Hon. WILLILM CLARK;

HARRISBURG, July 11, 1837.

DEAR SIR;-To your inquiry made to me last evening, whether the vestry of the German Reformed Church in this place would consent to grant the use of their church to the reform Convention, at any time hereafter that the said Convention might desire it, to hold their sessions in, as President of said vestry I am authorized to answer you in the affirmative; reserving only the use of it for a portion of the Sabbath day, to hold Divine worship in, should the congregation succeed in procuring a pastor, of which they are destitute at present.

Respectfully, your fellow citizen,

JOHN C. BUCHER.

Mr. CHANDLER, of Chester, presented a memorial of the citizens of the county of Allegheny, praying for an extension of the right of trial by jury to every human being.

Mr. MONTGOMERY, of Mercer, presented a memorial, similar in its import, and prayer, from certain citizens of the Commonweath.

Mr. BALDWIN, of Philadelphia, presented a similar memorial from citizens of the city of Philadelphia.

These several memorials were refered to the committee on the ninth article.

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Mr. BELL, of Chester. submited the following resolution :

Resolved, That fifty cents a day be added to the pay allowed to JAMES E. MITCHELA Sergeant-at-Arms."

The resolution having been taken up for consideration, the motion that it be read a second time, was decided in the negative.

Mr. CHANDLER, of Philadelphia, submited the following resolution, which was considered, and agreed to:

"Resolved, That the Stenographer of this Convention be directed to prepare an index to each volume of the Debates."

Mr. CLARK, of Dauphin, submited the following resolution :

Resolved, That the President of this Convention draw his warrant on the State Treasurer, in favor of the Librarian, for the sum of one hundred and forty-eight dollars, for his services during the session of the Convention."

On motion of Mr. STEVENS, the resolution was refered to the committee on accounts.

Mr. CUNNINGHAM, of Mercer, submited the following resolution : "Resolved, That twenty-five cents per day be added to the pay of GEORGE W, SWARTZ, and JOHN TAYLOR."

The resolution having been taken up for consideration, the motion that it be read a second time, was decided in the negative.

Mr. BELL, of Chester, from the committee to whom was refered the duty of ascertaining and reporting to the Convention, the most eligible place for the meeting of the Convention on the 17th of October next, made report, as follows, viz:

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'That, after reflection, the committee are of opinion, that, under all the circumstances, the Convention will find it advisable to re-assemble in the city of Philadelphia. Every objection arising from the apprehension that a suitable building could not be procured, or on the score of the cost at

ladelphia, to make every necessary arrangement for the accommodation of the Convention during its future deliberations. Your committee, therefore, recommend the adoption of the following resolution :

Resolved, That when this Convention meets on the 17th of October next, it will meet in the city of Philadelphia, in such building as may be selected and prepared for its accommodation; and that a committee of five be appointed to act in connection with the city councils, on the subject.

The report was laid on the table.

Mr. COPE, of Philadelphia, from the committee on accounts, reported the following resolutions:

Resolved, That the President draw his warrant on the State Treasurer, for the sum of seven hundred dollars, in favor of H. & S. SPRIGMAN, binders of the English debates, to be accounted for in the settlement of their accounts.

Resolved, That the President draw his warrant on the State Treasurer, for the sum of three hundred dollars, in favor of CHARLES F. MUENCH, binder of the German debates to be accounted for in the settlement of his accounts.

Resolved, That the President draw his warrant on the State Treasurer, for the sum of six thousand five hundred dollars, in favor of EMANUEL GUYER, editor of the Daily Chronicle, to be accounted for in the settlement of his accounts.

The Convention having proceeded to the consideration of these resolutions, the first and second were read a second time, and agreed to. Mr. INGERSOLL, of Philadelphia, asked for the yeas and nays on the adoption of the third resolution, and they were ordered accordingly. Mr. STEVENS, of Adams, expressed his gratification that the yeas and nays had been ordered. A contract had been made; and, under that contract, the work had been performed. He would like to see, after a contract thus made with an individual, what man would vote against paying for the work performed. He wished to see if such a contract was now to be violated with impunity.

Mr. STERIGERE, of Montgomery, said he had voted against taking this paper, in the first instance, and had subsequently voted in favor of repealing the order. But he would be the last man to refuse to pay for the labor which had been performed. We had employed the printer to deliver this work, at a specified price, and he would be the last man to refuse to pay the price stipulated.

Mr. M'SHERRY, of Adams, stated that he had voted against the order to take this work. He had been opposed to it, but as a contract had been made, we ought to pay for it. As the Chairman of the committee on accounts had said this sum was due, it would be wrong to refuse the payment.

