The PRESIDENT. The question is on the resolution. The resolution was agreed to. HOURS OF SITTING. NAYS. Messrs. Achenbach, Ainey, Armstrong, Baker, Bannan, Barclay, Biddle, Boyd, Brodhead, Broomall, Brown, Buckalew, Mr. BRODHEAD. Mr. President: I offer Cochran, Collins, Corbett, Curtin, Dallas, the following resolution: Resolved, That on and after to-morrow the daily sessions of this Convention shall be from ten A. M. till three P. M. On the question of ordering the resolution to a second reading, a division was called for, which resulted ayes thirty-four, nays thirty-four. So the question was determined in the negative. WITHDRAWAL OF A RESIGNATION. Mr. COLLINS. Mr. President: Previous to the adjournment of the Convention my health was so much impaired that I was compelled to ask the privilege of resigning my seat as a member of this Convention. The Convention, however, did me the honor to lay the resignation on the table. My health has improved considerably since, and I now ask the unanimous consent of the body to withdraw that resignation. The PRESIDENT. The gentleman from Fayette desires leave to withdraw his letter of resignation. Shall he have leave? ["Yes." "Yes."] Leave was unanimously granted, and the resignation was withdrawn. DAILY SESSIONS. Mr. J. N. PURVIANCE. I offer the following resolution: Resolved, That the sessions of this Convention hereafter, until otherwise ordered, shall be from nine and a half o'clock A. M. to one P. M., and from three to seven o'clock P. M., on all days of the week excepting Sundays. On the question of proceeding to the second reading and consideration of the resolution, a division was called for. Mr. J. N. PURVIANCE. I ask for the yeas and pays. Mr. D. N. WHITE. I second the call. The yeas and nays were taken with the following result: YEAS. Messrs. Addicks, Baer, Baily, (Perry,) Bailey, (Huntingdon,) Bardsley, Beebo, Bowman, Carey, Carter, Corson, Davis, De France, Edwards, Fulton, Hay, Lawrence, Long, M'Culloch, Metzger, Newlin, Palmer, G. W., Parsons, Pughe, Purviance, John N., Purviance, Samuel A., Smith, H. G., Smith, Wm. H., Struthers, Temple, White, David N., White, J. W. F., and Wright-32. Darlington, Dunning, Ewing, Fell, Funck, Gibson, Guthrie, Hanna, Harvey, Howard, Hunsicker, Kaine, Knight, Landis, Lilly, Littleton, MacConnell, MacVeagh, M'Camant, M'Clean, M'Michael, Minor, Patton, Read, John R., Reed, Andrew, Rooke, Runk, Russell, Sharpe, Smith, Henry W., Stanton, Stewart, Turrell, Van Reed, Wetherill, J. M., Wetherill, Jno. Price, White, Harry, Woodward and Walker, President. So the Convention refused to read the resolution a second time. ABSENT.-Messrs. Alricks, Andrews, Bartholomew, Bigler, Black, Charles A., Black, J. S., Bullitt, Calvin, Campbell, Cassidy, Church, Clark, Craig, Cronmiller, Curry, Cuyler, Dodd, Elliott, Ellis, Finney, Gilpin, Green, Hall, Hazzard, Hemphill, Heverin, Horton Lamberton, Lear, M'Murray, Mann, Mantor, Mitchell, Mott, Niles, Palmer, H. W., Patterson, D. W., Patterson, T. H. B., Porter, Purman, Reynolds, Ross, Simpson, Wherry and Worrell-45. Resolved, That there shall be no publica- Bowman, Boyd, Buckalew, Calvin, Car tion of the Debates in book form on and after the first day of October next. On the question of ordering the resolution to a second reading there were twenty-seven yeas-less than a majority of a quorum. Mr. J. N. PURVIANCE. I am satisfied the resolution is not understood by the Convention. The resolution proposes that there shal be no publication— The PRESIDENT. It is not debatable. The Convention has decided the question. Mr. J. N. PURVIANCE. I call for the yeas and nays. SEVERAL DELEGATES. It is too late. The PRESIDENT. The Convention having decided the question before the yeas and nays were called for, the Chair thinks the call is not now in order. The resolution can be offered again. Mr. J. N. PURVIANCE. I hope the Chair will withdraw his decision, because I am satisfied that the resolution was not understood. The PRESIDENT. The Chair will withdraw his decision, and the resolution will be read again for the information of the Convention. The CLERK read the resolution. Mr. J. N. PURVIANCE. I offered that resolution ter, Corbett, Curry, Dallas, Darlington. Dodd, Dunning, Edwards, Ewing, Gibson, Guthrie. Hanna, Harvey, Howard, Hunsicker, Kaine, Knight, Lilly, MacVeagh, M'Camant, M'Clean, Minor, Parsons, Patton, Pughe, Reed, Andrew, Runk, Russell, Sharpe, Smith, H. G., Smith, Henry, W., Stanton, Stewart, Wetherill, J. M., White, David N., White, Harry, White, J. W. F., Woodward, Worrell, Wright and Walker, President-52. So the question was determined