It is for the sake of maintaining the power of the people that I vote for the appointment of the committee. And it is due to the people who have called this Convention, with plenary powers, that we should assert their power and maintain it. This is not a revolutionary Convention, nor a spontaneous meeting, but a Constitutional Convention, acting within the pale of the fundamental law of the State, as subservient, and not hostile to it, and under a commission from the people, as contained in the bill of rights, and for the purposes ascertained and limited therein, and in exact accordance with the pre-existing rights of the people. ANDREW A. PURMAN. Mr. Gowen presented the following letter of resignation, which was referred to the committee of fourteen delegates at large, last named in the proclamation of the Governor : To the Honorable WILLIAM M. MEREDITH, HARRISBURG, November 14, 1872. President of the Convention: SIR-I hereby tender to you, and through you to the Convention, my resignation as a member thereof, to take effect so soon as a successor has been appointed. JOHN G. FREEZE. A motion was made by Mr. Harry White, That the Convention do now adjourn. Which was agreed to. Whereupon, The President adjourned the Convention until to-morrow morning at 10 o'clock. Mr. Broomall offered the following, resolution, which was twice read, considered and adopted, viz: Resolved, That the Convention will adjourn to-day at one o'clock, to meet on Wednesday next, at ten, A. M. Mr. Brodhead offered the following resolution, which was twice read, considered, and adopted, viz: Resolved, That this Convention meets in the hall provided by the city of Philadelphia, the members shall select their seats by drawing for the same in the usual mode. Mr. Campbell offered the following resolution, viz: Resolved, That the Secretary of the Commonwealth be requested to furnish to the Convention, a list of all acts or sections of acts of Assembly of Pennsylvania, passed since January 1, 1857, granting any corporate powers to any railroad companies, coal companies, or companies authorized to purchase, lease, or hold land within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, with references to the pages of the pamphlet laws containing the same. On the question, Will the Convention proceed to the second reading and consideration of the resolution? It was determined in the negative. Mr. Dallas presented communications from the Librarian of the Law Association, and the Librarian of the Loganian Library, of Philadelphia, which were read as follows, viz: GEORGE M. DALLAS, Esq. : DEAR SIR-I received your note of the 9th inst., and beg to say that the Library of the Law Association will be at the service of the delegates to the Constitutional Convention, should they meet in Philadelphia. I write this as Librarian, and also with the approval of Mr. Henry Wharton, a member of the committee. PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 11, 1872. Very truly, yours, G. T. BISPHAM. LIBRARY CO. OF PHILADELPHIA, DEAR SIR:-I am authorized to offer to the members of the Constitutional Convention, should it adjourn to this city, the use of the collection of this and the Loganian Library. Very respectfully, LLOYD P. SMITH, HON. GEORGE M. DALLAS, &c., &c., &c. Which were laid on the table. Mr. Dallas offered the following resolution, which was twice read, considered and adopted, viz: Resolved, That a committee of five be appointed to confer with the councils of the city of Philadelphia in relation to the selection and arrangement of a hall for the use of this Convention. Ordered, That Messrs, Alricks, Dallas, Stanton, Boyd and Worrell be said committee. Mr. Corson offered the following resolution, which was twice read, viz: Resolved, That the Convention now proceed to the election of a Stenographer, skilled in the practice of short-hand writing, and experienced in the reporting of the proceedings of deliberative bodies, who shall be styled "The official reporter of the Convention." Said reporter shall employ his own assistants, and shall be solely responsible for the proper and accurate performance of his and their duties, and he shall receive such compensation as may be hereafter fixed by the Convention. On the question, Will the Convention agree to the resolution? A motion was made by Mr. Woodward, That the resolution be referred to a committee of fifteen on Rules. Which was agreed to. Mr. Gowen, from the committee to whom was referred the resignation of John G. Freeze, a member of the Convention from the Fifteenth Senatorial district, made a report, which was read as follows, viz: undersigned, members at large of the Convention, who were voted for by rity of the same voters who voted for and elected said John G. Freeze, do hereby fill the vacancy occasioned by his resignation, by the appointment of Charles R. Buckalew, a citizen of Columbia county, to be a member of the Convention from the said Fifteenth Senatorial district. HARRISBURG, November 15, 1872. GEO. W. WOODWARD, WILLIAM J. BAER, WILLIAM L. CORBETT, Mr. Buckalew appeared, and was duly qualified. Mr. Newlin, from the committee on Rules, made a report, which was read as follows, viz: The undersigned, committee of fifteen, appointed to report rules for the government of the Convention, beg leave to submit the following rules: SILAS M. CLARK, FRANKLIN B. GOWEN, GEORGE W. WOODWARD, JAMES W. M. NEWLIN, WILLIAM HOPKINS, RULES FOR THE REGULATION OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE CONVENTION. OF THE DUTIES OF THE PRESIDENT. I. He shall take the Chair at the hour to which the Convention shall have adjourned, and immediately call the delegates to order, and on the appearance of a quorum, shall cause the journal of the preceding day to be read, which may then be corrected by the Convention. II. He shall preserve order and decorum in debate; shall prevent personal reflections, and contine members to the question under consideration. When two or more delegates rise at the same time, he shall name the one entitled to the floor. III. He shall decide all questions of order. An appeal from his decision may be be made in writing by two delegates, or the President may, in the first instance. submit the question to the Convention. On questions of order there shall be no debate, except on an appeal from the decision of the President, or on a reference of a question by him to the Convention, when no delegate shall speak more than once, unless by leave of the Convention. IV. While the President is putting a question or addressing the Convention, none shall walk over, out of or across the House; nor in such case, or when a delegate is speaking, shall entertain private discourse; nor while a delegate is speaking, shall pass between him and the Chair. V. The President shall appoint the standing and select committees, unless otherwise ordered by the Convention. VI. He shall have a general direction of the hall. He may name a delegate to perform the duties of the Chair, but such substitution shall not extend beyond an adjournment. In case of the sickness or necessary absence of the President, he may appoint a President pro tempore for any period not exceeding ten days, after which, or in default of such appointment by the President, a President pro tempore shall be chosen by the Convention. While the President pro tempore ofliciates, he shall be clothed with all the powers, and perform all the duties of the President. OF THE ORDER OF BUSINESS. VII. After the Journal has been read, the order of business shall be as follows: 1. Letters, petitions, memorials, remonstrances and accompanying documents may be presented and referred. 