Mr. HAYHURST, of Columbia, had also voted against this work, but that consideration would not weigh a feather with him. Was it possible that any gentleman would refuse to pay for the work, which had been performed under a specific contract?

Mr. FORWARD, of Allegheny, asked if we were in any condition to be released from the contract? He was opposed to the paying away of the public money in this way, but still he would not give his sanction to any violation of a contract.

Mr. FULLER, of Fayette, was decidedly in favor of paying the editor. The only question in his mind, was, whether it was intended by the Convention to continue the work in the same manner. To try the sense of

adding the words "and that the Daily Chronicle be discontinued after the 14th instant.'

Mr. BELL stated, that a report had been prepared by the committee on this subject, and would be made as soon as this question was disposed of.

Mr. FULLER thought it would be more properly in place, if it were made

now.

Mr. INGERSOLL expressed a hope that the gentleman from Fayette would withdraw his proposition, as it would compel him (Mr. I.) to vote in favor of the amended resolution.

Mr. FULLER withdrew his motion to amend.

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

YEAS-Messrs. Agnew, Ayres, Baldwin, Banks, Barclay, Barndollar, Barnitz, Bayne, Bedford, Bell, Biddle, Bonham, Brown, of Lancaster, Brown, of Northampton, Brown, of Philadelphia, Butler, Carey, Chambers, Chandler, of Chester, Chandler, of Philadel phia, Chauncey, Clapp, Clarke, of Beaver, Clark of Dauphin, Clarke, of Indiana, Cline, Cochran, Cope, Craig, Crain, Crawford, Crum, Cummin, Cunningham, Curll, Darlington, Dariah, Denny, Dickey, Dickerson, Dillinger, Donnell, Doran, Dunlop, Earle, Farrelly, Fleming, Forward, Fry, Fuller, Gamble, Gearhart, Gilmore, Grenell, Harris, Hastings, Hayhurst, Helffenstein, Henderson, of Dauphin, Hiester, High, Hopkinson, Houpt, Hyde, Jenks, Kennedy, Kerr, Konigmachier, Krebs, Long, M'Clay, Magee, M'Cahen, M'Call, M'Dowell, M'Sherry, Meredith, Merrill, Merkel, Miller, Montgomery, Nevin, Overfield, Pennypacker, Pollock, Porter, of Lancaster, Porter, of Northampton, Purviance, Reigart, Read, Ritter, Rogers, Russell, Saeger, Scott, Sellers, Serrill, Scheetz, Shellito, Sill, Smyth, Snively, Sterigere, Stevens, Stickel, Swetland, Taggart, Thomas, Todd, Weaver, Weidman, White, Woodward, Young, Sergeant, President-115. NAY-Mr. Ingersoll-1.

Mr. PORTER from Northampton, from the select committee to whom was refered the subject of the curtailment of the expenses of the Convention, made the following report, which was laid on the table.

The committee appointed to inquire into the expediency of making arrangements for discontinuing the Daily Chronicle and Convention Journal, and to inquire what other expenses (if any,) of the Convention ought to be curtailed, and to whom was also refered the resolution offered yesterday, on the subject of dispensing with the Stenographers, the assistant Doorkeepers, and the Sergeant-at-arms, at the next session of this body, report:

That they have had the subject under consideration; that they necessarily divide themselves into two heads.

FIRST-An inquiry into whether there is any needless expense incured by this body for contingencies, or in payment of unnecessary officers, and

SECONDLY-Whether any such expense is incured in relation to taking down the debates, and the printing of this body.

As to the first of these, it appears that this body elected or appointed, by resolution, shortly after the commencement of its labors, two Secreta ries and two assistant Secretaries, a Sergeant-at-arms and assistant Sergeant-at-arms, a Door-keeper and assistant Door-keeper. That subsequently, the Secretaries employed two additional clerks to aid them in their labors, and who were discharged after the hurry of the business, which had required their employment, had passed. That the Door-keeper

these were found necessary, and were kept in constant employment in the folding of documents and journals, &c., and in attending to other necessary labors in and about the Convention. The two boys employed as messengers have been found necessary in the Hall during the sessions of this body, and could not well have been dispensed with.

The labors of so many officers may not, however, as the deliberations of this body progress, be found necessary, and the committee recommend that the further services of the assistant Secretaries, the Sergeant-at-arms, assistant Sergeant-at-arms, Doorkeeper, assistant Doorkeeper and Messengers, be dispensed with, from and after the 14th instant, and that this body will, on re-assembling, determine whether and, any if any, which of those officers shall be required.

