the States. Should that power be ultimately exercised by Congress, this clause would be of no avail.

Mr. M'Cahen : The gentleman from Philadelphia has given me a good character. It was unnecessary, as I have another here from the phrenologist. It is true that I am an officer of the Government, but I am also a citizen of Pennsylvania, and will use my best endeavors to promote her interests. As one of the delegates of the county of Philadelphia, I shall regard the rights and interests of those whom I represent, independently of any connexion with party or office, and I hold myself free to act on this and every other question in reference wholly to the source from which I receive my power. The Post Office had been mentioned, and also the Custom House, as affording the Government an extensive influence in this State. But it must be recollected, as his colleague had remarked, that all the persons employed in these offices do not think alike. Some of them, he knew, were opponents of the administration. He hoped gentlemen will not persuade themselves that persons holding a situation under the General Government, must necessarily act against their consciences. The venerable gentleman from Philadelphia is in the same situation with myself: for he holds an office under the General Government; but, I hope, that he, as well as others so employed, comes up to the polls on the day of election as a freeman.

Mr. Stevens felt satisfied from the reasons he had heard from various quarters of the House, that it would probably be better that the amendment he had submitted should not prevail. The reasons given by the gentleman from Allegheny (Mr. FORWARD) were very powerful, and he thought very true. He agreed that the General Government could bring to bear upon the State elections a vast influence, and he also concured in opinion with that gentleman that it had always been exercised to the full extent. He was sorry, however, that the gentleman from Philadelphia county had taken any offence at what had been said, for he did not believe the gentleman from Allegheny had made any allusion to him particularly.

Mr. M’Cahen said he had taken no offence at it at all.

Mr. STEVENs said the gentleman was too sensitive on this subject. He did not believe that those officers were any more influenced than any one else.

He must still believe, however, in the strength of the argument of the gentleman from Allegheny, that those officers would have a special eye to their own interests, and why should they not? Charity begins at home. He believed, therefore, that these two elections should not come on the same day, and that he was wrong in proposing the amendment he had submitted. But there was another reason which would induce him to withdraw the amendment, which he intended shortly to do, and this reason was, that there was a party in this House who were opposed to carrying party into the organization of the Convention; and this disinterested party of “ sixty-six” had held a caucus this morning, for the purpose of fixing upon some suitable day for holding the State elections ; he, therefore, was disposed to allow them the opportunity of carrying out their disinterested views, and for this reason he withdrew his amendment.

Mr. Purviance then submitted an amendment, “ that the general election shall be held on the first Tuesday in November, at which time the

electors for President and Vice President shall also be chosen, unless otherwise ordered by the Legislature".

Mr. P. said he was a member of the committee which had reported in favor of changing the time of holding the elections from the second Tuesday in October to the fourth Tuesday, and now having made a motion to extend the time to the first Tuesday in November, he deemed it necessary to submit a few remarks, giving his reasons for introducing this proposition. He confessed he had been led to make this change in consequence of the very able arguments used by the gentleman from Allegheny ; because Mr. P. was sure there was no one in this Convention more anxious to avert from the country the influence and patronage of the General Government than himself. He believed, with the gentleman, that if there was any thing which would unhinge the public confidence and sever the bonds of union, it would be the result of that extensive patronage which belong. ed both to the State and the General Government. But he would ask that gentleman whether the influential, the leading and the active partisans at elections, did not prepare for carrying the State elections with the very view of carrying the national elections. He would ask that gentleman if these influential politicians did not prepare for the State campaign for the express purpose of carrying the national campaign. Now he was averse to political wars as well as other wars ; but if we are to have wars in this country the fewer the better. One political revolution in one year was enough in all conscience. He did not apprehend the difficulty mentioned by the gentleman from Allegheny, which the gentleman feared would attend holding these two elections together. If the elections were held on the same day, the leading and active politicians who were anxious to carry the national elections, would permit the State elections to be managed by those interested in it. Those partisans who were anxious to carry the State elections would permit the elections of the General Government to be managed by those interested in it, and in this way, no improper influence would be brought to bear upon either. At present, however, there was nothing more common in the country than for political partisans to prepare to carry the State elections for the purpose of carrying the national elections; and he would appeal to gentlemen to say whether the result of our State elections has not had an important bearing on the election following. It the majority at the State election is on one side, it produces on the part of the minority a kind of apathy; and the people cannot be roused from that apathy. But if both elections were held on the same day there would be no danger of a conflict, and there would be no danger of this apathy being produced; and he thought it would put it out of the power of cunning and designing politicians to interfere and corrupt the elective franchise. He knew, also, that this day would suit the people of the north western part of the State as well as any other day which had been named. In the committee which made the report on this subject, Mr. P. was in favor of November, but the majority of the committee being of a different opinion he concured with them in reporting in favor of the fourth Tuesday of October. In regard to the remark of the gentleman from Chester, that the season in November was so unfavorable as to prevent the aged and infirm from attending the elections, he had only to say that he would make no motion which would prevent those persons from attending upon elections. It always had given him pleasure to see the