in tho negative. ABSENT. Messrs. Addicks, Baker, Bigler, Black, Charles A., Bullitt, Campbell, Carey, Cassidy, Church, Clark, Collins, Corson, Craig, Cronmiller, Curtin, Cuyler, Elliott, Ellis, Fell, Finney, Fulton, Gilpin, Green, Hall, Hazzard, Hemphill, Heverin, Horton, Lamberton, Landis, Lawrence, Lear Littleton, MMurry, Mann, Mantor, Metzger, Mitchell, Mott, Newlin, Niles, Palmer, II. W., Patterson, D. W., Patterson, T. II. B., Porter, Purman, Read, John R., Reynolds, Rooke, Ross, Simpson, Smith, Wm. H., Temple, Turrell, Van Reed, and Wherry -56. NEW MEMBER. Mr. FELL. I am instructed by the delegates at large, to whom was referred the Mr. HUNSICKER. I object to any de- duty of filling the vacancy in this body bate. Mr. PRESIDENT. It is not debatable. The question is on ordering the resolution to a second reading. Mr. J. N. PURVIANCE. On that I call for the yeas and nays. The yeas and nays were ordered. Mr. FELL. Before proceeding to the call of the roll, I rise to a question of privilege. The PRESIDENT. The pending question must first be disposed of. The question being taken by yeas and nays resulted as follows: YEAS. Messrs. Achenbach, Andrews, Baer, Baily, (Perry,) Bailey, (Huntingdon,) Bannan, Barclay, Black, J. S., Brodhead, Broomall, Brown, Cochran, Davis, De France, Funck, Hay, Long, MacConnell, M'Culloch, Palmer, G. W., Purviance, John N., Purviance, Samuel A., Struthers, and Wetherill, John Price-24. NAYS. Messrs. Ainey, Alricks, Armstrong, Bardsley, Bartholomew, Beebe, Biddle, occasioned by the death of Hon. Wm. M.. Meredith, to submit a report. The report was read as follows: The undersigned, members at large of the Convention who were voted for by a majority of the same voters who voted for and elected the late Hon. Wm. M. Meredith, do hereby fill the vacancy occasioned by his death by the appointment of the Hon. Morton M'Michael, a citizen of the city of Philadelphia, to be a member of this Convention. JNO. H. WALKER, WM. DAVIS, JAS. L. REYNOLDS, WM. H. ARMSTRONG, WM. H. AINEY. Mr. M'MICHAEL appeared at the bar of the House, and the oath of office having Mr. S. A. PURVIANCE. I will say, in answer to the gentleman from Dauphin, that we shall come to that in its order. It is, I believe, the second article in the painphlet after the article on the Bill of Rights, and when we come to that of course we shall go through with it. Mr. MACVEAGII. The Committee on Revision and Adjustment have not. reported any of those articles yet, and they are not properly before us. The legislative article is properly before us, and I must insist on my motion to lay the gentleman's resolution on the table, and I trust the Convention will stand by me. The PRESIDENT. The question is on the motion of the gentlenian from Dauphin (Mr MaeVoagh.) The motion was agreed to. PRINTER'S ACCOUNTS. MR. HAY. I present a report from the Committee on Accounts and Expendi tures. The CLERK proceeded to read the report, but before concluding was interrupted by Mr. HAY I suggest, as the report is somewhat lengthy, that its further reading be dispensed with. (the date to which the first account was rendered) to the 15th day of Mals (aho date of the adjournment of the Convention.) In the examination of these accounts the committee has strictly adhered to the principles of the report upon the first account, made to the Convention on the 14th of July last; and has, as in the settlement of that account, allowed only the prices mentioned in the schedule to the act of March 27, 1871, wherever, in the opinion of the committee, those prices were applicable. The printing acts clearly contemplate that the prices mentioned in this schedule are those which are to be, exclusively, allowed to the Public Printer wherever the price or value of work done by him is fixed by or otherwise ascertainable under them. The Printer has continued to claim in these accounts, as in his first accounts, for plain composition seventy-five cents per thousand enis, and for press-work forty cents per token, without any deduction or discount in either case. These rates aro considerably in excess of the prices to which he would be entitled under his contract with the Convention. The printing acts, as heretofore reported, fix the MR. BUCKALEW and OTHERS. No; let following rates: For plain composition, it be read. Mr. HAY. I merely make the suggestion to save time. The CLERK resumed and concluded the reading of the report, which is as follows: The Committee on Accounts and Expenditures of the Convention respectfully reports, that during the recess of the Convention it met at Harrisburg for the consideration of such