he can go before the board and swear I asked the supervisor why he had not This matter should be left to the Legislature. The people have tried this mode once, and have repealed it. Then why should we incorporate the principle here? It has been tried and found wanting; then why try it over again? I do not see any justice in this amendment. I cannot vote for any proposition of this kind. The question was upon the amendment of Mr. DANIELLS. Mr. DANIELLS. I call for the yeas and nays on the amendment. The yeas and nays were ordered. Mr. P. D. WARNER. I desire to move an amendment to the amendment. I think it should be made exactly what it ought to be, in order to secure what is desired. I move to amend it by adding the following: "And in case any person shall swear falsely in giving in his assessment, as herein provided, he shall be deemed guilty of treason against the State, and the amount of property withheld shall be confiscated to the State." Mr. DANIELLS. I move to lay the amendment to the amendment on the table. A farmer's property is assessed; The PRESIDENT. That would though I venture to say that half the carry the original amendment to the farms in the county have a mortgage table also, if the motion should be on them. Notwithstanding that, the adopted. farmers have to pay the full amount of Mr. DANIELLS: Then I withdraw their taxes. Yet the man who has loan- the motion. ed the money to the farmer, bringing him in debt for his farm, gets off without paying any tax on it, because he does not give it in. Mr. WINANS. Does not the man have an offset for his debt? Mr. DANIELLS. Not for his real estate; if it is covered three-fourths the value of it by a mortgage, he must pay the full amount of the assessment on the real estate. Indeed, it does not offset his personal property. He can only subtract it from the money owing to him that he is receiving interest Mr. DANIELLS. Did it demoralize us when every man had to swear to his property? If it did, then how came $4,000,000 worth of personal property to be taken right off the rolls, as soon as the oaths were discontinued? Does it not seem, then, that our Congress of the United States is a very immoral body, when it undertakes thus to debauch the integrity of the whole nation? Congress does not think it would hurt an honest man to make him swear, although it might strain a man a little on. who wanted to shuffle his property out of sight, and induce him to bring it forward. Yet there are many cases in the United States where even the oath does not make men act honestly in this respect, and they have been prosecuted and forced to pay the tax upon their incomes. Mr. FARMER. I move the indefinite postponement of the amendment of the gentleman from Oakland, (Mr. P.D WARNER.) Mr. DANIELLS. I call for the yeas and nays on that motion. The PRESIDENT. The Chair is of opinion that a motion of this kind, if adopted, would not only carry the amendment, and the amendment to the amendment, but the original article also. Mr. LAMB. I call for the yeas and nays on the amendment to the amendment. I hope the yeas and nays will be ordered, because I want a stop put to this playing. Mr. LUCE. I hope the gentleman from Berrien (Mr. FARMER) will withdraw his motion to postpone. The Of course this gives the creditor a gentleman from Clinton (Mr. DANIELLS) great advantage, unless you make him evidently has this subject much at come up and give in his property. If heart, and I wish him to have a vote anybody will tell me a better way of upon it. doing this, and obtaining a just and Mr. FARMER. I withdraw my equal system of valuation and assess-motion to indefinitely postpone. ment, I would be glad to vote for it. The question recurred upon the Mr. GERMAIN. I fear if we incor- amendment of Mr. P. D. WARNER to And there is another argument in porate in the fundamental law of the the amendment of Mr. DANIELLS. favor of my amendment. It will reach State the amendment of the gentleman supervisors who want to slide over from Clinton, (Mr. DANIELLS,) when some men. I recollect a case in point: the account of it is made public and one of our supervisors in our county gets known abroad, it will not be rewas prosecuted a few years ago for garded as very complimentary to the misdemeanor in not assessing his integrity and morality of the people of own property. And when his