Salisbury Sanbornton

Sandown

Sandwich

The committee also report that Mr. George W. Gordon of Berlin and Mr. Edson J. Hill of Concord have died and that Mr. Frank J. Peaslee of Bradford has resigned. At special elections Mr. Everett Kittredge has been elected a delegate from Bradford, and Mr. William A. Lee has been elected from Ward Eight, Concord.

The committee recommend that Mr. Everett Kittredge of Bradford, and Mr. William A. Lee of Ward Eight, Concord, be seated as delegates to fill vacancies.

The committee further report that no delegates have been elected from Livermore and Bridgewater, and that on account of a tie vote no certificate of election has been issued in Ashland, and only one certificate of election has been issued in Hanover, which is entitled to two delegates.

The report of the committee was accepted and its recommendations adopted.

On motion of Mr. Duncan of Jaffrey, the following resolution was adopted:

WHEREAS, The election for the choice of delegates to this Convention in Ashland and Hanover resulted in a tie vote, with no choice, thereby depriving the town of Ashland of representation herein and the town of Hanover of one half of its representation, be it

Resolved, That Albion Kahler and Theodosius S. Tyng, both of Ashland, and Horace F. Hoyt and Frank A. Updyke, both of Hanover, be seated in this Convention as delegates from their respective towns, with one half vote each, and with full pay.

The roll of the Convention was then called and 426 gentlemen answering to their names, a quorum of the Convention was declared present.

Mr. Snow of Rochester.-I am sure it is the desire of this Convention to have a permanent organization as speedily as possible. We have no time, gentlemen, to waste in complimentary votes or useless balloting. We are fortunate in having one member whose fitness for the high office of President is recognized by us all, a man of large experience, a man of sound judgment, a lawyer, a financier, and a public servant of tried capacity.

Mr. Snow of Rochester moved that the Convention proceed to the election of a President of the Convention, and that the temporary secretary be instructed to cast one ballot as the ballot of the Convention for Hon. Albert O. Brown of Manchester for President of the Convention. The motion was seconded by Mr. Harry W. Spaulding, Manchester.

Question being on the motion of Mr. Snow of Rochester,

On a viva voce vote, the motion of Mr. Snow of Rochester was adopted.

and Hon. Albert O. Brown of Manchester was declared elected President of the Convention.

Messrs. Streeter of Concord and Hutchins of Stratford were appointed to conduct the President-elect to the chair.

(The President in the Chair.)

On assuming the chair, Mr. Brown addressed the Convention as follows:

GENTLEMEN OF THE CONVENTION:

To be selected to preside over the deliberations of those to whom the people of New Hampshire have delegated the power to revise their ancient Constitution is a great honor. In the nature of things, it can come to few men. Indeed, the roll of Convention Presidents for the whole period of the history of the State bears but nine names. For the place you have assigned to me

in this honorable succession I return my sincere thanks and my promise of faithful service.

This Convention has fallen upon solemn times. The nations are at war. Upon the ocean and upon the fields of France, our first ally, we are face to face with a formidable and malign enemy, whose purpose is the spoilation of the world. Should this design seem incredible, it is only necessary to remember that the plunder of contiguous peoples and the annexation of their territory have for more than two hundred years been the business and pastime of the Kingdom of Prussia. Meanwhile, by force and diplomacy based on force she has consolidated nearly thirty states into the foremost military power of this or any age.

It is not strange that the warlike plans of a people of such antecedents and achievements should be broad and comprehensive, if not universal. That they extend at least to us has been established out of the mouth of him who alone can make war in their support. And he has proved his words by monstrous deeds. He has destroyed our people without regard to sex or age as, exercising the rights of neutrals, they sailed the open seas. He filled our land with spies, sowed the seeds of insurrection among us, and urged other nations to attack us while his accredited representatives were yet guests in our official family. Insult followed insult and injury followed injury, until from self-respect and in self-defense we turned from the arts of peace to the arts of war.

From the first our sympathy went out to those who were struggling against the common enemy of free governments; but sentiment was powerless in the presence of unconscionable profits. Year in and year out a great fleet and great armies withstood a military machine that seemed to be irresistible and saved our shores from harm. And we accepted the benefit but declined the burden of the service. Moreover, although in our own person we were smitten on the one cheek, we failed to protect the other. It is plain we cannot regain our former position of influence and advantage, but we can in a large measure atone for our defaults. We can as one man the more fully devote our time, our means and our all to the everlasting defeat of the policy of "blood and iron."

Once in every generation America has fought a great war and concluded peace, but she has never concluded peace except upon her own terms. She is determined not to do so now, and she has counted the cost. So far the Germans and their subordinates have more than held their own with the allies. They are not greatly weakened in numbers, are not naked or hungry or