As to the second branch of inquiry, the expenses of taking down the debates and the printing generally, but more particularly the expense of printing and distributing the Daily Chronicle.

The Legislature felt the necessity of having an accurate report of the debates of this body, and they ordered the employment of a competent Stenographer for the purpose. This necessarily embraced the employment of such assistants to the person so employed, as would enable him to take down and write out the debates for publication, within a reasonable time. The wisdom of the Legislature, in making provision for a report of the debates, is manifest from the avidity with which works of this kind are sought after, by all who are desirous of informing themselves in relation to constitutional law, and the loss and difficulty under which this body and their constituents labor, for want of the views and feelings of the members of the Convention of 1790: a correct register of the debates of that body, if they could be had, would tend much to enlighten and inform the members of this body. For of the great and good men who were then assembled, but three yet survive-JAMES ROSS, ALBERT GALLATIN and THOMAS BULL; and of the doings of that body, no record remains, save their Journals and the fleeting reminisences of the few surviving members, and of the few citizens who may have witnessed their proceedings, and are yet on the stage of action. The great object in having the debates taken and published, is to have the views of the members reported with accuracy. There are few men capable of doing this, and consequently, when found, they require and ought to receive a fair and full compensation for their labors. The gentleman in charge of the reporting, has a known and established character for capacity in the line of his profes sion; and the committee are of opinion, that under the provisions of the act of Assembly, authorizing the assembling of this body, his services could not, and if they could, ought not to be dispensed with.

The next branch of inquiry, in relation to this subject, is the subscription to the Daily Chronicle, and the distribution thereof. The subscription was made under the the following resolution of this body, passed on the 11th day of May last: "Resolved, That the Secretaries be directed to pay, as part of the expenses of this Convention the cost of two thousand seven hundred copies of the Daily Chronicle and Convention Journal, in the English language, and one thousand copies in the German language, to be furnished during the sitting of this body, and to be divided among the members, for distribution among their constituents."

of that work, for two thousand seven hundred copies in English, to be furnished daily, at seventy-five cents per month, and for one thousand in German, to be published daily, at one dollar per copy per month. Thus far, the editor has published a sheet daily, containing nothing but the proceedings of this body, and the observations of the members on the various subjects under discussion. There has been published, most generally, abstracts of the debates, rather than full reports, and such was intended to be the course when the subscription was made. The work is about as accurate as works of the kind usually are.

The publisher of the paper states, that relying on the faith of this body, he has gone to considerable expense, in order to comply with the contract on his part, and having done so, is unwilling to forego the advantage which he may derive from its continuance. Ought this body to put an end to this contract? Morally, we have no right to do so, without the assent of the other contracting party, unless such party has, by his own act, authorized its rescision; for, if contracts bind individuals, and they are compelled by law to comply with them, it would be out of all character for the body convened to establish the fundamental law of the land, to assume an arbitrary power of violating a solemn contract with an individual. It might be, that the individual could have no legal redress, and that would only point out the greater grossness of the act. The effect of such an example on the community, could scarcely Le anticipated; and not wishing to entail on this body, a character for worse than Punic faith, your committee are not willing to recommend any such course, more especially as the public money is well laid out in relation to this subject. It enables the delegates to keep their constituents, day by day, apprized of all our doings: it tends to enli hten, inform and instruct the good people of this great and growing Commonwealth, in the principles of Constitutional law: it calls their attention to the principles of Government— and will enable them, at the close of our labors, to come to a correct conclusion as to the result of our deliberations, so as to vote intelligently and understandingly on the question of adopting or rejecting the amendments we may propose. It is, in fact, day by day, rendering to those who sent us hither, an account of the manner in which we have executed the trust committed to our charge. Your committee cannot conceive that any reasonable amount of expense would be too great for such a purpose, or that money can be well mispent, which tends to disseminate accurate information among the public, in relation to the great and important principles on which the government of our country depends. Believing, as they do, that the people have a right to be kept well advised of all that is done, and that as the subscription has been made, and the expense incured, solely for the benefit of the public, and not for the benefit of the individual members of this body, and as all information received, shows that the intelligence thus communicated, is sought for with avidity, your committee would not recommend a discontinuance of the subscription, even had they the power to do so.

Should the reporters for this paper and the editor, however, prostitute it to party purposes, or make it the vehicle for partial representations of the doings of this body, it would be our right and our duty at once to discontinue it; for it was only taken upon the express condition, that equal and exact justice should be done to the views of all the members.