Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1853-06-29
CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION.


%1jtdHoON Session. Butler, Of Low
ell, from the Special Committee on the majority and
plurality principle in elections reported as follows:
Resolved, That it is expedent To provide in the
Constitution that majority of ali the votes given
shall be necessary to the election of a Governor,
Lieut.. Governor, Secretary, Treasurer, Auditor and
Attorney General Of the Commonwealth; provided
that il at any election Of either Of the above named
officers person shall have majority of the votes
given, the House OF Representatives shall by ma
ority OF elect two cut Of three persons
who had the highest, If so many shall have been
voted for, and return the persons elected to the
Senate, from which the Senate shall by ,iya rocs
elect one who shall be Governor.
Resolved. That in all the elections Of Senators
and Councillors the persons having the highest num-
Der of votes shall be elected.
Resolved, That in the election of Representatives
to the General Court, majority Of all the votes CIV
en- IN shall be necessary TO the election at tie first
ballot, provided that IN case Of failure of election
on such ballot, the person having the highest number
OF votes at the second subsequent ballot shall be
elected.
Resolved, That the election Of all city or town
oihcers, the same rule shall govern as in case of
Representatives to the General Court
Resolved, That in the election of all county and
district officers, the person having the highest num-
Der Of votes shall be elected
Resolved, That in all elections where the person
having the highest number of votes may be elected
and there is failure of election because two par
SOhs nave an hummer OIL votes, trials
may be had at such times as may be prescribed by
the Legislature.
Mr. Allen of Worcester, from the Committee on
the Frame Of Government, made report Of inexpe-
dent &c, relative to the property Of married wo-
men Depressing the opinion that greater security
ought be provided for the preservation orproper.
ty acquired by married women, but believe that the
remedy for existing evils, may be most safely and
benefcialy applied by the action ofthe Legisalure)
ineXpedeai, &c. relative to the reference Of Legis.
laive acts TO the people for approval or rejection;
ineXpedent, &C., on the subject of remuneration of
persons tried for offences against the State and ac
quilted; ineXpedlent, &c, OH petition of llas Lam
son, ct al. resolve providing that a census of the
State be taken in 1855, and every tenth year there.
after.
Basis of Represenation.-The Convention went
into Committee of the Whole, MIR Wilson OF Ma
tick, in the chair on the basis Of representation.
Mr. Butler Of Lowell explained his plan BY an er.
hbn Of statistics.
The Committee then rose, and obtained leave to
sit again.
General Laws.-'Fhe Convention then went into
Committee, Mr. Reyes for Arlington, in the chair, on
the unfinished business of the morning. the subject
of general laws for corporations.
After some discussion, motion to amend by Mr.
Nayson of Amesbury, which took precedence of the
motion for an entire new provision made by Mr. Davis
Of Worcester, in the morning, was adopted SO to
n, and the resolve entire made 10 read as follows:
lNcoOlNVhs hdl II Is tAItuleHtl 10 Incorporate INTO
the Constitution provision that corporations may
be formed under general laws, in all cases where the
object OF such proprietors is attanable under the
same; and whereprovision is thus made by general
laws no corporation shall be formed by special act
The Committee rose, and reported the resolve s as
amended, when the Convention ordered the yeas and
nays the final passage.
Mr. Davis OF Worcester offered a substitute the
proposition submitted by him in the forenoon.
The further consideration of the subject was then
postponed till to-morr
Qualification Of ToteaS.-The Convention then
went into Committee, (Mr. rockingham of
Charlestown in the chair) on the following re-
solves -
Resolved, That the Constitution be SO amended
as to provide that no person shall be deemed to
have lost his residence in this Commonwealth, by
reason of his absence while on the business of
this State, or of the United States.
Resobced, That no idiot, or insane person, or
person convicted of felony, unless pardoned and
restored to the right of suffrage, shall be entitled
to vote in any election
After debate, on motion of Mr.. Morton of An
dover, it was voted that the Committee rise, and
report that the first resolve ought not to pass In
Convention, accordingly, the resolve was rejected
and after further debate, the second was disposed
OF IN the same way.
Loan of State Credit-The Convention went
into Committee (Mr. Boutwell, of Berlin, in the
chalr) on the report ineXpedent, &c., on loaning
the credit of the State, question on amendment
OF Mr.. Stetson of Braintree, in effect that fu-
ture loan shall be granted until the people shall
have passed upon the subject and decided in the
affirmative.
Mr. Cole of Cheshire, discussed the subject at
length, when he gave way to a motion for the
Committee to rise, which done, and the con.
vention adjourned.
TUESDAY, June %.
Mr. Davis of Worcester, from the Committee
on so much of the Constitution as relates TO Gov"
ernor, reported that as the Committee on the Mil.
lila has reported to the Convention an article up
on which the Convention has acted, it becomes
necessary to strike out the 7h article of section
LIST, chapter I'd, of the Constitution.
Petitions.-Mr Green Of Brook6eld, presented
the petition of Abby II. Price and As others, wo
men Of Hopedale, and that of Betsey r. Hey
ward and 95 others, women of Milford seyeray
IN aid OF petitions that women may be allowed to
vote on the proposed amendments to the Consti
tuition. Referred
Orders of the day.-These were now lakenup,
and the resolve requiring voting list or registry
IN all sections was finally passed.
Looming the State Credit-On motion of Mr.
Wilson of Natck the Convention went into Com
mlttee oil tine Whole, aid took up the report sin
expedlent TO act on the subject Of Loanng the
State Credit" Question on the proposed amend
ment of Mr.. Stetson Of Branreo that all bills and
resolves passed by tho Legislature Of this nature,
shall be referred to the people for their sanction
Or rejection
Mr. Cole of Cheshire, having the floor, contin-
ued and concluded his speech in opposition to the
report and in favor ofrestricing the power Of the
Legislature IN granting loans.
Messrs Weeks OF Iiardwick, Stetson Of Brain
tree, and French of Berkeley, further opposed the
report, and it was favored by Messrs. Foster of
Charlemonl, Wilson ofNatick, and Duncan of
Williamstown.
Mr. Hurlburt ofSudbury, moved to substitute
for the amendment Of Mr. Stetson of Branree,
the following: "That from and after the first of
May, 1855, the credit or money Of the Common
wealth be not loaned for the prosecution of any
prevate enterprise, unless first submitted to the
people,
long debate ensuod on this motion, and the
question heing taken the substitute of Mr. Hurl-
burt was rejected withouta count.
The amendment Of Mr. Stetson shared the same
fate, l44 to l45.
Mr. Tyler Of Pawtucket, then moved the fol-
lowing substitute for the report
Resolved, That every bill for Ioanng the credit
OF the State to private corpOrations shall be