might be necessary to have three, while in others, one would be necessary, but the Legislature could provide for their appointment hereafter. in such manner as they deemed best, and provide for the appointment of the appropriate number in the different counties. Where there is but one judge to be appointed, the Legislature may give the appointment to the inspector having the highest number of votes, and then the strongest party would have three election officers, and the other party two; where there are two to be uppointed, they could give the appointment of one judge to each inspector, which would generally give the parties an equal division of officers: and where three judges were to be appointed, the appointment of two of them might be given to the inspector having the highest number of votes, and one to the inspector having the next highest number, which would give the party in the majority four election officers, and the other party three. He had heard a good deal said in private conversation, as well as on this floor, against going into legislation upon the Constitution. Why, your, whole Constitution is legislation, and nothing but legislation. It was legislation upon the mode of organizing your Government, and it was legislation as to the manuer of conducting your elections; and he considered it proper legislation here, where it went to guard against infringements upon the rights of the people. Wherever the matter related to the general organization of the Government, it was proper to insert it in the Constitution, and whenever it was intended to guard against evils to be apprehended from the Legislature, or from the improper discharge of the duties of an officer elected by the people, it was proper to insert it in the Constitution. He thought, this objection might as well apply to every other matter in the Constitution as to this. The simple question then ought to be, will this amendment prevent the evils which we have heard so much complained about here. He had no doubt it would; and he believed if an amend ment of this kind was not adopted, there would be a continual contest between the friends of the registry law, and those opposed to it. party will adopt it one year, and on the next it will be repealed if parties change. The gentleman from Allegheny, (Mr. FORWARD) the other day, had observed, that a few illegal votes in a county might turn the scale, not only of officers for that county, but also for Governor. This being the case, the people of the county must feel a great interest in the elections being conducted in a legal and proper manner, and this proposition would have the effect to preserve the purity of the elections. He could Bee no objections to this amendment, but if gentlemen had any, and would state them, he would argue the question with them.

One

Mr. DARLINGTON then moved to fill the blank in the amendment with "the fourth of July", which motion was dis greed to.

Mr. EARLE then moved to fill the blank with "the third Friday in March", which was agreed to.

The yeas and nays were then ordered on the motion to amend, on the call of Mr. EARLE.

The question was then taken on the amendment, and decided in the negative, as follows:

YEAS-Messrs. Bayne, Bigelow, Brown of Philadelphia, Butler, Coates, Cummin, Earle, Foulkrod, Gamble, Gearhart, Grenell, Hiester, Konigmacher, Martin, M'Chhen, M'Dowell, Merkel, Miller, Montgomery, Read, Smith, Stickel, Thomas, Young-24.

NAYS-Messrs. Agnew, Ayres, Baldwin, Banks, Barndollar, Barnitz, Bell, Biddle, Brown of Lancaster, Chambers, Chandler of Chester, Chauncey, Clarke of Beaver,

Clark of Dauphin, Cleavinger, Cochran, Cope, Craig, Crain, Crum, Curll, Darlington, Darrah, Dickey, Dickerson, Dunlop, Farrelly, Fleming, Fry, Fuller, Gilmore, Hastings, Hayhurst, Helfenstein, Henderson of Alleghenv. Henderson of Dauphin, Hopkinson, Houpt, Hyde, Jenks, Kem, Kennedy, Kerr, Krebs, Lyons, Maclay, Magee, M'Call, M'Sherry. Meredith, Merril, Myers, Pollock, Porter of Lancaster, Porter of Northamp ton, Purviance, Rigart, Ritter, Royer, Russell, Saeger, Scott. Sellers, Seltzer, Serrill, Scheetz, Shellito, Sill, Smyth, Snively, Sterizere, Stevens, Swetland, Taggart, Todd, White, Woodward, Seargeant, President—78.

The report of the committee, recommending that no amendment be made, to the second and third sections, was agreed to.

Mr. DICKEY, of Beaver, wished to amend the report, by adding thereto the following new section, viz :

SECTION 4. Laws may be passed, excluding from the right of suffrage persons who may have been, or may be convicted of infamous crimes. Laws shall be made for ascertaining by proper proofs, the citizens who shall be entitled to the right of suffrage, hereby established; and the Legislature shall provide, by law, that a register of all citizens entitled to the right of suffrage in every election district, or ward, shall be made at least ten days before any election, and shall provide, that no person shall vote, at any election who shall not be registered as a citizen qualified to vote at such election.

Mr. DARLINGTON, of Chester, asked for a division of the question, as he wished the question on the first paragraph, separately taken.

