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the gentleman from Adams (Mr. STEVENS) on Saturday, to a select committee, without printing.

The PRESIDENT said, there was a rule of the Convention under which all these propositions are printed.

Mr. STERIGERE moved to dispense with the rule.

Mr. PORTER said, the gentleman from Montgomery had offered to the Convention a whole Constitution, which was printed, while what he (Mr. P.) had offered, was comparatively short.

Mr. STEKIGERE hoped the gentleman from Northampton would move for a select committee, and to enable him to do so, he would withdraw his motion.

Mr. PORTER moved a reference of the resolution to a select committee. The PRESIDENT decided the motion to be out of order.

Mr. MEREDITH; On the second reading, the gentleman from Northampton would have an opportunity to make his propositions and amend

ments.

Mr. PORTER acquiesced in this suggestion.

Mr. FORWARD saw no reason why the resolution should not be printed. He wished to have an opportunity to examine the proposition.

Mr. BROWN, of Philadelphia, said he would not make any particular objection to the printing, although it was printing the same thing over again. But, if gentlemen were to bring in Constitutions in this way, and have them printed, he would himself bring a whole Constitution before the Convention to-morrow.

Mr. OVERFIELD, of Monroe, submited the following resolution:

"Resolved, That this Convention adjourn on the 14th of July, to meet again on the 16th day of October next, in this place".

The resolution being taken up for consideration, and the question being on the second reading,

Mr. DORAN asked for the yeas and nays on this question, and they were ordered.

The question was then taken on the second reading of the resolution, and decided in the affirmative, as follows, viz :

YEAS-Messrs. Agnew, Baldwin, Barclay, Barndollar, Brown, of Philadelphia, Carey, Chambers, Chandler, of Chester, Chauncey, Clark, of Dauphin, Cleavinger, Cline, Crum, Cummin, Curll, Darlington, Denny, Dickerson, Dillinger, Dunlop, Forward, Foulkrod, Fry, Fuller, Gamble, Gearhart, Grenell, Hastings, Henderson, of Allegheny, Henderson, of Dauphin, Hopkinson, Houpt, Hyde, Jenks, Kennedy, Konigmacher, Krebs, Maclay, Mann, Martin, M'Call, M'Dowell, Meredith, Overfield, Pennypacker, Pollock, Porter, of Nothampton, Riter, Rogers, Russell, Saeger, Scott, Sellers, Serrill, Scheetz, Sill, Smith, Snively, Stevens, Swetland, Taggart, Thomas, Todd, Sergeant, President-64.

NAYS-Messrs. Bayne, Bonham, Brown, of Northampton, Butler, Clarke, of Beaver, Clarke, of Indiana, Cochran, Crain, Darrah, Donnell, Doran, Earle, Farrelly, Fleming, Gilmore, Hayhurst, Helfenstein, Hiester, Keim, Kerr, M'Sherry, Merkel, Miller, Montgomery, Myers, Nevin, Purviance, Read, Ritter, Shellito, Smyth, Sterigere, Stickel, Young -34.

The resolution was then read a second time.

Mr. HIESTER, of Lancaster, moved to amend the resolution by striking out all after the word "resolved", and inserting as follows: "That when the Convention adjourns, it adjourn to meet at 9 o'clock on Wednesday

Mr. HIESTER called for the yeas and nays on his motion, and they were ordered.

The question was taken on the amendment of Mr. HIESTER, and decided in the negative, by the following vote, viz;

YEAS-Messrs. Agnew, Bayne, Brown, of Northampton, Butler, Clarke, of Beaver, Clarke, of Indiana, Cummin, Darrah, Donnell, Doran, Earle, Fleming, Gamble, Hayhurst, Helffenstein, Hiester, Keim, Konigmacher, Myers, Read, Ritter, Shellito, Smyth, Sterigere, Stickel-25.

