The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-01-14

I'd Davenport, George E Seay,
Geo w Jones, John F House,
A W Campbell, Jno E Dromgoole,
VIM Byrne, j T. Brown,
r Warner, Jr, A OP Nicholson,
w V Thompson, w II Dougherty,
A BLIZZARD, G w Waters,
James A Coffin, John S Brown,
| On Kennedy-65.
ABSENT.
Warren Cumming Joseph Blackburn,
E II Shelton, John NJ Taylor,
r p Cvpert, III r Gibson,
A L Fielder, III r Bate-l0.
The Convention then proceeded to
elect a permanent Chairman, and
John Netherland moved that Gen.
John G. Brown be nominated by &C
clamation, which was done. On tax
ing his seat, Gen. Brown spoke as
follows:
| GENTLEMEN OF THE CONVENTION -
While L am not tnsensible to the dis,
| tinguished honor you have conferred
on me, trust you will give me credit
| for candor when / say that l would
have preferred that the responsible
ties which your generous confidence
has imposed on me, should have been
confided to one more experienced in
parliamentary usage.
| L am a stranger to deliberatiye Boz
dies. l shall, therefore, be under the
necessity of invoking your charity for
my shortcomings, and your sympathy
and assistance in the discharge of my
official duties.
We have assembled at most criti-
cal period in the history of our affairs.
The peace, the happiness and pros
perity of our beloved State may de-
| pend, i'm great measure, for years to
come, upon the wisdom, prudence
and moderation which shall mark our
deliberations. Questions of delicacy
and difficulty may arise in the course
of our proceedings. Let them be met
and disposed of in spirit worthy of
| those to whose hands the destinies of
a great Commonwealth have been
committed by gallant and confiding
people. Let us raise ourselves above
the passions and prejudiccs of the
hour, and dare to be just and gener
Gus, regardless of the temptat ion
prompting a contrary course. w
cannot, ace must not, be unmipdful
the great changes that have impress
themselves upon our history. Let US
| accept the situation, and not seek to
alter circumstances which have passed
hpy-nnl W.T., fhSc 49,
animuting every delegate, our session
will speedily arrive at results which
will satisfy all our people, and make
Tennessee what she deserves to be, a
great, happy and prosperous State :
With sincere hope that all cur de-
alterations may be characterized by
justice and moderation, and again
thanking you for the unmerited honor
conferred upon me, enter upon the
discharge of the duties you have as
signed me.
Thomas Russw orm, of Sumner was
Secretary, and Thomas w.
Jones, of Dekalb, Assistant Secreta-
~. L. G. Stuart, of Davidson, was
elected Door-Keeper: John E. Ben
nett, Assistant Door-Keeper and
Davis, of Nashville, Messenger.
On Tuesday the Convention again
met.
The resolution of Mr.. Nicholson,
providing for the appointment of
standing. committees, which was al
lowed to lie on the table at the close
of Mondays session, was taken up,
and a resolution in lieu offered by Mr..
Kennedy was adopted after much dis
| cussion. The resolution raises COM
mittees on Judicial Department, Bill
of Declaration of Rights, Executive
Department, Election and Rights of
Suffrage. Each committee will con-
sist of eleven, and to these commit
tees will be referred all propositions
for change i'm the Constitution.
An amendment, requiring all CON-
mittees to report fully upon such mat
tiers as should be referred to them by
the Doth inst, was lost.
Resolution was adopted allowing
member five minutes to explain res
olution when he should offer it to the
House.
Members of the Legislature and
State officials were invited to seats
within the bar.
The privileges of the hall were ten
dered to all surviving members of the
Convention of 1884.
Resolution was introduced for in
quiring into the propriety of provid-
ing for the election of Lieutenant
Governor.
BY Nh. Baxter, in regard to the
franchise. erection of safe and COM
Portable prisons, forbidding slavery
in the State, making elections free
and equal, etc,
BY Mr.. House, of Montgomery, res
olution that the credit of the State be
not loaned or given TO any corpora
ton, association or municipality; that
no one who does not own at least
$3.50 worth of taxable property shall
be entitled to vote in any election
contracting debts or raising money.
By Mr.. Fitzpatrick, resolution in
regard to corporations, and limiting
the compensation of members of the
Legislature,
By Mr.. Brown, resolution prohibit
ing any city, town or county from be-
coming stakeholder in any corpora
ton or association.
Two-thirds of the members elect
was decided to be quorum.
BY Mr. n. S. Brown, to amend the
Bill of Rights SO as to allow citizens,
to carry arms for their defense.
Resolutions, limiting the time of
sessions of the Legislature to one
hundred days; that no bill shall pass
the Legislature except on its merits
that the members of the Legislature
shall not receive per diem for more
than ninety-six DAYS, etc., were intro
duced. 0mN I'D
The Convention was busy all day
Wednesday hearing propositions for
the amendment of the Constitution
The Franchise, the judiciary, the
Legislative Department and the Ex-
ecutivc were all touched upon by the |
resolutions of amendment offered
Several propositions looking towards
a thorough revision of the Judiciary,
were received. The finances were
also referred to strongly in several
instances.
The President announced the stand |
L. a