Mr. COCHRAN. I move that the Convention adjourn.

Mr. CUYLER. Having voted with the majority, I now move to reconsider the vote on the amendment just voted on. Mr. TEMPLE. I second the motion.

Mr. CAMPBELL. I call for the yeas and nays.

Mr. HARRY WHITE. I submit that a motion to adjourn was made.

Mr. COCHRAN. I moved that the Convention adjourn.

The motion was agreed to; and (at eleven o'clock and fifty-eight minutes, A. M.) the Convention adjourned until Monday next, at ten o'clock A. M.

MONDAY, July 14, 1873.

The Convention met at ten o'clock A. M., Hon. John H. Walker, President pro tem., in the chair.

Prayer by Rev. J. W. Curry.

The Journal of the proceedings of Saturday last was read and approved.

LEAVES OF ABSENCE.

Mr. S. A. PURVIANCE asked and obtained leave of absence for Mr. Darlington for to-day.

Mr. CLARK asked and obtained leave of absence for Mr. Metzger for to-day.

PROPOSED RECESS.

Mr. D. N. WHITE. I offer the following resolution, and ask that it be laid on the table:

Resolved, That when all the articles adopted in committee of the whole shall have passed second reading the Convention shall adjourn to meet again on the 15th of September, at ten o'clock A. M.

Resolved, That articles passed on second reading be arranged in their proper order by the Committee on Revision and printed in pamphlet form, leaded pica type, with a broad margin, on sized paper, and three copies sent to each member as soon as possible after the adjournment.

The PRESIDENT pro tem. The resolution will lie on the table.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.

Mr. NEWLIN. I call up a resolution which was offered by ine on the 28th of March, and which is now on second reading.

The PRESIDENT pro tem. The resolution will be read.

The CLERK read as follows:

Resolved, That rule twenty-nine be amended by adding a standing committee of fourteen, to be called the Execu

tive Committee.

The PRESIDENT pro tem. The question is on proceeding to the consideration of the resolution.

Mr. NEWLIN. That has laid over one day under the rules, and I believe is now on second reading.

The PRESIDENT pro tem. Still it must first be taken up. It is for the House to say whether it will proceed to consider it or not. The question is, will the Convention agree to proceed to the consideration of the resolution?

The motion was not agreed to.

INVITATION TO ALTOONA. Mr. CURRY. I have received a communication which I desire to have read.

The PRESIDENT pro tem. The communication will be received and read. The CLERK read as follows:

CITY OF ALTOONA,

Office of President City Council, July 11, 1873. Hon. J. W. CURRY, Member of the Constitutional Convention, Philadelphia: DEAR SIR:-At a regular meeting of July seventh, the following resolution, the common council of this city, held offered by Mr. Samuel Lloyd, was unanimously adopted, viz:

Resolved, That the Hon. J. W. Curry, our member of the Constitutional Con

vention, be instructed to request the members of that Convention to visit our mountain city previous to their final adjournment.

Certified to be a correct copy of the resolution.

Attest:

T. B. PATTON,
Secretary.

Mr. CURRY. cation be laid on the table. Mr. BOYD. I move that the invitation be accepted.

I ask that the communi

Mr. CURRY. Let it lie on the table.

Mr. BRODHEAD. I would like to ask the delegate from Blair what they wish us to come for, whether to hold our sessions there or only on a friendly visit?

Mr. BOYD. If it is on a visit, I should like to go.

Mr. CURRY. The city council of Altoona extend an invitation to this body to meet and hold its sessions there. They do this in good faith. I am sure I can say that they will be willing to do anything in their power for the comfort and convenience of the members of the Conven

tion, in case they accept the invitation contained in the communication which has been read. So far as room is concerned, I think we could furnish a very comfortable hall there, and, so far as a place of boarding is concerned, I presume a majority of the Convention could make it convenient to board at the Cresson house, at Cresson Springs, which is only about fourteen miles away.

eral, on the fifteenth day of May, 1873, adopted the following resolution, viz: Resolved, That no warrants be drawn for payments to the Printer of the Convention, but that the Committee on Accounts shall continue to ascertain, and from time to time report to this Convention what sums may be due to the Printer, and copies of such reports, when approved by the Convention, shall be forth

Mr. CURRY. Yes, sir.

Mr. BOYD. Do you mean that this is an invitation to go there and spend a day, or to go there and deliberate and finish our work? Which is it?

Mr. CURRY. I will answer the gentleman. It will be for the Convention to decide whether they shall remain one day, or stay and complete their work at the city of Altoona.

The PRESIDENT pro tem. It is moved that the communication be laid on the table, and that the thanks of the Convention be returned to the city council of Altoona for their invitation.

The motion was agreed to.

PRINTING ACCOUNTS.

Mr. HAY. I desire to present a report from the Committee on Accounts.

The PRESIDENT pro tem. The report will be read.

The CLERK proceeded to read the report.

Mr. HAY. I did not propose to press the present consideration of the report, but to ask that it be laid on the table and printed, and if that meets the approbation of the Convention, I will move to dispense with the further reading of the report and that the Committee on Accounts be authorized to have two hundred and fifty copies printed for the use of tho Conven

tion.