NAYS-Messrs. Baldwin, Barclay, Barndollar, Bonham, Brown, of Philadelphia, Carey, Chambers, Chandler, of Chester, Chauncy, Clark, of Dauphin, Cleavinger, Cline, Cochran, Crain, Crum, Curll, Darlington, Denny, Dickerson, Dillinger, Dunlop, Farrelly, Forward, Foulkrod, Fry, Fuller, Gearhart, Gilmore, Grenell, Hastings, Henderson, of Allegheny, Hopkinson, Houpt, Hyde, Jenks, Kennedy, Kerr, Krebs, Maclay, Mann, M'Call, M'Dowell, M'Sherry, Meredith, Merkel, Miller, Montgomery, Nevin, Overfield, Pennypacker, Pollock, Porter, of Northampton, Purviance, Riter, Rogers, Russell, Saeger, Scott, Sellers, Serrill, Scheetz, Sill, Smith, Snively, Stevens, Swetland, Taggart Thomas, Todd, Weidman, Sergeant, President-69.

Mr. STEVENS, of Adams, moved to amend the resolution, by striking out the word "fourteenth", and inserting the word "fifteenth", and striking out the words "sixteenth of October", and inserting in lieu thereof, the words" twenty-fourth of July".

Mr. STEVENS said, it appeared to be entirely out of the question to adjourn to meet in the fall, as we should be interrupted by the meeting of the Legislature. He was opposed to any adjournment for a longer time than that which he had proposed, but, for that length of time a recess was expedient, as it would give gentlemen an opportunity for relaxation during the warm weather, and to attend to their private concerns. They ought, also, to understand each others views, that they might finish the business in a month after they returned. He suggested another reason for a recess at the time proposed. It was known that the great national ship-the Pennsylvanian-which had been so long on the stocks, was to be launched on the 18th of July, and a great number of the members wished to be there, and would be there without doubt, whether we adjourned or not. There would be a propriety, he thought, in the attendance of the whole Convention in a body upon the occasion of the launch of so noble a ship, bearing the name of the State of Pennsylvania. Congress, it would be recollected adjourned over for a day to witness the launch of the Columbia.

Mr. DARLINGTON said the object of the motion was, to kill the proposition by a side blow. The day did not meet his views, but it probably met the views of the majority as well as any other day would, and it was now very certain, that there was a majority in favor of adjourning over to some day in the fall. If, as had been objected to the proposition, the Legislature should require the Hall before we finished our session, we could go elsewhere. He would himself, if the resolution was agreed to, offer a proposition directing an inquiry whether we could have suitable accommodations in Philadelphia. Mr. M'DOWELL: I hope that the amendment will not pass. I see very plainly what object the gentleman from Adams has in view. He wants to get all of us reformers on board of that ship, in the hope that we should never get back again.

Mr. MANN said, the subject had been discussed very fully, heretofore,

and it was required by eighteen members, viz: Messrs. MANN, SELLERS, Houpt, Serrill, MARTIN, CURLL, Fry, Taggart, GRENELL, OVERFIELD, KENNEDY, BROWN, of Northampton, MERKEL, KREBS, MILLER, HASTINGS, CRUM, PENNYPACKER, Saeger, DARLINGTON, and BARCLAY.

The question being, "shall the main question be now put" ? Mr. STEVENS asked the yeas and nays, and they were as follows: YEAS-Messrs. Barclay, Bonham, Brown, of Northampton, Carey, Cleavinger, Cochran, Crain, Crum, Curll, Darlington, Dickerson, Dillinger, Fry, Gilmore, Grenell, Hayhurst, Henderson, of Allegheny, Houpt, Hyde, Jenks, Kennedy, Krebs, Maclay, Mann, Martin, M'Call, M'Dowell, Merkel, Miller, Overfield, Pennypacker, Pollock, Porter, of Northampton, Purviance, Read, Riter, Russell, Saeger, Sellers, Serrill, Scheetz, Sill, Smith, Smyth, Snively, Stickel, Swetland, Taggart, Thomas-47.

