and was when the subject was before us on Friday last, that it would prove beneficial to the people of this State to have the debates of this body printed and scattered over the country that our constituents at home might have the means of knowing what we are doing and be enabled to vote understandingly when the Constitution we may make here, shall be submitted to them for action, and they certainly cannot be enabled to do that unless they have the action and debates of this Convention upon the Constitution placed before them in some shape. Nor do I think that the number of copies of this work to be printed are any too large. The simple question in my mind is as to the price we have concluded to give. I hear complaints from different sources as to the price being too large, being altogether exorbitant. I for one am not acquainted with this sort of work, and do not know myself whether the price is too large or not. But I see that there is dissatisfaction exhibited by different members of the Convention upon this point.

I disagree with the gentleman from Muscatine (Mr. Parvin). I believe that even if we have agreed to pay an exorbitant price and have entered into a contract to that effect, we are not yet entirely in the power of the men with whom we may have made the contract. So far as that is concerned, I think we may reconsider the whole vote, and although we may have entered into a contract with these men to do this work, still we have the right to say to them,-gentlemen we do not see fit to go on further with this work. They have no power to compel us to go on with it and their whole remedy is in an action for damages for losing time, &c. They have no right to say to us as a body that because we have entered into a contract we are therefore bound to carry that contract out. All they can do is to institute damages, if we now give them notice that we will not pursue this matter any farther. But I anticipate nothing of this kind.

As I voted for the adoption of the report I shall now vote for its reconsideration in order to satisfy all parties. The argument that we have agreed here to pay no higher than is paid the State Printer does not satisfy me. It is said the State Printer is paid more than he ought to receive for his work. I do not know how that is, but I think it is a matter which, perhaps, should be investigated. If the State Printer does receive more for his work than he ought, it is not necessary, because the Legislature has made a had contract, that we should make another one like it.

Mr. HARRIS. I was in the first place and am yet in favor of having everything done in this Convention placed in such a shape and spread before the people that they could derive information from it. I was in favor of having our debates published in the papers and thought that with a very little expense we could secure all that was necessary in that shape. And hence I took the position I did in regard to the increase of the number of the papers to be allowed us. But in conversations I and others had upon the

[January 26th.

subject we were assured that we were to have the reports placed upon our tables daily and we could take them instead of papers. With that understanding I acquiesced. But in doing so I understood that we were to have the printing done in this city and not be dependant upon the contingency of the roads being blocked up with snow, as I now understand is the case. As I now understand the matter I shall vote for a reconsideration.

The question being then taken by yeas and nays upon the motion to reconsider the vote by which the report of the committee on reporting and printing was adopted, it was agreed to, yeas 24, nays 11, as follows:

Yeas-The President; Messrs. Ayres, Clark of Alamakee, Cotton, Day, Edwards, Emerson, Gibson, Gray, Hall, Harris, Hollingsworth, Johnston, Palmer, Patterson, Price, Robinson, Skiff, Solomon, Traer, Warren, Wilson, Winchester and Young.-24.

Nays-Messrs. Bunker, Clarke of Henry, Clarke of Johnson, Ells, Gower, Marvin, Parvin, Peters, Scott, Seeley and Todhunter.-11.

The question was upon agreeing to the report of the committee.

Mr. YOUNG moved that the report be laid upon the table until to-morrow morning at 10 o'clock.

The question being taken by yeas and nays, upon the motion to lay upon the table, it was agreed to, yeas 25, nays 10, as follows:

Yeas-The President; Messrs. Ayres, Bunker, Clark of Alamakee, Clarke of Henry, Clarke of Johnson, Cotton, Day, Edwards, Ells, Gibson, Gower, Gray, Harris, Hollingsworth, Marvin, Parvin, Scott, Seeley, Todhunter, Traer, Warren, Wilson, Winchester and Young.

Nays--Messrs. Emerson, Hall, Johnston, Palmer, Patterson, Peters, Price, Robinson, Skiff and Solomon.

The report was accordingly laid upon the table subject to the call of the Convention. Resolutions of Enquiry.