Mr. BUCKALEW. 1 object. I want to hear it read first.

Clerk." Whereupon the committee addressed a communication to the Printer, directing his attention to the resolution, and requested him to "present to the committee a complete statement, in detail, of all the printing and binding done by him under his contract with the Convention, and of books furnished, and of all other claims of any kind which he might have against the Convention up to the fifteenth day of May (then) instant, and to state in the account not only the total sum claimed by him up to that date, but also the particular prices charged in every case." An account up to the fifteenth day of May was furnished soon after a repetition of this request had been made. This account when first presented was not accompanied by any vouchers of any kind, and some have not yet been sup plied. These facts serve to explain the delay in first reporting upon this subject. In the examination of this account, the committee has been governed by the same rules and principles which control the settlement of private accounts; and while endeavoring to be accurate and careful, has also endeavored to be strictly just to the accountant. Wherever the Convention has made any order in the matter it has been rigidly observed; and the contract with the Printer, found on page 228 of the Journal, has been kept constantly in view, and its terms undeviatingly followed.

That contract provided, inter alia, as follows: "Now I, Benjamin Singerly,

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 the Convention, in pursuance of an opinion that further warrants for payments for its printing should, under the provisions of the general appropriation act of 1873, be drawn by the Auditor Gen43-Vol. VI.

*

*

presents covenant and agree to * * do all the printing and binding of the said Convention, and that I will execute the said printing for the Debates and Journal, and such other printing as may be ordered, in such form and in such type, and to furnish and bind such number of copies as may be ordered, and that I will execute such orders in the premises as may be given me by the Convention, or the Committee on Printing and Binding thereof; and that all the said printing

and binding shall be done and executed on the same terms and in the same manner as now provided by my existing contract with the State of Pennsylvania.”

This contract with the State is to "do all the State printing and binding in the manner and in all respects subject to the provisions of the act of 9th April, A. D. 1856, and the supplements thereto, approved February 25, A. D. 1862, and March 27, 1871, for the period of three years from the first day of July, (1871,) at the rate of forty-one and one-fourth (41) per centum below the rates specified in said acts."

The act of March 27, 1871, entitled "A further supplement to the act of 9th of April, A. D., 1856, regulating the public printing and binding," provides that "the standard rates of compensation or price for the public printing and binding, and for all objects of charge against the Commonwealth by the public Printer shall be according to the schedule appended to this act."

The rates mentioned in this schedule, so far as applicable to the account before the committe, are as follows:

"Printing. For all composition, in whatever type, except on legislative bills, per thousand ems, as follows:

"Plain composition, sixty cents. "Rule and figure work composition, one dollar.

"For press-work, for each token of twohundred and fifty impressions, or less, fifty cents.

"For each page of legislative bills in pica type, including composition, presswork, folding and delivery, one dollar.

"Tabular work shall be executed in brevier or smaller type, without additional charge.

"No composition, except of bills, shall be leaded or scabbarded, without the direction of the superintendent, nor shall any composition, upon any pretence what ever, be fixed at other rates than those herein prescribed.

"Folding, et cetera. For folding, gathering, stitching and collating, and delivering, per one hundred sheets of any size, twenty cents.

"Binding. For half-binding, leather back, corner tips, paper sides and labels, per volume, fifty cents. For binding all books or documents in muslin covers, whether plain, gilded or embossed, with lettering on side or back, or both, per volume, twenty cents.

"Miscellaneous.-Per hundred sheets, for cutting "and dry pressing, two cents." The Committee has adopted, in making this settlement, the invariable rule that, wherever applicable, the prices to be paid the Printer, were those mentioned in the said schedule, less the discount of fortyone and one-fourth per centum from these prices, at which the public printing and binding was allotted to Benjamin Singerly; and has therefore refused to allow any charge made for work coming within the enumeration of said schedule which was in excess of the prices therein prescribed, less the discount. The Committee understands its functions in this matter to be simply to audit according to law, and not to decide as to the sufficiency of the prices fixed. Wherever the prices for work done were not fixed by law, the Committee has allowed what, in its opinion, was a fair price therefor. There being very little of what may be fairly called extra work, not provided for in the schedule, done for the Convention, it may be that the Printer, under his contract with the Convention and the State, has a hard bargain, and that he would not be fully and fairly remunerated by strict adherence to the terms of his contract: but the Committee, while expressing no opinion upon this subject, has had in the audit of this account to look only to the law existing for its guidance, and to report accordingly, leaving it to the Convention itself to take such other or further action in the matter as may be deemed necessary and proper.

For purposes of convenience and to show in the clearest and readiest manner the differences between the claims of the Printer and the allowances of the committee, there has been prepared, (and is hereby submitted, marked "A,”) a statement, on the one side of which is a substantial transcript of the Printer's account, and on the other side, in corres ponding columns, the same items as allowed, disallowed or suspended, by the committee.

The Printer's account to May 15th, as rendered, is for a total sum of $24,970 33, of which he claims that only $7,599 43 is subject to a discount of 411 per cent., and that $17,371 23 is not subject to any deduction; leaving the bill $21,835 90. The committee in the appended statement have restated this account. 1. Allowing, as charged, the sum of.........

$3,170 75