2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. A committee on the 2d Article of the Constitution. A committee on the subject of further amendments of the Constitution. Each committee to consist of nine members. 11. A committee of accounts to consist of five members. And it shall be the duty of the said several committees to take into consideration the said several articles, and the subjects, matters and things therein contained, and all resolutions touching the same referred to them by the Convention, and to report thereon. 29. All Articles of amendment proposed to the Constitution, shall receive three several readings in the Convention previously to their passage, the first of which shall be in committee of the whole; and the Convention shall order the printing of the same for the use of the members as they shall think expedient. 30. When the names of the delegates shall be called, it shall be done in alphabetical order, except Mr. President, who shall be called last. 31. The yeas and nays of the delegates, on any question, shall, at the desire of any two of them, be entered on the journals, and the delegates shall have a right to insert the reasons of their votes on the journals. 32. No delegate shall absent himself without first obtaining leave of the Convention. 33. No delegate shall be permitted to vote on any question, unless he be within the bar, and when the yeas and nays are called, he be present to answer to his name. 34. On the call of the yeas and nays, one of the Secretaries shall read the names of the delegates after they have been called, and no delegate shall be permitted to change his vote, unless he at that time declares that he voted under a mistake of the question. 35. On the call of a member for the consideration of a resolution or other subject, on the table of the Convention, the question shall be decided without debate. 36. None but the members of the Convention and its officers, and such Stenographers or Reporters as shall have permission given them by the President, shall be permitted to come within the bar of the Convention during its session. 37. No rule shall be altered, or dispensed with, but by two thirds of the delegates present. On motion of Mr. INGERSOLL, of Philadelphia, the report was ordered to be printed. On motion of Mr. PORTER, of Northampton, the following resolution offered by him on the 3d instant, was read a second time : Resolved, That the Secretaries cause to be procured, for the use of each member of this Convention, a copy of the proceedings relative to calling the Conventions of 1776 32 PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES. and 1790: Provided, The cost of each copy shall not exceed one dollar and fifty cents, and that the amount be paid as part of the contingent expenses. Mr. PORTER then moved, that the said resolution, with all others offered this morning, relative to the purchase of books for the use of the delegates, be referred to the committee appointed to report what books are necessary to be purchased for the use of this Convention, which was agreed to. The Convention proceeded to the election of an additional Secretary; Mr. KONIGMACHER withdrew the nomination of GEORGE W. HAMMERSLY; and the votes being taken, it appeared that SAMUEL A. GILMORE had 67 votes, 63 66 SAMUEL A. GILMORE having a majority of the whole number of votes, was therefore declared duly elected. Mr. HIESTER, of Lancaster, moved that the Convention proceed to the election of a Stenographer, which was agreed to, when, on motion of Mr. STERIGERE, of Montgomery, the election was postponed for the present. Mr. STERIGERE then submitted the following motion, which was unanimously agreed to: That the President of the Convention be authorised and empowered to employ some suitable and competent Stenographer, or Stenographers, to note and report the debates of the Convention. On motion of Mr. KERR, of Washington, the following resolution offered by him this morning, was read a second time: Resolved, That a sufficient number of copies of the Constitution of the State, be printed in the form bills are usually printed, for the use of the members of this Convention. Mr. FLEMING, of Lycoming, moved to amend the resolution, by inserting after the word "Constitution", the words " and the bill of rights", which was accepted, as a modification by the mover. Mr. PORTER, of Northampton, moved further to amend the resolution by inserting after the word "rights", the words "and the Constitution of 1776", which was agreed to. Mr. M'DOWELL, of Bucks, moved further to amend the said resolution by inserting after the words "1776", the words "and of the act of Assembly entitled 'An act to provide for the calling a Convention with limited powers', and of the act of Assembly authorising the election and assembling of the delegates to this Convention", which was decided in the negative, and the resolution was then agreed to. Mr. INGERSOLL, of Philadelphia, moved that the Convention proceed to the consideration of the following resolution, with a view to the second reading: Resolved, That it be referred to a special committee to report what business it is proper for this Convention to take into consideration, and that the said committee be instructed to report a reference of the following several subjects, each to a special committee, to be appointed by the President of this Convention, viz: 1. The subject of legislation. 