case the State of Michigan. I believe, if was examined it was found that he was any such provision as this is necessary letting the property of other men go. at all, it should be left to the LegislaI asked him why he did not assess a ture to enact it. I think there exists the amendment to the amendment was certain man who was known to be a at present a correction of the evil commoney lender. He said that the man plained of, that may be applied by the had not given in any property. That people of the townships. Where there very same month the money lender are a few men in the township who recame before me, when I was assessing fuse to give in their assessments, let for the United States, and swore that the people instruct the supervisor to he had a large amount of money at in- swear every man in town, to tender the terest at ten per cent. Would not that oath to every man. Would not that oath to every man. In that way those fact have been drawn out before the isolated cases may be brought to the supervisor if the man had been called surface. I am therefore opposed to upon there to swear to his property? this amendment. Vol. 1-No. 41. Mr. DANIELLS. Yes; let us have the yeas and nays on it. The yeas and nays were ordered. The question was then taken, and not agreed to, yeas 8, nays 68, as follows: YEAS-Messrs. Brown, Case, Crocker, Elliott, W. F. Goodwin, Haire, McConnell and P. D. Warner-8. هير NAYS-Messrs. Aldrich, Alexander, Andrus, Barber, Birney, Blackman, Bradley, Burtenshaw, Chapin, Chapman, Corbin, Daniells, Desnoyers, Divine, Duncan, Duncombe, Estee, Farmer, Ferris, Germain, Harris, Hazen, Henderson, Hixson, Holmes, Howard, Huston, Kenney, Lamb, Lawrence, Leach, Long year, Lovell, Luce, McClelland, McKernan, Miller, Murray, Mussey, Musgrave, Parsons, Pratt, Rafter, Richmond, Root, Shearer, Riper, Van Valkenburgh, Walker, M. C. The question recurred upon the amendment of Mr. DANIELLS, (upon which the yeas and nays had been ordered,) to add to section thirteen the following: "And the tax-payers shall be required to give a complete list of their taxable personal property to the supervisors, under oath." The question was taken, and the amendment was not agreed to-yeas 15, nays 64, as follows: YEAS-Messrs. Alexander, Blackman, Case, Chapir, Daniells, Duncombe,. Estee, Lamb, Lawrence, Parsons, Rafter, Stockwell, Tur ner, Utley and Walker-15. NAYS-Messrs. Aldrich, Andrus, Barber, Birney, Bradley, Brown, Burtenshaw, Chapman, Corbin, Crocker, Desnoyers, Divine, Duncan, Elliott, Farmer, Ferris, Germain, D. Goodwin, W. F. Goodwin, Haire, Harris, Hazen, Henderson, Hixson, Holmes, Howard, Huston, Kenney, Leach, Longyear, Lovell, Luce, McClelland, McConnell, McKernan, Miller, Murray, Mussey, Musgrave, Pratt, Richmond, Root, Sawyer, Shearer, Sheldon. T. G. Smith, W. A. Smith, Sutherland, Tyler, Van Riper, Van Valkenburgh, P. D. Warner, F. C. Watkins, M. C. Watkins, White, Willard, Winans, Winsor, Withey, Williams, Woodhouse, Wright, Yeomans and the Presi dent-64. LEAVE OF ABSENCE. Leave was granted. Mr. F. C. WATKINS. Important business renders it necessary for me to be absent, and I therefore ask leave of absence until Friday evening next. Leave was granted. Mr. YEOMANS. My colleague, (Mr. GERMAIN,) is not able to be in attendance on account of sickness. I ask in definite leave of absence for him. one member from each county, making Mr. HOWARD. I ask indefinite 59 members, I declared myself in favor leave of absence for myself. I will of leaving the re-organization of that state, as my reason for making this reboard to legislative action, hereafter. quest, that I am obliged to attend to When, however, an amendment was some official duties which were set offered, proposing to re-organize that down for to-day and Monday. I may board with a smaller number, I was get through on Monday; and if I do I willing to support that amendment, shall return on Tuesday. out of consideration to my friends here who so earnestly urged the necessity of reforming that board. At the same time, I did not suppose that any measure re-organizing the board would be adopted by the Convention. I spoke in favor of the proposition, rather as a plan which deserved to be adopted by the Legislature, than as one requiring action from this Convention. I voted, uniformly, in favor of referring the subject to the Legislature for