Mr. DICKEY briefly stated his reasons for pressing this amendment. The two first paragraphs, were from the New York Constitution, putting it in the power of the Legislature, to disqualify convicts for infamous crimes, and to ascertain the character of the proof of qualification. Believing it all-important, to secure the purity of elections, he had provided, in the amendment, that all persons should be registered, ten days before any election. The amendment agreed to, was not quite so extensive, as he wished it to be. By the enactment of a registry law, it would be made the duty of proper officers, to take every name, so that no one could be deprived of his vote, if he desired to exercise his right. He did not desire that the benefit of this mode should be confined to the city and county of Philadelphia. He would make it the duty of the Legisla ture to establish it as a general principle.

Mr. MARTIN, of Philadelphia, moved to amend the amendment, by inserting, after the word "crimes", the words "and black, and colored people."

Mr. M. said, he hoped the gentleman from Beaver, would not desire him, (Mr. M.) to be registered in company with blacks.

The question being taken on Mr. MARTIN's amendment, it was rejected. Mr. HEISTER, of Lancaster, moved to amend the amendment, by inserting after the word "crimes," the words "and persons declared non computes mentis, lunatics, or habitual drunkards, so long, as they shall be under the guardianship, that is, or may be provided for by law, in such

Mr. BANKS, of Mifflin, doubted the propriety of adopting the amendment. He thought the amendment of the gentleman from Beaver, (Mr. DICKEY) went far enough, and he had no objection to it, at all, in excluding from the right of suffrage, those who have, or may be, convicted of infamous crimes.

Mr. FORWARD, of Allegheny, said that the amendment offered by the gentleman from Beaver, and also that offered by the delegate from Lancaster, were very important, and should not be disposed of, without full, and deliberate consideration. He would therefore, move, that the committee now rise, report progress, and ask leave to sit again.

The question being taken, it was decided in the affirmative.

A division being demanded, there appeared-Ayes, 52-Noes, 35. The committee then rose and reported progress; and the Convention then adjourned.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29, 1837.

Mr. MEREDITH, of Philadelphia, presented a memorial from the citizens of the city of Philadelphia, praying for a Constitutional interdict against the passage of any laws creating lotteries, which was laid on the table.

Mr. MARTIN, of Philadelphia, submited the following resolution, which was laid on the table:

Resolved, That the Convention do adjourn on Saturday, the first of July next, to meet again on Thursday, the twenty-seventh of July.

Mr. SILL submitted the following resolution, which was agreed to:

Resolved, That the use of this Hall be granted to-morrow evening, for the purpose of hearing a Lecture from Mr. HOLBROOK, on the best means of supplying the Schools in Pennsylvania, with qualified instructors.

Mr. MEREDITH submited the following resolution, which was laid on the table:

Resolved, That the resolution passed on the 12th instant, rescinding so much of the twenty-third rule, as forbids the previous question in committee of the whole, be rescinded.

Mr. COPE presented a report from the committee of accounts, which was read twice, and agreed to.

THIRD ARTICLE.

The Convention again resolved itself into a committee of the whole, on the third article of the Constitution, Mr. KERR, of Washington, in the Chair.

The question pending, being on the motion of Mr. HEISTER, to amend the amendment of Mr. MARTIN, by inserting after the word "crimes", the words "and persons declared non compotes mentis, lunatics, or habitual drunkards, so long as they shall be under the guardianship, that is, or may be, provided by law in such cases".

Mr. HIESTER Modified his motion, so as to read as follows, viz:

"And also, persons declared to be non compotes mentis, lunatics, or habitual drunkards".

Mr. DICKEY, of Beaver, said he had hesitated before he had offered his amendment, for he knew the committee were weary. But he was satis fied that something like a registry was necessary to ensure the purity of elections, and prevent frauds. That consideration induced him, yesterday,

to offer this amendinent in the shape in which he did present it. But he now believed that it would take up too much of the time of the committee. He would, therefore, withdraw his amendment at this time, and offer it on the second reading.

The committee then rose, and reported the report of the committee, with amendments, as follows:

The first section was amended to read as follows:

"In elections by the citizens, every freeman of the age of twenty-one years, having resided in the State one year, and if he had previously been a qualified elector of this State six months, and another two years, paid a State or county tax, which shall have been assessed at least ten days before the election, shall enjoy the rights of an elector:rovided, That freemen, citizens of the United States, between the ages of twentyone and twenty-two, and having resided in this State one year before the election, shall be entitled to vote, although they shall not have paid taxes".

The report of the committee of the whole, was then laid on the table. Mr. FULLER, of Fayette, moved that the Convention resolve itself into a committee of the whole, on the sixth article of the Constitution.

Mr. EARLE, of Philadelphia, moved to amend the motion, by striking out the word "sixth", and inserting the word "fifth”.

Mr. STEVENS, of Adams: The gentleman has a right to lecture his friends.

Mr. EARLE: I would make a point of order. Is not the fifth article a special order, which cannot be dispensed with, but by a vote of twothirds?