2. The subject of the judiciary. 3. The subject of the executive department. 4. The subject of election and suffrage. 5. The subject of a bill of rights. 6. The subject of constitutional amendments. 7. The subject of the currency and finance. 8. The subject of corporations and privilege. 9. The subject of learning, education and science. 10. The subject of official appointment and tenure. 11. The subject of the militia. 12. The subject of public highways by land and water, and the eminent domain of the state. 13. The subject of internal improvements. 14. The subject of the political year. Together with such other subjects as the said first mentioned committee may think fit to report for the action of this Convention, and that the said committee be instructed to report whether this Convention is, or can be restrained by any act of the Legislature, in its power to submit amendments to the Constitution or a new Constitution for the acceptance of the people. Mr. STEVENS, of Adams, did not consider that it was proper to proceed to the consideration of this resolution until after the Convention had acted upon the rules which had just been reported from the committee on that subject. Besides, by the rules of the house which governed the Convention, the motion of the gentleman was not now in order. Mr. FORWARD, of Allegheny, would be glad if the consideration of this resolution should not be urged until after the report of the committee to prepare rules was adopted, as that might perhaps supersede the necessity of adopting this resolution. Mr. INGERSOLL then asked for leave to make a motion that the Convention proceed to act upon this resolution. He would state at the same time that he should not oppose the adoption of the rules alluded to. There were however subjects in the resolution not embraced in the rules. Mr. CHAMBERS, of Franklin, thought the Convention would not be able to act understandingly on this subject, until they had the report of the committee just made, printed, and laid before them. Every subject in the Constitution was embraced in the rules reported, and as the Convention had refused to proceed to the consideration of these rules, he considered it proper that this matter should not be acted upon at present. Mr. EARLE of Philadelphia, was surprised to hear gentlemen argue that because the rules were not printed it was not proper to consider this resolution. The proposition of the committee was merely to refer the nine articles in the Constitution to nine different committees, and how much more wise would they be after that report was printed than they were now. Every gentleman had a copy of the Constitution before him, and could examine those articles just as well now, as after this report should be printed. He hoped therefore they would proceed in this matter. Mr. STEVENS, of Adams, had been favourable to proceeding to consider and adopt the rules at the time they were reported. The gentleman from Philadelphia county, (Mr. INGERSOLL,) however, considered it was absolutely necessary that they should be printed; and he hoped now the gentleman would allow his motion to lie over until the report on the rules should be adopted. Mr. INGERSOLL replied at some length, stating as a reason why he had moved to have the report printed, that he saw some portions of the rules which he considered exceptionable. He again repeated that he did not mean to oppose the rule referring certain articles of the Constitution to committees. There were, however, in his resolutions, subjects of importance not embodied in the rules alluded to. Mr. EARLE suggested to the gentleman from Philadelphia, whether it would not be better to withdraw his motion, and move a reconsideration of the motion to print the rules. Mr. DUNLOP, of Franklin, could not see how it was possible that there should be any thing in the resolution of the gentleman which would not come before one of the committees to be appointed by the rules. All the Constitution was contained in the nine articles proposed to be referred; and if there was any thing in the resolution of the gentleman which had nothing to do with the Constitution, he conceived it to be an improper subject to bring before that Convention. The motion was then disagreed to, and the Convention adjourned. SATURDAY, MAY 6, 1837. On motion of Mr. CURLL, of Armstrong: Resolved, That a committee be appointed to superintend the printing of the journal in the English language, and that a committee be appointed to superintend the printing of the journal in the German language. Ordered, That Messrs. Curll, Chandler, of Philadelphia, and Thomas, be the committee to superintend the printing of the journals in the English language; and, that Messrs. Seltzer, Ritter and Merkel, be the committee to superintend the printing of the journal in the German language. Mr. STERIGERE, of Montgomery, submitted the following resolution, which was read a second time, considered and adopted: Resolved, That the Librarian of the State Library be requested to furnish books to the Convention during its session, under the same rules and regulations as they have heretofore