The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1870-01-15
TENNESSEE CONVENTION.


Proposed Address 10 the President
and COugpess-I'nAnimOn De.
cInrHtion for MaiHtalnlhg
Equal SuHFnEe.
N4sHyLLE, Jan Is.
The Convention to-day wins again en-.
grrssel with the reception and reading 0t
propositions tn amend the State conStltp.
lion. Many OF them were similar 10 others
offered Yesterday. Amongst the new ones
to-day Vas n pF0rksltl0n to prohibit fur
thcr issue Of RIate banks to take up the
cmlatlIntiOn, read Il ArtiGlG by article, and
sdont MN.h amendments ~ nTG NECESSARY;
10 reduce tho number Of circuit and chan.
Gerry districts; To compose tho Supreme
Court OE a Chief Justice and -four Hs4O-
cia,es: TO punish members Of secret p0liu.
cal societies; 10 elect Judicial and county
officers IN EOOn AA practicable after tla
ratification Of the constitutions; TO submit
c0lOrcl suffrage 70 the vote Of' tho people
Rs an independent proposition; adopting
the system Of riN ulnb voting In all cleo
lions: limiting the power Of the Legtsln.
turu IN remit penalties md cPAy claims
prTiIing LliNt lie public deIit Shall never
exceed live Icr CGnttlnl, VC the taxable
wealth nr the State, and until the debt Is
reduced to that point, the Legislature
shalt have M power 10 appropriate money
except to pay existing liabilities aud the
ordinary expenses OEthO government; con.
ferring the appointment or Secretary of
State IN the Governor, subject To rNtttiCa-
tiou by the Senate. A resolution vas
n,IOMCil against the reception Of any Dcti-
tiOn or other communication speaking
lisr,SpccthlIy Of my department Of the
State or Federal Government This TtsS''-
htinn was suggested hy u letter from a
member 0f the Convention Of 1866, speak;
ing disrCspcctlully OF the Government OF
the United States, and which the CmIvcn'
tiOn refused to have read. The CmMit'
tee on Bill VI Rights rriOrtcd the same a.
contained in the present Constitution, with
amendments declaring that elections shall
lie free and equal, and that no voter shall
be derived nl his right except by proof
0f law; ngninst test oalhs; prohibiting
slavery or involuntary aTvitudr, AMI! tle
passage Of laws reGbgniAnG IRopTty IN
imam. The report was ordered to hc
printed.
Mr.. Caldwell offered the following pre-:
aMhlc and resolutions In the House 0i
Representatives to-day:
WuEmEAs, The present condition OF
the State, the opinions Of the peOple, and
the character mid objects Of our legislation
have become the sub lecls uFEruSs, ,l,id I'M
worthy nlsreprcSCfIthtion Oy hirrlihg
press, hY resolutions Of parliHln assemble,
rt4. and moro rCC&nay and notably by IL
memorial presented 10 the Congress oE the
United States by certain persons r'c0gniZ-
cd us leing the representatives OF the pc",
plc Of Tennessee in the National COngrrSS,
though accredited to that bN,ly by popu.,
lar minority insignificant in numbers, Hit!
entering upon their high trust in disregNn!
of the wishes and In defiance Of tue well
known will Of d DISTINGUISHED hut Suhmis,
sIyc majority: and whereas, in the 0pin.
ION Of tIIs General Assembly these wtltIl
m,ryCrsi0n1 OF tho late history Of the State
and these persistent representations Of hvf
nr,scnt attitude, are calculated, rs they are
no doubt designed, to mislCNd the Congress
Of the United States and excite diStrlSt
and prejudice in the minds Of our fellow
citizens Of other States and whereas, We
rr.gur,l Il ~ solemn duty to the inhabl-
tau,s Of Tennessee who yeaTn for ptTCr,
order and eQualityMndcr the laws passed, ,
administered nnd executed by public
agents chosen by the governed, irrcSIrc-
tive Of race, color, previous condition or
former opinions, that the truth Of history
lr justified by an NuthOrativc presentation
to The National Government and to our
fellow cities Of other States Of the facts,
which have been with such ingenious
malice tortured into evidences OF disorder
md dissatIcCtion TO the federal authority ;
therefore, .,.
ReUlrsd, That joint committee ho NP-
lointcd hy the Speakers Of the respective
hUlsCS, WHO shall b. charged with the
prrnarNtlou II nh address 10 the President
md mCuorial 70 COugnsS, IN which
shall le sct forth the late political history
Of the State government, md the pNsent
lislnsili0n Of the people and thCir agents
TO ihc end that their attachment and r.
s,scl for law and ORDER and the character
and purposes Of their legislation may pe
vin6icEicd from the aSpcrsion to which
thew, have been subjected by those whose
claim upon the public confidence rests
mainly upOn a defeated effort tOperTctnatc
the rSlittCil etrslavesncnt Oftltcir country
. men.
ReOlnd, That said committee he in
structc~l to report said address and memo
rial ut an carly day for the approval d
this General Assembly.
} Mr. Caldwell supported his preamble
and resolutions in speech N some length,
in which he referred 10 the peaceful con-
iition Of Affairs in Tennessee, and The
character OC the legislation repealed by
the present Legislature. He said the com
munity, without respect 10 race or color
wNs rSaping the good fruits Ot what had
hcCn done, and anticipated the hapPieSi
results from the labors OF the Constitution
al Convention.
Mr., Fleming offered an additional reso'
luton, nS follows
Rtu(nvl, That it Is the sense Oftllis Gen
crOl Assembly that the rights Of all per
snlp, now entitled 10 suffrage this Stat
should bc forever guaranteed in thcnEg
: ic law Of the State. ,
This was amended by aiding that al
male citizens not convicted Of crlm'
: should lC entitled To the elective frNn
chisC, and then adopted unanimously.
. Mr. Age indOrsed the memorial u Coz
grcss in It's Cliefieaturtss, anil referred Il
the election in his county for proof Of TN
whole subject ACler further discussion, I
> Was referred 10 the Committee on FelesI
ri