action, rather than in favor of this Convention taking action on the question. There may have been, apparently, some inconsistency between my speeches and my votes. Still, I was at all times wilMr. W. A. SMITH asked and ob-ling that the proposition reported by tained indefinite leave of absence for the committee on finance and taxation, Mr. W. E. WARNER, on account of should be adopted. I have no objecsickness. tion, whatever, to the proposition which has been adopted, because the system can be changed hereafter, if it should be found to work badly. My preference from the beginning, however, has been to leave the question to the action of the Legislature, instead of taking action upon it in this Convention. Leave was granted. Mr. BIRNEY. I ask leave of absence until Tuesday evening, for Mr. HAIRE, who is called away by important business. Leave was granted. Mr. CORBIN asked and obtained indefinite leave of absence for Mr. MORTON, on account of sickness in his family. Mr. FERRIS, when his name was called, said: I desire to say in explanMr. RICHMOND asked and obation of my vote, that, while I am in tained leave of absence for himself, for favor of the principle of the amend-to-day and to-morrow, on account of ment, I am not in favor of putting it into this Constitution, and, therefore, vote "no." The article as amended was then ordered to a third reading, and referred to the committee on arrangement and phraseology, for correction and engross ment. important business. Mr. WILLIAMS asked and obtained leave of absence for himself, until Mon- Mr. TURNER asked and obtained Mr. BARBER. I would inquire if, under our rules, this article as amended Monday night. will be printed in the journal? ficial business. Mr. SUTHERLAND asked and obThe PRESIDENT. The course here-tained indefinite leave of absence for tofore adopted has been, after an arti- himself, after to-day, on account of ofcle has been reported back from the committee on arrangement and phraseology, with such amendments and corrections as they may recommend, to let it lie over one day and be printed in the journal. Mr. SHEARER. I move that the Convention now adjourn. The motion was agreed to; and, accordingly, (at twenty minutes past five o'clock, P.M.,) the Covention adjourned. TWENTY-FOURTH DAY. SATURDAY, June 15, 1867. The Convention met at nine o'clock a. m., and was called to order by the PRESIDENT. PERSONAL ÈXPLANATION. The document was read, and on motion of Mr. McCONNELL, ordered to be Mr. SHEARER. Mr. President, I de-printed at large in the journal. It is sire to say a few words by way of ex- as follows: planation of some remarks made by me within the last day or two on subjects coming before this Convention And let me say, sir, in the language of Paul, that "I had rather speak five words with my meaning understood than ten words in an unknown سم thousand words When sections 14, 15 and 16 of the article on Finance and Taxation, were before the committee of the whole, on day before yesterday, I expressed my impression that those sections needed no amendment; that they could not Prayer by Rev. Mr. STRAUB. be changed for the better. And, when The roll was called, and a quorum of yesterday, a proposition was made to members answered to their names. constitute the board of equalization of before another meeting of this Grand Lodge, and as an effort is being made, or may be made, to restore the license system with all its degrading and corrupting influence; therefore, Resolved, That this Grand Lodge, representing over thirty thousand of the citizens of Michigan, most earnestly and solemnly the license system of Michigan, or in any protest against any action tending to restore manner to impair the efficiency of the prohibitory liquor law of the State. That this State friendly to the cause, and that a copy resolution be published in the papers of the of the same be forwarded by the Secretary to the President of the Constitutional Convention, when the Convention shall be organized. The document was referred to the committee on intoxicating liquors. ́The PRESIDENT also presented a memorial of the officers and delegates of the Grand River Association of Good Templars, representing over six thousand persons, belonging to both political parties in the counties of Ionia, Kent, Ottawa, Clinton and Barry, praying that the granting of license for