accounts as had been submitted in accordance with the resolution of the Convention requiring them to be promptly rendered to the committee for all claims up to the time of the adjournment; and that the second account of the Printer to the Convention, covering the period from the 15th of May to the 1st of July, and the third account covering the period from the 1st to the 15th of July, and also including some itoms charged subsequently thereto, have been carefully examined. In the second account the Printer claims the sum of $11,931 14, after the deduction of the discount of forty-one and one-fourth per cent. from the amount of such items as he admits to be subject to discount; and in the third account he claims the sum of $5,797 23 after making similar deductions, making a total claim of the net sum of $17,731 37 for the period from May 15th sixty cents per thousand ems, and for press work, fifty cents per tokon; both subject, as are all other rates in the schedule, to the discount of forty-one and onoquarter per cent., at which the public printing and binding was allotted to Penjamin Singerly; leaving the new rates, which the Printer would be entitled to receive under his contract, for plain composition, thirty-five and one-quarter conts per one thousand ems, and for press-work, twenty-nine and thirty-eight hundredths cents per token. The difference caused by this variance between the claim of the State Printer and the rates established by law, and due him under his contract, amounts to many thousands of dollars. The State Printer alleges that the work done by him is work "the price or value of which is not fixed by or ascertainable under the printing acts," for the reason that, as he also alleges, the composition on the work he is doing for the Convention is much more solid than that on the work he usually does for the State; that it is of an unusual character, not so profitable as the ordinary State printing, and that some portion of the composition and press-work must be done at night to enable him to comply with the requirement of the Convention, that the Journal for days. That is my motive in offering the present resolution. Mr. MACVEAGH. The delegate from Columbia (Mr Buckalew) and the deleyute from Lycoming (Mr. Armstrong) Mr. HARRY WHITE. Mr. President; I suggest that that motion be changed to a rise to obtain information for myself and motion to postpone for the present. That doubtless for the whole Convention in will be entirely acceptable to me, and we regard to the action of the Committee on shall get rid of the difficulty. Revision and Adjustment. I should be Mr. HARRY WHITE. Very well; I will very glad to know what is the status of modify it in that way. that committee's work, whether there is The PRESIDENT. That motion is before any report ready, or if not, how soon wo the Convention. may expect one, for the action of this Mr. MACVEAGH. I trust it will be Convention depends, as I understand, .adopted. To motion to postpone was agreed to. Mr. AINEY. I offer the following resoTution: Resolved, That the Committe on Suffrage, Election and Representation be and are hereby instructed to prepare and report an ordinance for the submission of she new or amended Constitution to a vote of the people on the - day of next, which ordinance shall, with the other necessary provisions, contain a proviso that but one ticket shall be voted on No inuch of the Constitution as shall be submitted as a whole, which ticket shall be headed "New or amended Constitu tion," and under this shall be printed consecutively the numerical designation of each section of each article in such con venient form that voters may readily cross or strike out with pen or pencil any soction; and each and every section so marked shall be deemed, taken and held to be a vote against such section, and each remaining section not so marked out shall be deemed, taken and held to be a vote in favor of the same. I offer this resolution simply to bring the thought before the Convention. ask that it lie on the table for the present. I The PRESIDENT. The resolution will lie on the table. COMMITTEE ON REVISION AND ADJUST MENT. very much on the report of that committee. I should be glad through you, sir, to ask a member of that committee as to the position of their work and when they will be ready to report. The PRESIDENT. Mr. Knight, I believe, is the only member of the committed present. Mr. KNIGHT. Mr. President: The committee had several meetings previous to the adjournment of the Convention and they agreed to meet during the recess at Cape May, but they never did. Messrs. Clark, H. W. Palmer