The Davenport daily gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1869, 1857-02-13
cOuUflYVI1ouAL oouv8ufIoM.
assessed S. sssss!J.lssa!!. !

AEssAs. npiSoAs.- II
The Ceavsntisn asring
the pas. week has bsea tAisly adoatsa thsI
sea Of debate. The report Of the Qpmnitsl
tee on Bill Of Rights vas taken Win theI
beginning Of the wssk. and after so1ns tiAel
had been spent upon h ssverai sections o.
il were referred = I ssecial Committee,
composed Of Mr.. Clarke, Of Henry. Harris
and Wilson, who have not yet made ! re-
port. A vote was taken upon he question
Of making the 2lst section read % follows,
the i,alics being the amend Msnt:--"No bill
81 a,laindsr. sx post facto law, or law i'm
pairing the Obligation Of contracts, or Ne
r,eAts u preprH, shall ever be passed.
Yeas 7, nays 26. Many Of your readers will
probably see the bearing Of such an amend.
mont il adopted. NJ. Solomon offered the
following to come in on the a<th section:
"Ths mansfscturs Of. Or tzaikc in property
which 10 production Of this State. or le-
gitimate article Of traffic with other States,
or foreign nations. shall not be prohibited
Mr.. Clarke, Of Johnson, offered ~ substi-
,ute the following:-aThe right Of the peo-
pie to prohibit BY law the manufacture and
sale Of in,exicating liquors as beverage
shall not be violated or abrogsted." The
proposition and tho substitute were both laid
on the table BY vote Of 81 to IL. A Sec
ton prohibiting exclusive jurisdiction to the
United States over any territory embraced
within the limits Of this State was mega.
dved-yeas 9. nays -. The report Of the
Committee on Suffrage was referred to q
special Committee Of Ave (by vote Of II
to ~. consisting Of Messrs. 6kiff, Hall
Clarke, Of Henry, Price and Marvin. The
majority and minority reports Of the Com
mittee on Judicial Department were read
and after debating the matter considerable
length Of time. the majority report Was With
drawn and another one was made. There
appears to be no settled opinion o yet ~ ts
the construction Of the Judiciary. The Com
mittes 10 composed exclusively Of lawyers
and every one hes his own notions. No sur.
prise need be manifested il the old system
be- adhered to. Mr.. Parvin advocates the
idea Of retaining the old system 50 changed
a. to elect the Supreme Judges and re-dis.
uic, the State into not more than ten dis
tric,s. The report Of the Committee on
State Debts vas taken up, considered in
Committee Of the whole. and amended 80
as to confne State indebtedness to $3.50,
600 Geas II. nays ~. The special Com
mit,ee on Basis Of Representation made a
report, modifying to come extent the pres
ent system. but not giving each county rep
rssentslion % some advocate. The report
Of the Committee on Interpretations was
taken up and made the special order for
Friday afternoon. The debate took wide
range and continued the rest Of the week.
Jutge Hall, Of Burlington, is evidently
the best and NEST experienced legal man in
the Convention. He speaks frequently and
always with effect. Jsdgs Johnston, Of Fl.
Madison, it u supposed, comes next in cali
bre. although b. has mingled little yet in
debate. w. Penn Clarke. Of Iowa City.
Rufus L. d. Clarke. Of NJ. Pleasant, and
Jas. +. Wilson, Of Fairfield. appear to lead
the opposite political sentiment In the Con.
vsntioa. They are oil younger men than
the two Judges. Mr. Parvin and Mr.. 3D.
yards are good speakers. NJ. Harris 10
quite Auent and makes many excellent
points. There are several who have not
developed themselves fairly. It 10 thought
Mr.. Price, Of Council Bluffs has mettle in
him. Mr.. Ellis, we oil know. 10 an effective
dsbater, and in intellectual endewmsn,s
has no superior in the Convention.
Horace Greeley wac in the Convention
Chamber few msrnings since and spent
some time there. Quite lion. this same
philosopher. wherever he goes. A number
Of ladies have been in the room At different
times, and seem 10 listen to the debates
with much interest. Very different does the
Convention look from the hurry -burly Sem
ate which had 90 much business before it,
and which adjourned amid 90 much dirt and
smoke. 1t 10 very quiet around she Chamber
now, the utmost order 10 observed, and the
proper officers have managed TO get the
place tolerably sleau. v.