The PRESIDENT; It was a special order, but was postponed.

[At the request of Mr. READ, of Susquehanna, that part of the journal which contains the record of the postponement of the special order, was then read.]

Mr. FULLER, said he had made the motion with a view to dispose of the subject, which was partly considered, wishing to get through that part of the Constitution. But he would now modify the motion, so as to make it readfifth".

Mr. DICKEY, of Beaver, moved to strike out "fifth", and insert "sixth". This motion was decided to be not in order.

Mr. EARLE asked for the yeas and nays, on the motion of Mr. FULLER. Mr. MEREDITH called for the order of the day, being the sixth article, which had the precedence.

Mr. EARLE moved to postpone the order of the day.

Mr. STERIGERE considered this to be a motion which did not necessarily require a vote of two-thirds. A majority was at all times sufficient to negative a motion.

Mr. DENNY, of Allegheny, suggested that a very important proposition, submited by the gentleman from the county of Philadelphia, (Mr. INGERSOLL,) was under consideration.

Mr. EARLE withdrew his motion to postpone the order of the day.

Mr. MANN, of Montgomery, asked for the yeas and nays on the motion. to proceed to the order of the day, being the sixth article of the Constitution.

The question being on proceeding to the order of the day, it was deoided in the affirmative, as follows:

YEAS.-Messrs. Agnew, Ayres, Baldwin, Barndollar, Barnitz, Bayne, Bell, Biddle, Brown, of Lancaster, Chandler, of Chester, Chauncey, Clarke, of Beaver, Cleavinger, Cochran, Cope, Cox, Craig, Cunningham, Darlington, Denny, Dickey, Doran, Dunlop, Farrelly, Forward, Fry, Fuller, Gearhart Hastings, Henderson, of Allegheny, Henderson, of Dauphin, Hopkinson, Houpt, Konigmacher, Krebs, Long, M'Sherry, Meredith, Merrill, Montgomery, Pollock, Porter, of Lancaster, Purviance, Reigart, Royer, Russell, Saeger, Scott, Serrill, Scheetz, Sill, Snively, Stevens, Thomas, Todd, Weidman, White, Young, Sergeant, President-59.

NAYS-Messrs. Banks, Bigelow, Bonham, Brown, of Northampton, Brown, of Philadelphia, Chambers, Clark, of Dauphin, Clarke, of Indiana, Coates, Crain, Cummin, Curll, Darrah, Dickerson, Dillinger, Earle, Fleming, Foulkrod, Gamble, Gilmore, Grenell, Hayhurst, Helffenstein, Hiester, Hyde, Jenks, Keim, Kennedy, Kerr, Lyons, Maclay, Magee, Mann, Martin, M'Cahen, M'Call, M'Dowell, Miller, Myers, Overfield, Porter, of Northampton, Read, Riter, Ritter, Rogers, Sellers, Seltzer, Shellito, Smith, Smyth, Sterigere, Stickel, Swetland, Taggart, Woodward-55.

SIXTH ARTICLE.

The Convention then resolved itself into a committee of the whole on the sixth article of the Constitution. Mr. CHAMBERS, of Franklin, in the Chair.

So much of the report of committee as relates to the first section being under consideration, as follows:

SECTION 1. Sheriffs and coroners shall at the times and places of election of Representatives be elected by the citizens of each county, one person shall be elected for each office. They shall hold their offices for a term of three years, and until a successor be duly qualified, but no person shall be twice elected sheriff in any term of six years. Vacancies in either of the said offices shall be filled by an appointment to be made by the Governor, to continue until the next general election, and until a successor shall be elected and qualified as aforesaid. The certificate of the return judges of the election of sheriff, or coroner, shall confer all the powers heretofore confered on sheriffs and coroners by the commissions issued by the Governor.

Mr. BELL, of Chester, moved to amend the report of the committee, so as to make the same read as follows:

SECTION 1. Sheriffs and coroners shall at the times and places of elections of Representatives be chosen by the citizens of each county. One person shall be chosen for each office, who shall be commissioned by the Governor. They shall hold their offices for three years, if they shall so long behave themselves well, and until a successor be duly qualified, but no person shall be twice chosen or appointed sheriff in any term of six years. Vacancies in either of the said offices shall be filled by an appointment to be made by the Governor, to continue until the next general election, and until a successor shall be chosen and qualified as aforesaid.

Mr. DUNLOP, of Franklin, suggested that the eleventh section embraced all necessary security.

Mr. BELL was aware of the provision in the eleventh section, but it did not meet his view according to the provision of the existing Constitution, the Governor is to appoint the sheriffs, and to take security, before the commission is issued. It was provided by the new Constitution that the certificate of the return judges should stand in the place of the commission. The moment the certificate is put into the hands of the Governor, that