MIFFLIN COUNTY, SS. Agreeably to returns this day received from the following elec tion districts in this county, viz. from an election held at this place, for the townships of Derry, Wayne and Armagh; from an election held at the house of Enoch Hastings, for the townships of Bald Eagle and Potter's, and from an election held at the house of Thomas Wilson, for the townships of Fermanagh and Milford, the undermentioned persons were highest in votes for members of convention, elected agreeably to a resolution of the general assembly of this state, passed Sep. tember 15th, 1789. William Brown, six hundred and ten votes, 610 votes. 516 Thomas Beale, five hundred and sixteen votes, There were also received this day returns of elections held at the house of widow Stackhole, for the township of Lack, and at the house of Henry M'Connel, for Greenwood township, in this county, the legality of electing at these places being disputed by a part of the judg es, the law authorising said elections not being present, we have thought proper to forward to your honorable body a statement of the election both with and without the returns from these townships of Greenwood and Lack; if the elections of these two townships are legal as to the place of holding the same, and their votes are admitted, the person highest in votes will be as follows, if not, it will be as above: Thomas Beale, for convention, six hundred and fifty seven, 657 votes. William Brown, for ditto, six hundred and ten, 610 We the subscribers, judges of the election afore-mentioned, do certify, that the above statement is just and true. Given under our hands and seals, at the house of Arthur Buchanan, in the county of Mifflin, this fifteenth day of October, 1789. Samuel Osborne, [L. s.] James Wilson, Joseph Alender, MEMBERS PRESENT. [L. S.] L. S.] [L. S.] John Piper, John Hoge, David Reddick, Thomas Mifflin, Benjamin Tyson, George Gray, Benjamin Pedan, James Ross, William Robinson, jr. Matthew Dill, John Smilie, Robert Hare, Robert Whitehill, James M'Lene, Samuel Potts, Henry Hale Graham. The convention proceeded to elect a president, and the ballots being taken, it appeared that his excellency Thomas Mifflin, Esquire, was du ly elected. A letter from Samuel Bayard, and a memorial from John Miller, were read, severally requesting to be appointed secretary to this convention. Ordered to lie on the table. Petitions from James Martin, Frederick Snyder and Nicholas Weaver, were read, severally praying to be appointed messenger to the con vention. Ordered to lie on the table. A petition from Joseph Fry, was read, praying to be appointed doorkeeper to the convention. Ordered to lie on the table. Petitions from Frederick Doublebower, John Dixon, William Reddiger, John George Lohrman, Christian Hubbart, Jacob Gideon and William Crispin, were read, severally praying the convention to grant them the appointment of messenger or door-keeper. Ordered to lie on the table. On motion of Mr. M'Lene, seconded by Mr. Smilie, Resolved, That this convention will on Friday next, proceed to the election of a secretary, and that the nomination may continue, and applications be made, until the time of election. Ordered, That Friday next be assigned for the election of a messenger and door keeper. Adjourned until ten o'clock on Friday next, A. M. FRIDAY, November 27, 1789, A. M. The convention met pursuant to adjournment. A member stated to the chair, a question upon which the opinion of the convention was requested, previous to taking the votes for a secretary, viz. Whether the votes of a majority of all the members present should be essential to the choice? The sense of the convention being taken upon the question, it was resolved in the affirmative. Agreeably to the order of the day, the convention proceeded to the election of a secretary, and the ballots being taken, it appeared that Joseph Redman, Esq. was duly elected. The convention then proceeded to the election of a messenger and doorkeeper, and the ballots being taken, it appeared that Frederick Snyder was duly elected messenger, and Joseph Fry duly elected doorkeeper. A motion was made by Mr. Hare, seconded by Mr. Ogden, that a committee be appointed to prepare a draft of rules and regulations for the government of this convention, It was then moved by Mr. Smilie, seconded by Mr. Findley, to postpone the consideration of the said motion for the purpose of reading the resolutions, passed by the general assembly, on the 24th of March, 1789, and on the 15th of September, 1789, for calling a convention, which was carried in the affirmative, and the said resolutions were accordingly read. On motion of Mr. M'Kean, seconded by Mr. Sitgreaves, ordered, that the resolves of the general assembly of the 24th day of March last, and of the 15th day of September, 1789, preface the minutes of the convention. The motion made by Mr. Hare, seconded by Mr. Ogden, recurring, thereupon Resolved, That à committee be appointed to prepare a draft of rules and regulations for conducting the business of the convention. Ordered, That Mr. Wilson, Mr. Lewis, Mr. Hare, Mr. Hand and Mr. Whitehill, be à committee for the purposes contained in the foregoing resolution. On motion of Mr. Lewis, seconded by Mr. Wilson, Resolved, That the general assembly be requested to furnish this convention with two sets of the acts and minutes of the general assembly of this commonwealth, to be returned at the end of the present session of the said convention; and also that they permit this convention to have the use of the library during the said session. On motion of Mr. M'Kean, seconded by Mr. M'Lene, Resolved, That the doors of the convention shall be kept open, as well in committee of the whole as in convention. Adjourned until ten o'clock to-morrow, A. M. SATURDAY, November 28, 1789. A. M. The convention met pursuant to adjournment. The committee appointed to draft rules and regulations for conducting the business of this convention made report, which was read, and ordered to lie on the table. On motion of Mr. Lewis, seconded by Mr. Wilson, Resolved, That the president of this convention draw a warrant on the state treasurer, for one hundred pounds, in favor of the secretary, to be by him applied towards defraying the incidental