NAYS-Messrs. Agnew, Baldwin, Barndollar, Bayne, Brown, of Philadelphia, Butler, Chambers, Chandler, of Chester, Chauncey, Clarke, of Beaver, Clark, of Dauphin, Clarke, of Indiana, Cline, Cummin, Darrah, Denny, Donnell, Doran, Dunlop, Earle, Farrelly, Fleming, Forward, Foulkrod, Fuller, Gamble, Gearhart, Hastings, Helfen, stein, Henderson, of Dauphin, Hiester, Hopkinson, Keim, Kerr, Konigmacher, M'Sherry Meredith, Montgomery, Myers, Nevin, Ritter, Rogers, Scott, Shellito, Sterigere, Stevens, Todd, Weidman, Young, Sergeant, President-50.

So the Convention determined that the main question should not now

be put.

The PRESIDENT stated, that it had been the usage to consider the decision against putting the main question as defering the proposition for one day; but that rule had not been adopted here, and from what he knew of the sense of the Convention on the subject, he believed they would not sustain it. He should, therefore, decide, with the assent of the Conven tion, that the subject was still before them for consideration.

Mr. FULLER moved that the resolution and amendment be postponed till Friday next. He hoped that no adjournment would take place until we had gone through with the sixth article. He should be governed by that entirely as to the time of adjournment. If we could not get through that, he should be opposed to adjourning on the 14th. There was now but ninety-eight members present, and probably more would absent themselves. He doubted the propriety of continuing the session with so small a number of members, and thought it better to adjourn till fall.

Mr. FLEMING said we seemed to have a strong disposition to practice that which we condemned in the Legislature, and which we had underta ken to remedy as an evil. The Legislature was in the habit of adjourn ing over the holidays, and we were trying to prevent them from it, by postponing the day of meeting. But while we were acting as guides for others, we ought to avoid falling into the same error ourselves. He had hoped that the wire edge of the speech-making had been in some measure worn off. We certainly had made up our minds as to many of the questions that were to be decided, and there would be no necessity for further discussion upon such propositions. Our labors had certainly been protracted to a length unexpected by us, or by our constituents: but now, after two months' talking, and much of it in a ring, the desire for speaking had greatly subsided, and it would be highly injudicious to suffer gentlemen to go home, and whet their appetites for a second course of speeches on the same questions.

The proceedings of this day had shown us the impropriety of an adjourn

projects for a Constitution. If the proposition to adjourn was predicated on the supposition that we should adopt any of these projects, it was founded on a very great mistake. We see, by other gentlemen now, that it was their intention to offer different projects. We could arrive at no conclusion without going on with our labors in the regular track. No gentleman had suffered in his health by remaining here. Many members had gone home, attended to their private concerns, and returned. Thirtyfour now were absent, but in a few days they would all return, and another party of thirty-four would go home. In this way, gentlemen would all have an opportunity to refresh themselves, while, at the same time, the business would go on. To adjourn over, for a short time, would be attended with no special advantage to any gentleman. To adjourn over till the autumn, would be to defer the result of our labors for another year; but, if we should go on, we would complete our business, and submit the result to the people at the next election. He was perfectly willing to adjourn over the fourth of July, nor would he set here on that day if he could elude the grasp of the Sergeant-at-Arms: but he was opposed to any adjournment, either for a week or two, or till the fall.

Mr. KERR hoped, he said, that the motion to postpone would prevail; but he would prefer a longer time. It appeared to him that the question of adjournment was one of considerable importance. It was important to the members personally, and in relation to the expenses of the Convention. Gentlemen would find that if we adjourned till the fall, it would greatly increase, and perhaps double, the expense attending the Convention. For two reasons he would wish the question to be postponed for the present; the first was, that so many of the delegates were now absent from their seats. It was highly improper, he thought, to force this question in the absence of so many delegates, who were necessarily greatly interested in it, as well as the State at large. The people would have the impression that we took the advantage of the absence of those members to force an adjournment. The next reason was, that, as it appeared to him, we were about coming to a plan by which we should be enabled to get the whole business through in a short time. He alluded to the propositions this morning offered by the gentlemen from Adams and Northampton, and which had been ordered to be printed. There was a strong probability that some such plan would be agreed to. If the resolutions were refered to a select committee, and they should make such a report as would be satisfactory to a majority, we would, in a few days, come to some conclusion. He moved to amend the amendment, so as to postpone the further consideration of the resolution till this day a week; but, at the request of Mr. FULLER, he withdrew the motion.