Mr. CLARKE of Henry introduced the following resolution :

Resolved, That the committe on suffrage enquire into the expediency of referring the first section of the second Article of the Constitution to the people as a separate clause to be voted upon, so that if a majority of the voters shall vote in favor of retaining the word "white" in said election it shall be retained; but if a majority thereof shall vote in favor of striking it out it shall be stricken out, so that said section shall read "every male citizen of the United States, &c."

Resolved, That the committee on the Legislative Department enquire and report upon so amending Section four of Article three, so that it shall read,

Any person may be a member of the General Assembly who shall be entitled to the right of suffrage in the State at the time of his election, have had an actual residence of thirty days in the county or district he may be chosen to represent.

Monday.]

[January 26th.

Mr. TRAER. I would enquire if this is merely a resolution of enquiry?

The PRESIDENT. The chair understands it to be an ordinary resolution of enquiry.

Mr. TRAER. Then I can see no reason why this resolution should not be referred as an act of courtesy merely to the mover. I do not say that I am in favor of the proposition it contains. Mr. HALL. Is it in order to move to amend a resolution of this character?

The PRESIDENT. It is not in order at present, as a motion to indefinitely postpone is pending.

Mr. HARRIS. I withdraw the motion to indefinitely postpone.

Mr. HALL. I now move to amend the resolution, so that "the committee on the right of suffrage be instructed to report against privilege," &c.

Mr. CLARKE, of Henry. I apprehend if this course is to be adopted in this Convention it ought to put an end to all resolutions or propositions offered in this body requesting committees to give their attention to certain subjects. We have all understood that these resolutions were to be received only as resolutions of enquiry, and not as resolutions of instructions at all. The proposition contained in this resolution is merely that of enquiring into the expediency of referring the section named to the people for their direct vote upon it. That is the whole proposition. Now for the gentleman to move to amend the resolution so as to instruct the committee to report against it, seems to me to be uncourteous, and I think he had better not commence that game here in this Convention.

Mr. EDWARDS. I do not see the necessity of sending this report to the Committee on Suffrage, as we have already reported that article back to the Convention, and recommended its adoption, without amendment, as a part of the Constitution. It appears to me that the gentleman can reach his object by moving an amendment to the report when it shall have been called up for the action of the Convention. | But I think it is entirely unnecessary to send this subject back to the committee when they have already reported upon it unanimously. And therefore, in order to save time, I move to lay the resolution and amendment upon the table.

On this question Mr. CLARKE, of Henry, called for the yeas and nays, and they were ordered accordingly.

The question being taken by yeas and nays upon laying upon the table, it was agreed to, yeas 24 nays 10 as follows:

Yeas-The President, Messrs. Ayres, Cotton, Day, Edwards, Emerson, Gibson, Harris, Hollingsworth, Johnston, Palmer, Patterson, Peters,

Nays-Messrs. Bunker, Clark of Alamakee, Clarke of Henry, Clarke of Johnson, Gower, Gray, Hall, Marvin, Parvin, and Traer.

When Mr. JOHNSTON'S name was called, he said: With the permission of the Convention I will state that I would vote cheerfully for the resolution of the gentleman from Henry, (Mr. Clarke) were it not that the committee to which it relates have made their report, which is now before the Convention. I shall therefore vote to lay the resolution on the table.

The resolution was accordingly laid on the table.

Mr. PETERS offered the following resolution: Resolved, That the Committee on the Judiciary be requested to enquire into the expediency of so amending the constitution as to vest the judicial power of the State in a Supreme Court, in District Courts, Courts of Common Pleas, Courts of Probate, Justices of the Peace, and such other Courts, inferior to the Supreme Courts, in one or more counties, as the General Assembly may from time to time establish, and classify, and limit said Courts as follows:

The Supreme Court shall consist of five judges, a majority of whom shall be necessary to form a quorum to pronounce a decision. It shall have appellate jurisdiction only in all cases in chancery, and shall constitute a court for the correction of errors at law, under such restrictions as the general assembly may by law prescribe. The Supreme Court shall have power to issue all writs and processes necessary to do justice to parties, and shall exercise a supervisory control over all inferior judicial tribunals in the State. The Supreme Court shall be elected by the electors of the State at large. The State shall be divided into four common pleas districts, of compact territory and bounded by county lines; and each of said districts consisting of three or more counties, shall be subdivided into three parts of compact territory, and bounded by county lines, and as nearly equal in population as practicable, in each of which one judge of the Court of Common Pleas, of said district, shall be elected by the electors of said subdivision. Courts of Common Pleas shall be held in each, by one of said judges, of the said subdivisions, as often as the general assembly may by law provide, and more than one court or sitting thereof may be held at the same time in each district. The District Court shall be composed of judges of the Courts of Common Pleas of the respective districts, and one of the judges of the Supreme Court, any three of whom shall be a quorum; and shall be holden in such subdivision at least once in each year. And the general assembly may for each district provide that said court shall hold three annual sessions, in not less than three places. The general assembly may, by law, authorize the judges of each district to fix the times for holding courts therein. The District Court shall have original jurisdiction in all cases of

law and equity, and such appellate jurisdiction as may be provided by law.

There shall be established in each organized county a Probate Court, which shall be a court of record, open at all times, and holden by one judge elected by the voters of the county, who shall hold his office for the term of three years, and receive such ecmpensation out of the county treasury as shall be provided by law.

A competent number of Justices of the Peace shall be elected by the electors in each township

in the several counties, whose term of office shall be two years, and their powers and duties shall be regulated by law.

The judges of the Courts of Common Pleas shall, immediately after the first election under this constitution, be classified by lot, so that one shall hold office for the term of two years, one for three years, one for four years, and one for five years-the chief justice to be elected for five years; and at all subsequent elections the term of each of said judges shall be for a term of five years.

The judges of the Court of Common Pleas shall, while in office, reside in the district for which they are elected, and their terms of office shall be for five years.

The resolution was agreed to, and referred accordingly.

Mr. AYRES offered the following resolution: Resolved, That the Committee on State Debts be requested to enquire into the expediency of annexing to that department, as an amendment, the following sections:

Section 2d. That the State shall never assume the debt of any county, city, town or township, or of any corporation whatever, unless such debt shall have been created to repel invasion, suppress insurrection, or defend the State in war.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 1857. The Convention met at ten o'clock, and was called to order by the President. Prayer by Rev. Mr. Kynett.

The journal of yesterday was read and approved.

Petitions.

The PRESIDENT laid before the Convention two petitions-one from R. M. Wilson and fifteen six others, who, being fully convinced, as they others, and one from Alexander Story and fortystate, of the necessity of legislative action with reference to the observance of the Christian Sabbath, and also of the necessity of a constitutional provision to give validity to such laws, would therefore petition this body to incorporate provisions in the constitution upon which such laws may be based.

Mr. CLARKE, of Henry, moved that they be referred to the Committee on Bills and Rights; which motion was agreed to.

Resolutions of Inquiry.

Mr. GOWER offered the following resolution: Resolved, That the Committee on Education and School Lands be instructed to inquire into the propriety of locating the State University and devoting the school fund entire to it. Also, that the State take all school funds, present and prospective, and pay semi-annually a per cent. thereon; that the Auditor and Treasurer make a pro rata distribution of the interest semi-annually to the counties; that the county judges draw the amount due their counties semi-annually and distribute to the school districts therein, all to be done by salaried officers, ex-officio, free of charge; that the principal be a perpetual fund, the interest only to be used.

The resolution was agreed to, and referred accordingly.

The resolution was agreed to, and referred accordingly.

tion.

Resolved, That the Committees on the Legislative, Executive and Judicial Departments be requested to enquire into the expediency of declaring any voter twenty-one years of age and upwards to be eligible to any office in this State.

The resolution was agreed to, and referred accordingly.

Mr. PALMER moved that the Convention adjourn until to-morrow morning at ten o'clock.

The question being taken it was agreed to, upon a Division, as follows: Ayes, 16; Noes, 14. The Convention accordingly adjourned.

Also, add to said section 1, "Provided that electors otherwise qualified, between the ages of twenty-one and twenty-two years, may vote without the payment of taxes."

The resolution was agreed to and referred accordingly.

Mr. EDWARDS offered the following resolution:

tive Department be instructed to inquire into the Resolved, That the Committee on the Legislaexpediency of reporting an amendment to the constitution, providing that the General Assembly shall not pass local or special laws in any of the following enumerated cases, that is to say:

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