expenses of the said convention, and for which he shall account. On motion of Mr. Sitgreaves, seconded by Mr. Thomas Ross, the draft of rules and regulations for conducting the business of this convention, was by special order, read the second time, as follows, viz. The committee appointed to report rules for conducting the busi. ness of the convention, beg leave to submit the following ones to the consideration of the house: 1. When the president assumes the chair, the members shall take their seats. II. At the opening of the convention each day, the minutes of the preceding day shall be read, and shall then be in the power of the convention to be corrected. III. A motion made and seconded shall be repeated by the president. A motion shall be reduced to writing if the president or any member requires it. A motion may be withdrawn by the member making it, before amendment or decision. IV. Every motion, either in the house or in a committee of the whole house, shall be entered on the journals, together with the names of the members making and seconding it. V. No member speaking shall be interrupted but by a call to order by the president, or by a member through the president VI. No member shall be referred to in debate by name. VII. The president himself, or by request, may call to order any member who shall transgress the rules. VIII. Every member attending the convention shall be in his place at the time to which the convention stands adjourned, or within half an hour of that time. IX. The yeas and nays shall be called and entered on the minutes of the house, or of the committee of the whole house, when any mem ber requires it. X. The rules of proceedings in the house shall, so far as they may be applicable, be observed in committee of the whole. And in debating the ninth section of the foregoing rules and regula tions, it was moved by Mr. Lewis, seconded by Mr Boyd, to strike out the words "member requires," and in lieu thereof to insert the words "two members require." On the question, will the convention agree to the amendment? It was carried in the negative; and thereupon the rules and regulations, as reported by the committee, were adopted. On motion of Mr. Lewis, seconded by Mr. M'Kean, Resolved, That it be the order of the day for Tuesday next, to ap point a printer to this convention in the English, and an other in the German language. On motion of Mr. Lewis, seconded by Mr. Smilie, Resolved, That the secretary take measures to have this convention supplied with six sets of each of the public news-papers printed in this city, during the sitting of the convention. On motion of Mr. M'Kean, seconded by Mr. Miller, the constitution of this commonwealth, was read. [For which see page 54 of this volume.] A letter from the honorable the speaker of the general assembly, was read as follows, viz. SIR, IN ASSEMBLY, November 28, 1789. I have the honor to enclose the resolution of the house of assembly, agreeing to the request of the convention on the subject of copies of the laws and minutes, and the use of the library. I have the honor to be, With great respect and esteem, His excellency, Thomas Mifflin, RICHARD PETERS. President of the honorable convention of the state. STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA. In General Assembly, November 28, 1789. A letter from his excellency the president of the state convention was read, with its enclosure, as follows, viz. SIR, IN CONVENTION, Philadelphia, November 28, 1789. I have the honor to enclose to you a resolution of the convention of the twenty-seventh instant, which I request you to lay before the general assembly. With great respect I have the honor to be sir, Honorable Richard Peters, Esquire, Speaker of the General Assembly. STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA. IN CONVENTION, November 27, 1789. On motion of Mr. Lewis, seconded by Mr. Wilson, Resolved, That the General Assembly be requested to furnish this convention with two sets of the acts and minutes of the general assem→ bly of this commonwealth, to be returned at the end of the present session of the said convention; and also that they permit this convention to have the use of the library during the said session. Extract from the minutes, JOSEPH REDMAN, Secretary. And on motion, and by special order, the same were read the second time, whereupon, Resolved, That the request contained in the said resolution, be com plied with. Extract from the minutes, PETER Z. LLOYD, Clerk of the general assembly. A letter from Hall and Sellers, was read, soliciting the appointment of printers to this convention. Ordered to lie on the table. A motion was made by Mr. M'Kean, seconded by Mr. Hoge, in the words following, viz. Resolved, That the convention will, on Monday next, resolve itself into a committee of the whole, to take into consideration that part of the constitution which relates to the department of legislation, and to report whether any or what alterations shall be made therein. It was then moved by Mr. Sitgreaves, seconded by Mr. M'Kean, to strike out the words "that part of the constitution which relates to the department of legislation, and to report whether any or what alterations shall be made therein," and in lieu thereof to insert the following words, viz. "whether and wherein the constitution of this state requires alteration or amendment." Which was carried in the affirmative, and the resolution as amended was adopted, viz. Resolved, That this convention will on Monday next, resolve itself into a committee of the whole, to take into consideration, whether and wherein the constitution of this state requires alteration or amendment, Adjourned until three o'clock on Monday next, P. M. MONDAY, November 30, 1789, P. M. The convention met pursuant to adjournment. The returns of the elections held in the counties of Northumberland and Allegheny, for members to represent the said counties in this convention, were read, by which it appeared that Charles Smith and Simon Snyder, Esquires, were duly elected and returned for the said county of Northumberland, and John Gibson, Esquire, duly elected and returned for the county of Allegheny, aforesaid. And the said members appearing in convention, were severally admitted to take their seats. |