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aged, the infirm, the halt or the blind at elections, because the measures they supported he always looked upon as moderate, wise and patriotic. But he would appeal to any gentleman to say whether that season of the year was not much more pleasant than October; and that those persons would have a much better opportunity of attending the polls than they would at an earlier period. He hoped the first Tuesday in November would be the day fixed upon.

Mr. Bell suggested that the amendment would be more acceptable if the latter part of it in relation to elections of President and Vice President was omtited.

Mr. PURVIANCE so modified his amendment.
Mr. Read asked for a division of the question.

Mr. DARLINGTON regretted that the amendment proposed a day so late in the season. In addition to what he had said yesterday on this subject he would beg leave to call the attention of the Convention to an additional fact. It would be found on turning to Purdon's Digest, that the courts in many counties were held in November, and in many of the counties the day fixed for the meeting of the courts is the first Monday of November. Now this might be obviated by the Legislature, but the habits of the people have become fixed and settled, and he was opposed to doing violence to any of their settled notions. He was opposed to making any changes in this particular, or any other which would go to unsettle the habits and notions of the people, unless some stronger reason could be given for it than any

he had heard. Mr. M'CAHEN was in favor of the amendment of the gentleman from Butler (Mr. PURVIANCE) because he knew it would suit the people of his district, and he was persuaded it would also suit the people engaged in agricultural pursuits. With regard to what had been said by the gentleman from Adams,(Mr. STEVENS) who brought up the subject of officers of the General Government in debaté, he thought he had cast a reflection upon an individual who was a member of the Convention, and held a high Office under the General Government; who was the last person the gentleman should have cast a reflection upon, There was in the Convention a venerable Judge who held a high office under the General Government, and he was as liable to be affected by the remarks of the gentleman from Adams as Mr. M'C. himself. In regard to the remarks he had made some time ago, he had done so because he had a high respect for the gentleman from Allegheny (Mr. FORWARD), and entertained an exalted opinion of his talents, and he regretted that that gentleman had introduced the course of argument he did. He hoped, hereafter, that the gentleman from Adams would reserve to himself the operations of his own mind, and not interfere with the judgment of another who was accountable for his actions to the source from whence he derived his powers.

Mr. Brown, of Philadelphia, wished merely to state that no such meeting as that alluded to, by the gentleman from Adams, had taken place. He had understood that a few of the gentlemen who belonged to the party in this Convention, numbering " sixty-six”, and some of the party numbering “ sixty-seven”, had met together this morning for the purpose of consulting as to what day would be most convenient for holding the general elections, but this was no meeting of any one political party.

Mr. DENNY was sorry the gentleman had modified his resolution, be

cause if the day for holding the general election is to be placed beyond the month of October, he was in favor of having it on the same day with the election of electors, otherwise the two elections would come too near to each other. This would also be, perhaps, inconvenient to the people, and they might not take the same interest in the State elections, that they would were the elections to be more distant from each other, or on the same day. There had been occasions where much indifference seemed to prevail at the electoral election which was one of the most important in the country. He was in favor of having the two elections separated as much as possible, because he was well aware of the influence which the General Government could bring to bear through its patronage upon our State elections, and under existing circumstances it would be impossible to avoid it. The long arm of the General Government has been, and will be extended to interfere in our State affairs, and with our State policy, through the

