Mr. EARLE had understood that it was in order to introduce matters of this kind, when a gentleman from Luzerne had introduced a private conversation which had occured in his boarding house.

The CHAIR remarked, that it was his decision that no member had the right to make himself the censor of the conduct of any other member of the body; nor, had he any right to introduce any matters here which had transpired between himself and other members of the body.

Mr. EARLE said, as he understood, that a gentleman from York had intended offering an amendment, he would withdraw his for the present.

Mr. HOPKINSON, of Philadelphia, said, that when the question of adjournment was last up, he had expressed his opinion, that there ought to be no adjournment until the Convention should have got through its labors, or at least, until the several articles of the Constitution were passed through committee of the whole. He denied, that he came under the reproach of the gentleman from the county of Philadelphia, (Mr. EARLE.)— He (Mr. H.) felt disposed to vote for the original motion to adjourn. And, he would state, in a few words, why he now entertained a different opinion from what he held before. The Convention had been in session nine weeks, and very little had been done. We were now on the point of coming into action-were just approaching the field of battle. It was before us, and what was the hope, and what was the prospect? The sixth article was not yet disposed of, and much remained to be said and done with respect to it. There was another subject, which was of the very highest importance-all other subjects sank into insignificance when compared with it, and that was, the tenure of office of the Judges, which was still to be acted upon. He would ask, if that was to be discussed in a fatigued and inattentive Convention? He hoped not. He conceived that there was no time to discuss it as it ought to be, without sitting the summer through. Besides these, there were other matters to be discussedthere were various plans proposed for the re-organization of all the courts. Could gentlemen imagine a more important subject than that? The districts, too, were to be remodeled. In fact, an infinite number of subjects had yet to be considered, discussed, and disposed of. Well, then, could any gentlemen here expect to get through before the 1st of August, or September? If they were willing to sit here the whole summer, let them do so. Here he was, and here he would be, if that was to be their determination. But, let them not deceive themselves by imagining, that they would close their business by that time. In what he was now about to say, he meant to give no man any offence. Gentlemen must have noticed that there had been, within the last few days, a very thin attendance of members. To whom did the people of Pennsylvania entrust their Constitution, in order that they might revise it? One hundred and thirty-three men, in whom they had confidence. Where were they? Their chairs were here.— Three fourths of them could scarcely be got together. Did the people say that three fourths should revise their Constitution-make laws for them and their children? He regreted that so few were here. But, he regreted it, particularly, when business of this important character required their close and regular attendance here. If members should continue to absent themselves as they had done, there would not, in a fortnight hence, be a quorum left. There was an apathy-a listlessness, prevailing in the body, and looking at the condition of things in every aspect in which they

could be viewed, he had come to the conclusion, that the best course which they could adopt was to go home, and leave their work half done, than remain and finish it with half their number present.

Mr. BROWN, of Philadelphia, replied to the gentleman from Franklin, (Mr. DUNLOP.) He entertained the belief, that his constituents would not censure, or find fault with him, for any thing that he or the Convention had done. There could be no doubt, that when the gentleman had undertaken to arraign the Convention, he had done so for effect beyond these walls. Before venturing to speak of the daily expenses of the Convention, he ought to have shown, that it was sitting at a greater expense than other bodies of a like character. He (Mr. B.) found, that the expenses of the Legislature of 1835-6, of which the gentleman was a member, were greater than those of this Convention, and that body, on the average, did not sit so many hours, and was not so fully attended, in proportion to its numbers. In the Congress of the United States there were more absentees, daily, in proportion to the number of members. He admited that, heretofore, he had opposed the resolution to adjourn; but, circumstances had greatly changed since that time. He had hoped, that when gentlemen took upon themselves a public duty, they would have regarded it as paramount to their private interests. Much had been said with respect to the warm weather, and of our being exhausted, and unable to attend to our labors. The Convention of 1789-90, which consisted of only half the number of members of the present Convention, sat in the warm months of August and September. They were four months in session, notwithstanding fewer amendments were required by the people. They cared nothing about the warm weather. He much feared that this dread of the warm weather had led to the result he could have desired to prevent—a temporary adjournment. It was with regret, that he perceived so many gentlemen absent from their seats; and, if gentlemen were determined to leave the scene of their labors, the Convention had better adjourn, to meet again at some future time, when the business, which we were sent here to transact, would be disposed of, without any sacrifice of the public time, or money. He did not agree with his colleague, (Mr. EARLE) as to the ultimate result to which the Convention would come, if they were to adjourn, and meet again to finish their business. He (Mr. B.) had every confidence in the people, and the delegates whom they had sent here, and he had no doubt if when we should assemble again, such amendments would be made to the Constitution as were required by the people. He believed, that if a vote were to be taken, six months hence, on each of the amendments already adopted, it would be the same. Gentlemen here were not to be frightened out of offering such amendments to the Constitution, as they thought would meet the wishes and desires of the people, because they might cause an expenditure of a hundred dollars, or a hundred thousand dollars. If he could bring himself to believe, for one moment, that the people of Pennsylvania regarded the expenditure of a few hundred thousand dollars, incured in changing important principles in their Constitution, he would deem them unworthy of a free Government. But this, however, he did not believe. He regreted, that the gentleman from Franklin (Mr. DUNLOP) should have gone into an estimate of the expenses of the Convention, and thus have created unnecessary debate and excitement. It was wholly unnecessary, and a work of supererogation. When the people called this