2. Leave of absence may be asked and original resolutions offered, and on motion considered. 3. Reports of committees may be made : 1st. From standing committees in their order. 2d. From select committees. 4. Articles on third reading. 5. Reports and resolutions may, on motion be considered. 6. Articles in the following order: 1st. Those in which the Convention has made progress on second reading. 2 d. Those reported by a committee of the whole. 3 d. Those in which the committee of the whole has made progress, and has leave to sit again. 4th. Those not yet considered in committee of the whole, shall be taken up. OF BUSINESS AND DEBATE. VIII. When a delegate is about to speak in debate, or to communicate any matter to the Convention, he shall rise and respectfully address Mr. President, and upon being recognized by the President, shall continue, confining his remarks to the subject before the Convention, and avoiding personal reflectons. IX. If any delegate in debate transgresses the rules of the Convention, the President shall, or any delegate may, through the President, call him to order; the delegate so called to order shall immediately sit down, unless permitted to explain. The Convention shall, if appealed to, decide on the case, but without debate. If there be no appeal, the decision of the President shall be submitted to, and if the case requires it, the delegate so called to order shall be liable to the censure of the Convention. X. No delegate shall speak more than twice to the same question without leave of the Convention. XI. No delegate, when speaking, shall be interrupted, except by a call to order by the President, or by a delegate through the President, or by a member to explain, nor shall any delegate be referred to by name, in debate, unless for a trangression of the rules of the Convention, and then by the President only. XII. A delegate presenting a petition or other paper to the Chair, shall state only the general purport of it. The name of every delegate presenting a petition. or other paper, or making a motion, shall be entered on the Journals. XIII. No member shall be permitted to make a motion, or address the President, unless such member shall be at his own desk. ON MOTIONS. XIV. All motions made and seconded shall be repeated by the President, who shall put the question distinctly in the following form, viz: And after "As many as are of opinion,"[as the question may be," say Aye." the affirmative is expressed, "as inany as are of a contrary opinion say No." But the President, or any delegate, may call for a division of the Convention, when the President shall again put the question distinctly and in the following manner, viz: “As many as are in the affirmative will rise." And when he has announced the number in the affirmative, he shall put the opposite side of the question, "As mony as are in the negative will rise. XV. If the President, or any delegate requires it, a motion made shall be reduced to writing. Any motion may be withdrawn by the mover before amendment or decision. XVI. Any delegate may call for the division of a question which shall be divided, if it comprehends questions so distinct that, on being taken away, the rest may stand entire for the decision of the Convention. A motion to strike out or insert shall be deemed indivisible, but a motion to strike out being lost, shall preclude neither amendment nor a motion to strike out and insert. No motion can be received to postpone for the purpose of introducing a substitute. OF PRIVILEGED QUESTIONS. XVII. No business regularly before the Convention shall be interrupted, except by a motion. For adjournment. For the previous question, namely: "Shall the main question be now put." For commitment. For amendment. For re-consideration. XVIII. A motion for adjournment shall always be in order, and shall be decided without debate, except that it shall not be received when the Convention is voting on another question, nor while a delegate is addressing the Convention. When a call for the previous question has been made and sustained, the question shall be upon pending amendments and the main question, in their regular order, and all incidental questions of order arising after a motion for the previous question has been made, and pending such motion, shall be decided, whether on appeal or otherwise, without debate. But the previous question shall not be called by less than eighteen delegates rising for the purpose, and shall be decided without debate. A motion for postponement shall preclude commitment. A motion for commitment shall preclude amendment or decision on the original subject. A motion to postpone for the present, or to a day certain, shall be decided without debate. XIX. No motion for re-consideration shall be permitted, unless made and seconded by delegates who were in the majority on the vote on the original question, and within six days of actual session after the decision. XX. When a blank is to be filled, the question shall be first taken on the largest sum, the greatest number and the remotest day. XXI. In all cases of elections, a majority of the delegates present shall be necessary to a choice, and the voting shall be viva voce. Every resolution to alter the rules of this Convention shall lie on the table one day. OF COMMITTEES. XXII. Committees may be of three kinds, viz: Committees of the whole. Standing committees. Select committees. XXIII. Every member of a committee shall attend the call of the chairman, who shall be the person first named on such committee; and in case of the neglect of the chairman to call the committee together, or in case of his absence by sickness or other cause, the committee shall attend the call of the person named next on the committee. XXIV. No committee shall sit during the sitting of the Convention without leave. OF COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE. XXV. The rules and proceedings observed in the Convention shall be observed as far as they are applicable in committee of the whole, except that a delegate may speak oftener than twice on the subject, nor can a motion for the previous question be made therein. XXVI. When the Convention resolves itself into a committee of the whole, the President shall appoint a chairman, unless ordered by the Convention. XXVII. Amendments made in committee of the whole shall be read, on the President resuming the Chair, and shall be entered upon the journal. XXVIII. When, in committee of the whole, any paper laid upon the table of the Convention may be called for by a delegate and read, unless the committee otherwise order. |