agency of its numerous officers and dependents connected with the Custom House, the Post Office, and the" by authority” printing establishments. This influence which has diffused itself through the community, will be exerted at our elections ; that it has been, every one knows, we see it every day, and he (Mr. D.) had felt it. In some cases the federal officers obtain possession of the newspaper press, and it becomes their organ, and is devoted almost entirely to the interests and designs of the great central power at Washington City, instead of the promotion of the true interests and independence of the State. This is a very great evil, is every day increasing, and ought to be diminished : it is one alarming in its character, and unless checked, may endanger the true liberties of the people, and bring us wholly under the control of the General Government. To prevent this, if no other remedy could be devised, he would be almost willing to go so far as to say

that these federal officers should not exercise the right which we now allow them of voting at our elections for State officers. This, to be sure, might be too severe a remedy; but he would adopt any other that would be efficient to protect us in the free enjoyment of our rights, and in the pursuit of our own State interests and policy, from the control and influence of a powerful General Government, wielding an extensive patronage in the State. The influence of this patronage is more strongly felt in cities and large towns than in the country, and perhaps the best mode of combating it is, to resort to some means by which the great mass of the voters in the country may be induced to attend at the elections. The yeomanry of the country are not reaehed by this influence. It is not so with those who are immediately exposed to it, many of whom may act under it without being conscious of it. It might, therefore, be salutary to bring both elections on the same day, so that the influence of the officers of the General Government might be counteracted by the yeomanry of the State. If we were to go out of October, then he would be in favor of having both elections on the same day; but he was willing to adopt either the third or the fourth Tuesday in October to be submitted to the people ; either of which days he thought would be a more convenient time for the farmers in the western part of the State than the second Tuesday in October.

Mr. Mann did not then rise to make a speech; for he was so worn down with the speech mania, that he could scarcely speak good humoredly on the subject—but he rose merely to make a suggestion to his friend from Allegheny (Mr. DENNY) who complained so loudly of the office

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holders, and says he feels their influence very sensibly and thinks it would be a good thing to disfranchise them, to destroy their influence. Now he presumed the reason the gentleman felt so very sensitive on this subject is, because he happens to be in the minority in the General Govern

He would suggest to the gentleman the propriety of disfranchising the whole Democratic party. This would precisely meet the gentleman's views if he understood him right, and fully carry out the principle which he seems to have started on. If however the gentleman did not choose to accept it he would not press it upon him.

Mr. Denny said that the Democrats of the country were not under the influence he had alluded to ; it was another class of persons who were under it.

Mr. Mann said as to the subject before the Committee he was utterly astonished to hear fifty speeches on a question that involves neither principle nor much interest. He could not conceive that the change of the day four weeks later for holding our General elections, to suit the agricultural part of the community could convulse the whole Commonwealth. His only desire now was that we should be permitted to take the vote. The thinking men have long since been prepared to vote, and they only desire an opportunity, which he hoped the good sense of the committee would permit them to have.

Mr. SERGEANT (President) said he had never felt a very great interest in the question before the committee until to-day; and if the question were now a new one, that we were going to fix a day for the elections in future, he should hardly have reflected on it for a moment, but since the commencement of the discussion we have had our attention drawn to the great number of State officers and officers of the United States Government who would be brought in conflict on the same day; and the able argument of the gentleman from Allegheny had shown on this question, as on all others which had came before the Convention, that there was a matter of principle involved. Gentlemen had debated this question in various ways, and he had risen chiefly to notice a remark which fell from each of the two delegates from Philadelphia county, (Mr. M'CAHEN and Mr. Brown) and not to notice them for the purpose of entering into a conflict either upon principle or otherwise ; but to notice them for the

of inproving them, and of bringing our own minds and feelings into the right state of reflection as to what we have in hands. One of those gentlemen, as he had understood him, had said that the influence of the officers of the General Government was more than overbalanced by the influence of the officers of the State Government. Now, how does the gentleman mean to apply this fact supposing it to be true. Either the officers of the General Government and the officers of the State Government must be put on one side, or they are in opposition. Well, if they were set in opposition, then there is a contest, in which--supposing them to be exactly equally divi: ded--the one neutralizes the other, and the consequence would be, that neither would have any influence at all. That was well proposed, but was it the fact, or had it been the fact? The influence depends upon the which is in operation upon the whole body of men. Is not the Government of the United States the supreme Government? Does it not stretch its power over the whole United States, and was its influence not felt on all the Governments of the States? Then he would ask another question

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