been furnished to members of the Legislature. Mr. MERRILL, of Union, submitted the following resolution: Resolved, That the committee on books and printing of this Convention, be directed to report what books ought to be added to the State Library for the use of the members of this Convention. Which resolution being read a second time, Mr. BROWN, of Philadelphia, hoped the gentleman would withdraw this resolution for the present, as the committee had only this moment received notice of their appointment; consequently they could not be prepared to report. Besides he apprehended that it did not come within the scope of the Convention to buy books to be placed in the Library, as that would be only an appropriate subject for the consideration of the Legislature. This Convention had the power to purchase books for the use of its members; but he doubted whether they had the power to purchase books for the increase of the Library. Mr. MERRILL thought if they had the right to buy books for the use of the members of the Convention, they had the right to buy them for the purpose of being deposited in the Library. He only desired that the books should be purchased and deposited in the Library during the session of the Convention for the use of the delegates. The question was then taken on the adoption of the resolution, and it was decided in the negative. Mr. EARLE, of Philadelphia, submitted the following resolution, which was laid on the table: Resolved, That the Secretary of the Commonwealth be requested to furnish the Secretaries of this Convention with certified statements of the number of votes given in each county for and against a Convention, at the general election, in the year one thousand eight hundred and thirty-five. Mr. DILLINGER, of Lehigh, submitted the following resolution, which Iwas laid on the table: Resolved, That the same number of copies of the debates and journals respectively of this Convention be printed and distributed in the same manner as is now provided by law for the printing and distribution of the journals of the Legislature of this Commonwealth. Mr. EARLE, of Philadelphia, submitted the following resolution, which was laid on the table: Resolved, That the Constitution be so amended, that the Legislature shall provide, by law, adequate and exemplary penalties, to be imposed on all those who shall, by mobs, violence or otherwise, interfere with the right of freedom of speech, of the press, and of public discussion, in relation to all subjects and questions of public or general interest; also, that the Legislature shall provide by law for the compensation of all persons, or their heirs, relations or representatives, who shall be injured in person or estate, in any mob or riot consisting of more than persons; unless such mob or riot shall have been directly instigated, aided or encouraged by the person or persons so injured. On motion of Mr. INGERSOLL, of Philadelphia, the Convention then proceeded to the second reading and consideration of the resolutions offered by him on the 4th instant, as follows: Resolved, That the Secretary of the Commonwealth be requested to communicate to this Convention, the number of all the judges, justices of the peace, aldermen, and other judicial officers of this Commonwealth, together with their respective salaries, perquisites and official emoluments, and the dates of their respective appointments, as far as the same may be ascertained or estimated, so as to show the cost of the administration of justice in the State : And that the Treasurer of the Commonwealth be requested to communicate to this Convention a complete view of the expenditures, income, debts and property of the State; also, a precise statement of all sums received at any time, or receivable, from banks, as bonus, dividend, or otherwise: and, as nearly as can be ascertained, of the amount of gold, silver and paper money in circulation, as currency or otherwise, held in this State; and also, a separate statement of all such sums as were received during the last financial year as taxes, of all kinds. Resolved, That the Secretary of the Commonwealth, and the Treasurer of the State, be requested to furnish this Convention with statements showing the public cost by taxation, or otherwise, of schools, academies, colleges and education, in this State, together with an estimate of a sum sufficient, and a plan of the best method of raising it, for educating the children of the State. Mr. DICKEY, of Beaver, moved to amend by striking from the first resolution, the following words, viz: "And as nearly as can be ascertained of the amount of gold, silver and paper money in circulation, as currency, or otherwise held in this State". Mr. DICKEY wished to say one word in support of this amendment.— It would be impossible for the State Treasurer to ascertain the amount of gold, silver and paper money in circulation in Pennsylvania, therefore it would be unnecessary to impose on him a duty which he could not discharge. All the information which that officer could give on this subject, might be obtained from the abstract of the state of the banks, published during the last session of the Legislature. He was perfectly willing that all the information should be given to the Convention which could possi |