the sale of intoxicating liquors be prohibited in the new Constitution; which was referred to the committee on intoxicating liquors. The memorial was read, and on motion of Mr. CHAPIN, ordered to be printed in the journal. The memorial is as follows: county, on the same subject; which referred to the committee on intoxi- Mr. MCCLELLAND presented the Mr. ANDRUS presented the petition petition of D. Bethune Duffield, E. C. of Jas. McLalelan, Marshal Gass, and Walker, Wm. Jennison, D. C. Hol23 other legal voters of Macomb county, brook, C. I. Walker, C. A. Kent, E. W. upon the same subject; and the peti- Meldaugh, Ashley Pond, Theodore tion of Sarah F. Lerich, Bell M. Lerich, Romeyn, J. W. A. S. Cullen, S. Cochran, Lelie Deilrich, Orpha A. Adams, and Hoyt Post, Cleveland Hunt, Wm. Gray, 17 other young ladies, on the same James D. Wier, Henry M. Duffield, subject; which were referred to the James Caplis, F. H. Canfield, R. P. committee on intoxicating liquors. Toms, Henry B. Brown, John Ward, Hovey K. Clarke and Alfred Russell, members of the Detroit bar, for a provision in the Constitution authorizing the appointment by the Governor, with the advice of the Senate, of all members of the judiciary, which was referred to the committee on the judicial department. Mr. STOUGHTON presented the petition of Hon. J. G. Wait, David Knox, J. F. Van Vleck and 42 others, citizens of St. Joseph county, asking To the Honorable members of the Constitu- that section 47, article 4, may be retional Convention of the State of Michigan: tained in principle, at least, in the new We, the undersigned, officers of a Conven- Constitution; the petition of William tion this day convened in the village of Sar-Allman, Rev. A. G. Martin, and 40 anac, county of Ionia, composed of delegates other legal voters of the village of from Lodges of Good Templars within the district of the Grand River Association of Sturgis, St. Joseph county, on the same this Order, in behalf of and by order of said subject; and the petition of Capt. A. T. Convention, would respectfully represent to Drake, O. B. Curtis and 69 others, your honorable body— legal voters of the township and village of Sturgis, on the same subject; which were severally referred to the tee on intoxicating liquors. That this Association represents sixty-seven Lodges of Good Templars, numbering over six thousand persons, belonging to both political parties, in the counties of Ionia, Kent, Ottawa, Clinton and Barry; CONVICTS IN STATE PRISON FOR MURDER. Mr. LAWRENCE. I offer the following resolution: Resolved, That the Agent of the State prison be instructed to report to this Convention the number of persons sentenced to the commit-State prison for the crime of murder; how many of the same have been allowed to labor. and how many have become insane. Mr. TURNER. I would suggest to the gentleman that the resolution should specify "murder in the first degree." I suppose that was what the gentleman intended. Mr. LAWRENCE. It was. That we do unanimously pray that in form- Also, the petition of Harrison Kelley, ing a new Constitution, you will, by express B. B. Gardner and 16 other men, and provision, prohibit the granting of license Mrs. M. A. Parker, Hannah Kelley and for the sale of intoxicating beverages. 43 other women, citizens of St. Joseph county, asking equal suffrage for women; the petition of B. Toby, H. Wallace, Rev. A. G. Martin and 28 Mr. SUTHERLAND. I observe other men, and Mrs. J. V. Kyte, Mrs. that the resolution uses the phrase "alJ. C. Elliott, Mrs. H. C. Martin and 31 lowed to labor." All these convicts are other women, citizens of St. Joseph required to labor. Perhaps the object county, on the same subject; and the of the gentleman was to ascertain the petition of William Allman Isaac Aynes, number suffering solitary confinement. Mr. LAWRENCE. That was my A. T. Drake, T. E. White and 34 other men; Louisa Allman, Mrs. Manly object. Chase and 8 other women, citizens of Mr. MCCLELLAND. I suggest to St Joseph county, on the same sub- the gentleman to add to the resolution ject; which were referred to the com- the words "and how many have been mittee on elections. pardoned." And we would further represent that we number, in this organization, hundreds of men who have been identified with the great temperance reform movement for thirty years through its progressive