and Church may have had a meeting in the interior of the State somewhere. I have not W. Patterson, one of the members of the heard from them on the subject. Mr. D. committee, is here. Mr. DARLINGTON. Mr. President: 1 should be glad to know whether the committee themselves desire to have their number increased. If they do, I should be willing to give it to them; if they do not, I should like to hear before we act on the resolution? Mr. LILLY. I had considerable conversation with members of the Committee on Revision and Adjustment before the adjournment, and I understood from both Mr. Clark and Mr. H. W. Palmer, that their work was in a very forward condition; but, as the gentleman from Columbia said, the Convention was very unfortunate in not having a quorum of the Mr. BUCKALEW. I offer the following committee here to-day, and we are not resolution: Resolved, That four members be added by appointment of the Chair to the Committee on Revision and Adjustment. The resolution was ordered to a second reading, and was read the second time. Mr. BUCKALEW. This committee consists of five members only at present, and It happens at this moment that only one of the five is present in the Convention. By adding four new members, we could get a quorum of the committee together at once, and commence this afternoon or evening and have a report within a few likely to have a quorum of that committee for some time. I understand the courts are in session in the western part of the State, where Mr. Clark resides, and he cannot be here for some days. Mr. DARLINGTON. Let us hear from the members of the committee themselves. Mr. LILLY. Mr. Church is absent, I presume from the samo cause, and so is Mr. Palmer. To my mind it is important that we should go on, and in order to do so the committee ought to be able soon to report. The resolution was agreed to. HOURS OF SITTING. Mr. BRODHEAD. Mr. President: I offer the following resolution: Resolved, That on and after to-morrow the daily sessions of this Convention shall be from ten A. M. till three P. M. On the question of ordering the resolution to a second reading, a division was called for, which resulted ayes thirty-four, nays thirty-four. So the question was determined in the negative. WITHDRAWAL OF A RESIGNATION. Mr. COLLINS. Mr. President: Previous to the adjournment of the Convention my health was so much impaired that I was compelled to ask the privilege of resigning my seat as a member of this Convention. The Convention, however, did me the honor to lay the resignation on the table. My health has improved considerably since, and I now ask the unanimous consent of the body to withdraw that resignation. The PRESIDENT. The gentleman from Fayette desires leave to withdraw his letter of resignation. Shall he have leave? ["Yes." "Yes."] Leave was unanimously granted, and the resignation was withdrawn. DAILY SESSIONS. Mr. J. N. PURVIANCE. lowing resolution: I offer the fol Resolved, That the sessions of this Con- On the question of proceeding to the I ask for the Mr. D. N. WHITE. I Second the call. The yeas and nays were taken with the following result: YEAS. Messrs. Addicks, Baer, Baily, (Perry,) Bailey, (Huntingdon,) Bardsley, Beebe, Bowman, Carey, Carter, Corson, Davis, De France, Edwards, Fulton, Hay, Lawrence, Long, M'Culloch, Metzger, Newlin, Palmer, G. W., Parsons, Pughe, Purviance, John N., Purviance, Samuel A., Smith, H. G., Smith, Wm. H., Struthers, Temple, White, David N., White, J. W. F., and Wright-32. NAYS. Messrs. Achenbach, Ainey, Armstrong, So the Convention refused to read the ABSENT.-Messrs. Alricks, Andrews, ELECTION ARTICLE. Mr. KAINE. statement. I ask leave to make a The PRESIDENT. Shall the gentleman have leave? Leave was granted. Mr. KAINE. On the 22d day of January last an article relative to the times of holding the elections of this Commonwealth was ordered to be transcribed for third reading. On the next day-the 23d day of January-it was finally passed on have been understood by the Convention third reading. This does not seem to generally. The article was not referred to the Committee on Revision and Adjustment. It must necessarily go there, and therefore I offer the following resolu tion: Resolved, That the action of the Convention on the 22d day of January last, ordering the article fixing the time for holding the elections of this Commonwealth to be transcribed for third reading, and the passage of the same on the 23d day of January, on third reading, be and the same is hereby rescinded, and the said article as it passed second reading be and Adjustinent. referred to the Committee on Revision |