Convention, for the purpose of remodeling the Constitution of the State, they did not take into consideration the expense. In fact, they cared nothing about the expense, as compared with their desire to have the Constitution amended. Their creed was-millions for defence, but not a cent for tribute. They wished to get rid of those features in it which kept them in bondage, and were at war with free principles of Government, and opposed to the intelligence and integrity of the people. He felt sure, that the gentleman's appeal to them would be without effect. For himself, he would not dare to make such an appeal to his constituents, without expecting to receive a rebuke from them. Gentlemen were sent here to discuss and deliberate, in order to ascertain what are the opinions of the people of the whole State, and to act accordingly. The people had a right to be heard, and would be heard, no matter what might be the ex pense, which they would not at all regret. He had not seen a letter, or a newspaper, containing any complaint, either as to the time which had been consumed, or the expense that had been incured. He had only seen in a country paper, or two, an attempt to question whether the Convention had not wasted their time. From the time he came here, up to the present moment, he had been but three days away from Harrisburg, and not one hour had he been absent from the deliberations of the Convention, whilst in town. When he came here, he did so with a determination to leave all his private feelings and interests behind him, and to devote himself entirely to the perfermance of those duties which he had assumed in behalf of his constituents. Although he knew many gentlemen in favor of reform, who desired an adjournment, he would vote against it. If, however, the Convention should adjourn, he was willing to go wheresoever it might go-whether in a season of sickness or of health, in warm weather, or in cold. And, having done that, he would go back to his constituents, and inform them what the Convention had done, and then would deliver up his trust into their hands-having discharged his duty. Mr. PORTER, of Northampton, said, he presumed that when the people of Pennsylvania called this Convention, they did not enter into a calculation of dollars and cents-they wished us to take into consideration what amendments were necessary to be made to the Constitution, and did not think, or care about the expense of making them. That was a matter of secondary importance. It was, therefore, our duty to carry out their wishes. He did not think, with all due deference to gentlemen, who talked about the expense of this Convention, that they paid any compliment to the public, or added to the reputation of this body by indulging in remarks of that character. In matters, where principles were concerned, he considered money as naught. He was as much opposed to the extravagant expenditure of money as any man; but when the people desired a particular course of proceedings to be had, he never would attempt to come in competition with the will of the people. He confessed that he was as desirous of seeing the expenses of the Convention curtailed as much as possible for he was anxious that the public money should not be squandered. But, we must not, through fear, be driven from the performance of our duties. It was with a view to shorten the labors of the Convention that he had submited his amendment, which he thought might possibly meet the views of the majority. He was anxious that the Convention should adjourn to some future time; and he thought that if the

amendment should be adopted we would be able to do much before the period of the adjournment. His impression was, that a great deal might be done by the 14th inst. Perhaps we might get through the first reading of the Constitution by that time-when it could be laid before the people, so that they might have an opportunity of expressing their opinion as to the propriety or impropriety of what we had done. He thought we might easily arrange our business to adjourn on the 14th of July. The gentleman from the county of Philadelphia, (Mr. BROWN) had talked in a spirit of pride, about his not having been home but once since he came here, and of his not caring to go home until we should have got through our business.

Mr. BROWN, here explained that he had merely stated the fact, and did not mean to cast any reflection on the course of any gentleman. Mr. PORTER: The gentleman has no wife or children.

Mr. BROWN: Still I have a family, and have a business to attend to. Mr. PORTER said, if the gentleman from the county did not want to go home to see his wife and children, he (Mr. P.) did. After what had been said by the venerable delegate from the city of Philadelphia, (Mr. HOPKINSON) he thought it must be manifest to every gentleman, that we should not be able to get through our labors at the present sitting of the Convention, and therefore it was better to adjourn on the 14th inst. He (Mr. P.) had no fear of members coming back here with a variety of speeches prepared to be delivered, and even if they should, it was doubtless better that they should be given, than that we should have more random speeches, such as had already been delivered, full of wild chimeras, spoken without a moment's reflection, elicited on the spur of the moment.

Mr. DONNELL, of York, moved to amend the amendment by adding the following: "provided that all the articles of the Constitution have been passed through the committee of the whole".