stages, and do know that we utter the sentiments of all the temperance organizations in our State, by insisting upon retaining in our legislation the prohibitory principle; and whenever the same has been submitted to a vote of the people, Therefore, regarding the prohibition of the manufacture and sale of intoxicating drinks as resting upon the same foundation as the suppression of larceny or murder-a crime against God and man-firmly believing this, we must and will stand by this principle, at it has received their approval. any and all hazard. And we hereby appoint Hon. B. A. Harlan, Rev. John Russell, Rev. F. B. Bangs, Col. D. M. Fox and A. B. Morse, a committee to proceed to Lansing and present this memorial to your favorable consideration. SARANAC, June 13, A. D. 1867. B. A. HARLAN, President. F. B. BANGS, L. B. BARNUM, V. Prest. Mr. WALKER presented the petition of Sylvester Hoyt, Eliza S. Hoyt, Alden Smith, Penelope Smith, Fred. Wilkinson, Amanda M. Wilkinson, Chas. Lyon and others, citizens of St. Johns, Clinton county, for equal suffrage for men and women; which was referred to the committee on elections. Mr. SHEARER, presented the peti- Mr. LAWRENCE. I modify my tion of Henry Carlisle and L. McClum-resolution in accordance with the sevpha and 30 others, for the prohibition eral suggestions which have been made. The resolution, as modified, was of the sale of intoxicating liquors, and the petition of Wm. Ten Eyke and 23 adopted. others, on the same subject; which were referred to the committee on intoxicating liquors. of John Blair, G. B. Nichols and T. C. Mr. WHITE presented the petition Convention the following communicaPutnam, and 33 other citizens of the *PARDONS GRANTED SINCE 1850.* The PRESIDENT laid before the tion: SECRETARY'S OFFICE, Lansing, June 15, 1867. toownships of Martin, Allegan county, Hon. CHARLES M. CROSWELL, President of mittee on intoxicating liquors. the Constitutional Convention: SIR-In compliance with a resolution passed by the Convention on the 10th inst., I have the honor to transmit herewith, an exhibit of the pardons granted by each Governor since the adoption of the Constitution of 1850, as appears from the executive journals. Mr. ROOT presented the petition of Ingersoll Smith, D. S. Waldo, M. BabMr. BROWN presented the petition cock and 80 others, of Jonesville, Hills- of J. C. Pierce, Isaac Bennett and J. B. dale county, praying that section 47, Tompkins and 41 others, legal voters article 4, of the present Constitution, of the township of Girard, in the county be retained in the new; and the peti- of Branch, praying that section 47, tion of L. W. Dunn, L. Collins, C. article 4, of the present Constitution Brown and 24 others, of Hillsdale be retained in the new; which was The list is as follows; Very respectfully, SAMUEL H. ROW, Deputy Secretary of State. The communication and accompanying list were laid on the table, and ordered printed at large in the journal. TABLE Showing the number of Pardons Granted by each Govornor, since the adoption of the Constitution of 1850, the Term each Governor held Office, the Term of Sentence of each Convict, and the date of his Pardon, and for what Crime Convicted. Gov. JOHN S. BARRY, whose term of office commenced Jan. 1850, and expired Dec. 31, 1851, granted three pardons, as follows: Gov. ROBERT MCCLELLAND, whose term of office commenced Jan. 1, 1852, and expired March 7, 1853, granted 11 pardons, as follows: ¡October, 1848,. Michael Doyle, Samuel Prate, January, 1848, Benjamin Messinger, July, 1851, William Hammil, June, 1845, Erastus Bowen,. . James Butler,........... John Dunn, John Randall,. Erastus Champlin, Ebenezer Farnham,...................... Erastus Smith,.......... December, 1847,. One year,........................... Ten years, Five years, Eight years,. . . . . . . . Gov. ANDREW PARSONS, whose term of office commenced March 8, 1853, and expired Dec. 31, 1854, granted thirty-six pardons, as follows: Gov. KINSLEY S. BINGHAM, whose term of office commenced Jan. 1st, 1855, and expired Dec. 31, 1858, granted one hundred and thirty-nine pardons, as follows: November; 1853,. May, 1855, September, 1853, June, 1851, October, 1854,.. November, 1855, September Term,.. 20 years and 6 months, 5 years, 5 3 1 year, 2552 12 10 90 days, 5 years,.. ... 2 years and 6 months, 5 years, 4 1 year, 8 years, 10 15 |