Mr. JENKS was in favor of the motion to postpone, for the reason that the Convention was not in a situation to act on the question to-day. But the necessity of a very early action upon it, appeared evident to him. The experience of the past week had shown the necessity of an adjournment till the fall. It had been customary to grant leave of absence to all who asked for it, and he now found that there were thirty delegates absent. He asked whether it was prudent or proper to go on with the amendments in the absence of so many members? Did not the importance of the subject require an adjournment till some more favorable season of the year? This season was extremely unpropitious to the consideration of questions

of such magnitude-questions involving the law on which all future legislation was to be based. It was certainly advisable to adjourn, for the purpose of meeting at another time, under more favorable circumstances.

Mr. CUMMIN was, he said, opposed to the postponement, and in favor of the resolution. He had, heretofore, steadily resisted every proposition to adjourn, without completing our business; but now, he saw plainly. that nothing would be done, under present circumstances, if we remained here. Every morning a resolution was brought up for adjournment, and the discussion of it consumed a great part of the day. There was, evident ly, a strong feeling of restlessness and impatience pervading the whole body, and nothing would be discussed but the question of adjournment, even if we sat two months longer. The gentleman from Adams had offered an amendment to adjourn for a week, because in that time he could go home and attend to his private concerns. He and others could go home in a day. But how was it with him, an 1 the members from Erie county! They were too far from home to avail themselves of this short recess. h was an extraordinary proposition to come from a gentleman of such high talent to go to see a vessel launched! The gentleman says we must go, because we will go, whether or not. He certainly could not have been in earnest. The resolution of the gentleman from Monroe, he considered as expedient and proper. He hoped it would be adopted. We should then have no more debates on adjournments, but be able to go on till the 14th with the business before us. Many amendments had been offered here and discussed, merely with a view to throw obstacles in the way of the proceedings. We ought to be more serious in the discharge of our duties. It was a solemn occasion on which we had been called together. We were convened to adopt a form of government that might endure for ages. We should be as solemn as if we were going about worship; for we are acting not only for ourselves, but for posterity. He was sorry to witness so many light and unnecessary propositions and discussions here. If we looked back to our journals, we should see a great many propositions there recorded, the movers of which never expected to carry them into effect. He hoped we should go home on the 14th, and, returning in the fall, endeavor to complete our work.

Mr. FULLER withdrew his amendment, in order to arrest the debate. Mr. KERR renewed it.

The motion to postpone was lost.

The question being taken on the amendment of Mr. STEVENS, it was determined in the negative, as follows-yeas, 4: nays, 94:

YEAS-Messrs. Brown, of Northampton, Meredith, Stevens, Sergeant, President-A NAYS-Messrs. Agnew, Baldwin, Barndollar, Bayne, Bonham, Brown, of Philadel phia, Butler, Carey, Chambers, Chandler, of Chester, Chauncey, Clarke, of Beaver, Clark, of Dauphin, Clarke, of Indiana, Cleavinger, Cline, Cochran, Crain, Crum, Cummin, Curll, Darlington, Darrah, Denny, Dickerson, Dillinger, Donnell, Doran, Dunlop, Earle, Farrelly, Fleming, Forward, Foulkrod, Fry, Fuller, Gamble, Gearhart, Gilmore, Grenell, Hastings, Hayhurst, Helffenstein, Henderson, of Allegheny, Henderson, of Dauphin, Hiester, Hopkinson, Houpt, Hyde, Jenks, Keim, Kennedy, Kerr, Konigmscher, Krebs, Maclay, Mann, Martin, M'Call, M'Dowell, M'Sherry, Merkel, Miller, Montgomery, Myers, Nevin, Overfield, Pennypacker, Pollock, Porter, of Northampton, Purviance, Reigart, Read, Riter, Ritter, Rogers, Russell, Saeger, Scott, Sellers, Serrill, Scheetz, Shellito, Sill, Smith, Smyth, Snively, Sterigere, Stickel, Swetland, Taggart, Thomas,

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