Mr. CLARKE, of Indiana, said, that he would vote against the original resolution, if this amendment should not be adopted. And, he would be very much mistaken if it should not be. The views of gentlemen with regard to the proposed adjournment were now tolerably well known. For himself, he would vote against the amendment to the amendment. Those who would vote for it consisted of three or four classes. The ultra conservatives had openly avowed their opposition to make any amendments to the Constitution. Their opposition, however, had been direct, open, and manly. He honoured them for the candid expression of their sentiments, although he did not approve of their course. There was another set of conservatives here, who had been carrying on this Fabian war, but who were not strong enough to successfully oppose the amendments which were offered, and consequently indulged themselves in throwing every obstacle in the way, which their ingenuity could devise. They had provoked discussion, when none was needed, and those favorable to amendments had fallen into the snare perhaps too readily. He trusted that a spirit of compromise would animate our proceedings, and that each man would surrender something in order to obtain unanimity, and promote the wishes of each as far as practicable. There were two classes of men who would vote for an adjournment, and who would go home to say that, by the exercise of a little ingenuity and concert between them, they had succeeded in preventing any thing from being done. They would say

we have managed to out-manœuvre the radicals and agrarians, and nothing has been done in regard to amending the Constitution. They would point, too, to the expense attending the Convention-that it cost the State a thousand dollars a day, and had already put them to the expense of seventy-five thousand dollars. The newspapers opposed to reform would make the most of it, and before the next election, the amount would be welled to fifteen hundred dollars per day. If, then, the Convention should now adjourn to meet again here, and the Legislature should turn us out of this Hall, we would be obliged to have a third meeting. We would create ourselves a sort of Rump Parliament, like that which once existed in England. Looking to the division of sentiment among gentlemen here, and of the different courses they had seen proper to pursue, he would content himself with voting in favor of the amendment of the gentleman from York, (Mr. DONNELL) and against the resolution.

Mr. GAMBLE asked for the yeas and nays.

And the question being taken on the amendment, it was decided in the negative yeas 43; nays 55-as follows:

YEAS.-Messrs. Agnew, Bayne, Bonham, Brown, of Northampton, Brown, of Philadelphia, Butler, Clarke, of Beaver, Clark, of Dauphin, Clarke, of Indiana, Cochran, Crain, Darrah, Donnell, Doran, Dunlop, Earle, Farrelly, Fleming, Gamble, Gearhart, Grenell, Hayhurst, Helffenstein, Hiester, Keim, Kerr, M'Sherry, Miller, Montgomery, Myers, Nevin, Purviance, Read, Riter, Ritter, Shellito, Smith, Smyth, Sterigere, Stevens, Stickel, Taggart, Young-43.

NAYS.-Messrs. Baldwin, Barclay, Barndollar, Carey, Chambers, Chandler, of Chestor, Chauncey, Cleavinger, Cline, Crum, Cummin, Curll, Darlington, Denny, Dickerson, Dillinger, Forward, Foulkrod, Fry, Fuller, Gilmore, Hastings, Henderson, of Allegheny, Henderson, of Dauphin, Hopkinson, Houpt, Hyde, Jenks, Kennedy, Konigmacher, Krebs, Maclay, Mann, M’Call, M’Dowell, Meredith, Merkel, Overfield, Pennypacker, Pollock, Porter, of Northampton, Rogers, Russell, Saeger, Scott, Sellers, Serrill, Scheetz, Bill, Snively, Swetland, Thomas, Todd, Weidman, Sergeant, President-55. Mr. KONIGMACHER moved to strike out "this place" and insert "Laneaster".

Mr. DORAN moved to postpone the further consideration of the amendment, together with the resolution, indefinitely.

Mr. STERIGERE rose and said, that he did not intend to occupy much of the time of the Convention, in what he was about to say. When he was elected a delegate to this body, he expected and desired to come here and discharge his duties in the shortest possible time. His belief, at this moment was, that if we adjourned to meet again, the consequence would be that more time would be consumed than if we remained here and closed our labors. He understood the gentleman from Northampton, (Mr. PoRTER) to allude to him as having thrown censure upon his proposition. He would tell that gentleman that he did not mean to do any such thing, or even complain of it. But, being under that impression, he had taken occasion to make some remarks personal to himself, (Mr. S.)

The CHAIR called the gentleman to order. He did not understand the gentleman from Northampton to speak of any gentleman's course here. Mr. STERIGERE resumed. He did not think it necessary, or called for, that a gentleman should do so. He had not the slightest intention to allude to the gentleman (Mr. PORTER). He would be sorry to reflect on any gentleman's course. He was responsible to no gentleman in this Convention, and no gentleman was responsible to him. He disapproved of gen