Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-02-22
THE CONVENTION.


3 | hOn mt az o CLOCK A. NJ, President
Brown in the chair. The journal was
read and approved.
{ TRIAL by JURY.
Mr.. Shepard offered the following as an
Independent section. 1t lies over for
future action.
Every white person put upon trial,
charged with any crime or misdemeanor,
shall have empanneled for the trial of the
same a jury of white men, and in all cases
where the plaintiff or defendant is white
person the jury shall be composed of
white men.
NEW COUNTIES AND COUNTY LINES.
Mr.. Seay, Chairman of the Committee
on New Counties and County Lines, made
the following report:
The Committee have directed me to re-
port that they have had under considera-
ton the memorials from citizens of COT
fee, Franklin, Lincoln and Bedford coun-
ties and of Cannon, Smith, DeKalb, Will
son and Rutherford, and recommend
them to the respectful consideration of
the Convention. The memorial from the
Justices of the Peace of Montgomery
county asking for the restoration of frac-
tons of Robertson county, is returned
for the consideration OF the Convention,
and for such action as may be deemed
| proper, the Committee make no recon-
incubation in regard thereto The me-
MORALS from citizens of Grundy, asking
that portion of Grundy county be at
tached to Coffee county, is returned and
recommended by the Committee, TO the
respectful consideration of this body.
| The memorials from citizens of ROane,
| Monroe and BlOunt, asking for a new
| county to be formed out of territory made
| up Of fractions of said counties, which
were recommended to the Committee,
are again returned and the same recon-
mended to their respectful consideration,
| believing them to be entitled to such by |
| this body.
''The committee asks to be discharged |
from the further consideration of matters |
referred. "
The report of the committee was laid |
upon the table.
NEW COUNTIES.
The Convention took up the COnsdera- |
ton OF new counties.
Mr.. Key offered the following: "A new |
county may be formed out Of territory |
made up of fractions of the counties of |
Roane, Monroe and BIonnt, around the
town of LOudon; but no line of such |
county shall ever approach the court
house of any of the old counties nearer
than eleven miles, excepting that on the
south side of the Tennessee River, said |
lines may approach within ten miles of
the county seat of Roane county, but on
the north side of said river no line shall
ar1, 10,
Mr.. Staley offered the following amend
mcnt, which was laid on the table: ''Pro-
vidcd, That the county of Roane shall
never be reduced below G25 square
miles"
Mr.. Finley offered the following, which
was adopted: 'Providcd, That such
portions of said counties as may be taken
off to form the new county shall still re-
main liable for their proportionable part
of all debts contracted, and owing prior
to the formation of such new county.
Mr.. Keys proposition as amended was
then adopted.
Mr.. Martin offered proposition to de-
tach the Sewanee coal mines from Marion
county, and attach them to Grundy |
county. 1t was adopted by vote of ~
to Is.
The proposition providing for the forma-
ton of a new county out of portions Of
Sumner, Smith and Macon counties,
adopted Saturday, was reconsilcrcd, and |
the following adopted:
A new county may be formed out of |
territory made up of fractions of Sumner,
Smith and Macon counties, but no line of |
said county shall runncarer than ten miles
to the courthouses of Smith and Sumner
counties, nor so as to include any terrific
ry of Macon county lying within nine and
a half miles of the Courthouse of Macon |
county, and not more than twenty square
miles of Macon county shall be taken to
form said county, nor shall any part of
Sumner county be taken which lies west
of the western boundary Of Macon coun-
ty.
No fraction shall be taken off unless
two-thirds of the qualified voters of said
fraction vote for it, and the fraction so
taken off shall pay its pro rata share of
the debts of the old county contracted
previous to such separation"
Mr.. Thompson of Maury, called up a
proposition which lie offered Saturday
uight, providing that the Legislature may
form a new county out of territory made
up of fractions of Marry, Rutherford,
Williamson, Marshall and Bedford cOun-
ties.
On motion of Mr.. Porter of Henry, this
proposition, together with all others look
ing to the formation of new counties, was
indefinitely postponed by a vote of 81 to
20.
Section ) Of article y. was then read
as follows:
Sec. 5. The citizens who may h. III
cludcd in any new county shall vote with
the county or counties from which they
may have been stricken off, for members |
of Congress, for Governor, and for men,
bers of the General Assembly, until the
next appOrtiOnment of members of the
General Assembly after the establishment
of such new county.
Mr.. Jones, Of Giles, offered the follow
ing, which was rejected provided,
that no new territory shall be detached !
from any old county to form new cOun-
ty, or to be attached to another county,
without the consent of twO-thirds, eI-
cepting such counties as have already |
been specially authorized by this Con
ventiOn.
Section fifth of the Constitution, as it
now stands, was adopted.
Mr.. Branson withdrew provisO, which
he offered Saturday evening, that in the
formation of new county out of portions
of Granger, jefferson and Greene cOun-
ties, neither of said old counties shall be |
reduced below 500 square miles.
Mr. Dcaderick introduced a proposition
that the seeding fractions shall be held
liable for their pro rata of the debts Of |
the old counties.
Pending vote on 4 proposition in lieu
the Convention took recess till . P. NJ.
Afternoon Session.
The proposition pending when the
Convention took recess was adopted as
follows: The fractions taken from old !
counties to form new counties, or taken
from one county and added to another,
shall continue liable for their pro rata of
all debts contracted by their respective
counties prior to the separation of such
fractions"
The following proposition Offered by
Mr.. Jones, of Giles, on Saturday evening,
was laid on the table:
The counties of Upton. Fayette, Hen
~, Haywood Henderson, Rutherford,
Giles, Bedford, Franklin Robertson,
Roane, Marion, Blount, DcKalb, Sulli-
van HardpneD Madison Carroll Knox |