Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1842-09-22
CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION.
/ Proceedings continued from he 4M poe

Saturday Morning Sept. l7.--.The
convention met at halfpast eight o'clock
Il The section reported upon the pay oI
members of the General Assembly, was
adopted. 1t fixed it at one dollar per
day, with light cents mileage.
Tho committee on the bill Of ri his,
made report, which was adopted
L The preamble adopted was as follows :
/ awe, the People olthe State OF Rhode
| Island and Providence Plantations, grte~
inl to Almighty God for the civil and re-
Iig ious liberty which he hath so long
permitted us TO enjoy, and looking to him
for blessing upon our endeavours to
secure and Cansmit the same upimpaired
to succeeding generations, do ordain and
establish this constitution of govern
ment."
The first section is rs follows:
"lu the words of the Father Of his
/ Country, we declare, that the basis oi
our political systems is the right Of the
people to make and alter their consltn-
tions Of Government but that the con
sli,ution which at any time exists, I'll!
changed by an explicit and authentic
act Of the whole people, is sacredly obll-
gatory upon all"
The report upon the General Assem-
bly, was taken up.
Mr.. +. II. POTTER proposed an
entirely new system. The House To be
organized exactly as il was in the land
holders constitution, and the Senate to
be elected by districts. The senate to
consist of twen.y-onc, OF which the conn-
~ of Providence should elect eleven.
lie insisted that the report involved no
ratio, it produced great inequality of ba
sis in The smaller towns.
Mr.. SIMMONS replied to Mr.. Pot.
ter. He showed that according 10 his
Mr.. P.'sl plan, small minority Of the
people of this State, might elect every
officer in the State. Thirtysix thousand
people could elect as many Senators and
Representatives as seventy-two thou
sand. This was the most arbitrary plan
that ever was proposed and which no
one could defend before the enlightened
citizens of the State. Ii was worse than
the old system, and worse than any sys.
tenn which had been devised among civil
liZcd men for "a republican government.
Mr.. RANDOLPH examined the
proposition in detail, and advocated the
adoption Of the report.
Mr. JACKSON said, that under the
report Of the committee, the county of
Providence bad ma ority of one branch
and the entire control of II. But nc
c"rding to the proposition OF Mr.. Potter,
they would be in minority in both
houses aud in grand committee. The
county Of Providence would never assent
To TIM. lie did no, wish To see the
House increase above the old number 4
and offered II section TO that effect.
Some Iuthcr irregular debate arose |
upon the details of the several PROPOSE "
lions, when the question was taken
upon the section offered by Mr.. Jack
son, and decided in the affirmative.
The convention then ADJOURNED ill 9 \
o'clock.
AFTERNOON. The convention met at 8 |
O'Clock.
The remaining sections of the article
on The llousc, was adopted. The ie-
port of the committee uu the Senate was
adopted, and the convention then al I
lourncd i'll Monday Ut 3 T. VI.
.Nopday, September l9.-Thp convcn-
ton met nl O'Clock p. m, pursuant to
adjournment.
The article on elections was taken ~ l
MIR. Simmons moved n reference uf
the second section ton the manner ol l
voting to n select committee, with in. 4
siruclIons 10 report ~ the convention ~