Constantine republican. [volume] (Constantine, Mich.) 1836-1838, 1836-07-27

on the table yesterday, for an adjournment,
and moved that il be now adopted.
Mr.. Richardson moved as an amend
ment that it be laid on the table.
The resolution was ordered to be laid on
the table.
The bill from the senate to provide for
holding convention, was, on motion Of
Mr.. Whipple read first and second
time.
Mr.. Hill called up the bill for incorpora-
ting the Michigan silk growing and manu-
featuring company. .sEf
The blanks were filed up and the bill
read third time.
On motion that the bill do now pass Mr..
Richardson and Mr.. Hill spoke in favor Of
the motion, and Mr.. Noyes, Mr.. Burdick,
and Mr.. Lothrop against it.
Mr.. Jackson called for the yeas and
nays.
Yeas--Messrs. Crossman, Fleetwood,
Felch, o. Howe, Hill, Hart, Morse, Mon
fore, Niles, Richardson, Summers, Ullman,
Whipple, Williams-l4.
Nays-Messrs. Alden, Brown, Brad
shaw, Brownell, Britton, Burdick, Bolton,
Dodge, Pennington, Green, Hutchins, G.
Howe, Jackson Lothrop, Mead, Mathews,
Noyes, Odell, Strong, Van Every, Voor-
heis, Wheeler, Speak er-23.
So the bill was lost.
The engrossed bill to define the duties of
a superintendent of public instruction, and
for other purposes, was taken up for its
third reading. A
A motion for an adjournment was lost.
The bill as amended was passed.
From the Detroit Daily Free Press
STATE LEGISLATURE.
In the senate on Friday an interesting
discussion took place on the subject ofcal-
ing the proposed convention. The ques-
ton was upon the adoption of substitute
offered by Mr.. Hough, to the bill reported
by the committee on state affairs.
The bill proposes that the election of
delegates to the proposed convention shall
be made, by senatorial districts, each dis
trict having certain number of members.
The substitute offered by Mr.. Hough pro-
posed that the convention should be COM
posed of five delegates, Zone from each sem
atorial district) to be elected by general
ticket. Mr.. Hough briefly advocated the
adoption of his substitute, as being the best
mode of getting at the voice of a majority
Of the people. 1t was a favorite principle
of republicanism, that the majority should
rule, and the general ticket system was, in
his opinion, the best mode of obtaining the
sentiments of that majority. He was not
very strenuous, he said, in favor of retain
ing the number of five as proposed in the
substitute. He was in favor however of the
least number practicable, as the smaller the
number, the less would be the expense to the
people.
Mr.. HAscALL was opposed to the
substitute of Mr.. Hough. He wished the
question of electing delegates TO the
convention to 60 directly to the people, and
thought the district system the most practi-
cable method of accomplishing that object.
The people ought to have an opportuni-
ty TO vote for persons with whom they were
acquainted and whose sentiments upon the
question of asserting to the conditions of
our admission were well known to them;
but if the substitute of Mr.. Hough should
prevail, majority of the people might not
be acquainted with the names--much less
the opinions, of the persons for whom he
was called upon to vote. He was in favor
of having the members of the convention
come Immediately from the people, and he
believed this could best be done by an cleo
ton by districts. He should therefore vote
against the substitute.
Mr.. ELLIS was opposed to both, the orr.
ginal bill and the substitute. He thought
the Legislature had no power under the con-
stitution to call convention in either Of
the modes proposed. the proposed action
of the contemplated convention he said, was
q virtual, though indirect amendment to
our state constitution, and the convention
could not therefore be called except through
the forms prescribed by the constitution
the 18th article which he referredto. Nor
did he believe in the doctrine, that it was
necessary for the admission of the state,
that any convention should be called, or a.
ny further action had. He believed that
we pere in the Union, and that congress
could not deny us the right of representa-.
ton at the next session of congress wheth-
er we assented to or dissented from the con.
ditions of admission which they had offered
us. Our admission he contended was CON-
plete the very moment after congress had
ratified our constitution. They had no
power to inquire further into that instrp-
ment, than to determine its republican char
acter, and that being decided in its favor,
our admission was thereupon complete.
Congress he said had no right to pass upon
the subject of boundaries. He considered
the conditions submitted to us, mere prop.
osition for bargain, which the people of
Michigan would not be bound by, unless
they accepted them. He was in favor how.
ever of letting the nllesfion 90 heforo n