at which to obtain the largest number of votes? So far as any thing has transpired in the course of this debate, it seems to me that no gentleman on either side has objected to the position, that more voters would turn out on the second Tuesday of October, than at any other time. As to the propriety of accomplishing that great and important object, it does not appear that there is any difference of opinion among the members of this convention. The only point of difference in reference to that particular, is, on what day can the object be best accomplished.

It is true that the gentleman from the city of Philadelphia, (Mr. Scott) who proposed the amendment immediately under consideration, objects to the second Tuesday of October, on the ground that the people may become so excited, as he terms it, upon the general election day, that they will not vote calmly and considerately; that their feelings will be wrought up to such a pitch by party excitement as to warp their better judgment. There has been as much excitement in a governor's election and in county elections as ever will be got up by this important subject; and will the gentleman say, that the minds of the independent voters of this commonwealth have been so led away by party excitement, and the heat of party warfare, as to cause them to vote improperly?

If the gentleman intends to advance this doctrine, I should like him to carry it out, and see where it will land him. I should like him to propose some remedy, by means of which, the people can vote clearly and understandingly; but at all events, I think he must concur with me on one point-that is to say, that this whole subject is a proper subject for deliberation and decision, whether coolly or otherwise, by the people themselves.

As to the convenience of the people, that is another point to be considered. How the facts may be in the cities and large towns, I do not so well know; but I should suppose that to people residing there, it will make little difference whether these amendments are passed upon at the general election, or upon a day specially set apart for the purpose. I know, however, that this is not the case in the small towns and villages -with the country people, as they are termed. This fact has been sufficiently demonstrated in the elections which have taken place during the last fifteen or twenty years. The result may be seen in the general elections which take place on the second Tuesday of October, and the elec tion for electors of president of the United States which is held in November.

If gentlemen will examine the list of returns, they will see that, in the election for electors of president of the United States, the number of votes polled, is infinitely less than the number taken on the second Tuesday of October. It is reasonable that it should be so; we can not expect any thing else. A large portion of the voters of Pennsylvania are agricultural

sts, or labourers. They do not generally take so lively an interest in the elections as I could desire. They live far from the polls; they are unwilling to spend their time in travelling there, and the consequence is, that many stay at home on the second election. And I have no doubt that this will be the case in the present instance.

As to the proposition for the first Tuesday of June, that appears to me equally as objectionable as the proposition of the gentleman from the city of Philadelphia. It is undoubtedly proper that the people should have time allowed them to examine the amended constitution, and to compare its provisions with those of the constitution of 1790. This I believe to be requisite. They will then be better able to possess themselves of information, and to come to the polls prepared to vote understandingly and wisely.

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The next objection which I have to urge against a special election, is the additional expense which must be thereby entailed upon the people. There are in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, one thousand and four wards, boroughs and townships. Each of these election districts will. cost about fifteen dollars upon an average. That will amount to an additional expense of about fifteen thousand and sixty dollars to be imposed upon the people. But is this all the additional expense which will be incurred? I hold that it is not. Take the average time of the votersfor to the industrious and hard working population of this state, time is money-and a special election will cost every man at least fifty cents. How many voters are there in the state? Say two hundred thousand. So that the whole would amout to a sum of one hundred thousand dollars. It is true that this sum is not actually paid out of pocket by a majority of the voters, but it is a greater loss than if the money were actually so paid. By this calculation, therefore, a special election would involve an additional expense of one hundred and fifteen thousand dollars. Is this nothing? Surely it is a matter worthy of some consideration at the hands of this body.

Now Mr. President, taking into view the first and greatest object which it is our duty to accomplish-that is to say to procure a full expression of the will of the voters of this commonwealth, it is agreed, I believe, upon all hands, that that object can be better accomplished by holding the election on the second Tuesday of October than on any other day.

The next object which we should have in view, is the convenience of the voters. The second Tuesday of October is a convenient day to them. It is a time when the voters arrange their business so as to attend the polls on that particular day-and I repeat, that I suppose all gentlemen must be satisfied that a larger vote will be polled on that day than on any other.

For these reasons, I hope that the convention will fix upon the second Tuesday of October. It will give the most satisfaction to the people.

I shall, therefore, go against the amendment of the gentleman from the city of Philadelphia, and in favor of the second Tuesday of October. Mr. MILLER, of Fayette, demanded the immediate question. But there was no second.

And the amendment to the amendment being again under consideration,

Mr. Cox, of Somerset, said:

There are some gentlemen who do not choose either to think themselves, or to let others think. I do not know whether the gentleman from Fayette (Mr. Miller) is one of that class. He may be so; but whether he is so, or not, I shall give my opinion on this question.

My own views are favorable to the report of the majority of the com mittee. I believe that the first Tuesday in June is the proper day on which these amendments should be submitted to the people. I shall, however, vote for the amendment of the gentleman from the city of Philadelphia. (Mr. Scott) considering, as I do, that the first Tuesday of November is preferable to the second Tuesday in October.

I propose briefly to notice the objections which have been urged against the first Tuesday in June, as well as those which have been urged against the first Tuesday of November.

The gentleman from Luzerne, (Mr. Woodward) says, that June would be too early a date; that the people of the commonwealth would not have the opportunity between this time and the first Tuesday in June, to come to a proper conclusion on the subject. In this respect I think he is in error.

The convention, I take it for granted, will adjourn on the twenty-second day of the present month, according to its resolution. There will then be an interval of upwards of three months, between the day of the adjournment of this body and the day fixed upon by the report of the majority of the committee to wit, the first Tuesday in June. If that day should be agreed upon, those of both political parties who are in favor of the amendments will commence their examination and make all exertions to disseminate information; and they will use such arguments as they may think are best calculated to make the people turn out on that day and vote in favor of the amendments.

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They would do so, because they could do it and not be liable to that political influence which is exercised at the October election. He felt sure that they would desire to act upon them at that time, as they would be free from, and unbiased by, party interests and feelings. But, on the contrary, if the amendments were submitted at the October election, those opposed to them would avail themselves of every argument and device to induce their friends to turn out and vote against the amendments. contended, therefore, that they should be submitted at an earlier day, when the exclusive attention of the whole people of the commonwealth would be directed to that one object. And, no doubt, this would be the case, because between now and June next, the controversy as to who shall be the next governor, would have closed, and which had already become. very warm.

There being, then, but one object before the people, they would attend the polls, in a body, and give their votes for or against the amendments, as they might deem them good or bad. This they could do consistently, and without the least prejudice to their party But if submitted in October, he apprehended that they could not do so.

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