Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-02-20

| impOlltlc, for the cropping or cOmmerct
only destroys the market afforded thu
planter for his supplies and produce.
6. 1t win not accomplish the purpos.
intended, for the merchant will be forced
to add to the price of his merchandise t.
reimburse him for an unequal tax, anC
this in turn will disable him for COMPETE
ton with the merchant of foreign cities,
and yield him no compensation for his
diminished trade.
Humbly praying that your honorable
| body will see fit to reconsider your action
in this matter, we viii ever pray, etc.
| HORACE II. LURToN,
LEOPOLD Block,
JoHN F. CoUTs, Committee.
EDw. H. LEWIS, Vice President.
PosToN CoUTs, Assistant Secretary.
AN ADDRESS PROPOSED.
Mr.. Britton offered the following reso-
luton:
Resolved, That committee of five be
appointed by the chair, whose duty it
shall be to prepare an address to the peo-
pie of Tennessee, setting forth briefly the
reasons for the action of the Convention
in the changes made in the Constitution
of 1884, the same to be printed and cir
culated contempOraneously with the sub
hitting the Constitution for ratifying ap-
proval of the qualified voters of the State.
Mr. Stephens favored the resolution.
He thought much good might be done
by such an address.
Mr.. Thompson, of Davidson, expressed
similar views.
Mr.. Fentress opposed the resolution.
He thought the issuing of circular was
not consistent with the dignity of Con-
stitutional Convention; then no five men
could give the reasons for the changes
which had been made.
Motion to suspend the rules was laid on
the table.
COURT CLERKS.
Mr.. Dibrell offered the following for
the purpose of testing the sense of the
Convention
Resolved, That it is the sense of this
Convention that Clerks of the Supreme
Court, Clerks and Masters of the Chancery
Court shall be elected by the people.
A long discussion arose over point of
order that this subject had been settled by
previous action of the Convention. The
chair decided the resolution out of order.
An appeal was taken from the decision of
the chair. The chair was sustained by a
vote of 40 to 81
After further discussion and another
appeal from the discision of the chair the
subject was allowed to rest.
ADJOURNMENT.
l. &c
lntion that this Convention adjourn sine
die on Tuesday, the 22d inst. 1t lies over
under the rule.
BONDS TO RAILROADS.
On motion of Mr.. Baxter, the Conven-
ton proceeded TO the consideration of the
motion entered several days ago to recon
slider the vote rejecting the proposition
prohibiting the further issuance of bonds,
under certain restrictions, to railroad com
paries. The motion was taken up and
the action of the Convention reconsidered.
The proposition, which was rejected by a
tie vote, reads as follows:
ono bonds of the State shall be issued
to any railroad company which, at the
time of its application for the same, shall
be in default in paying the interest upon
State bonds previously loaned to it, or
that shall hereafter, and before such ap-
plicadon, sell, or absolutely dispose of
any State bonds loaned to it for less than
par"
Mr.. Gibson proposed to strike out after
the words '1oaned to it." The amend
ment was rejected.
Mr. Fentress proposed TO amend by
adding:
provided, That this clause shall not
effect any contract heretofore entered into
by the State. "
The amendment was rejected, after
which the original proposition as reported
by the committee, was adopted by a vote
of 80 to 20.
PRINTING THE CONSTITUTION.
Nj Williams withdrew his resolution
on printing, and offered it in the follow
ing modified form:
Resolved, That for the information Of
the people, an official copy of the pro
posed amended Constitution adopted by
this Convention be published in the two
papers of largest circulation in the cities of
Knoxville, Nashville and Memphis, and
in one newspaper of largest circulation in
each other county in which a newspaper
is now published; and that 80, 900 copies
of the said amended Constitution be
printed by the public printers, for general
distribution, and that the newspapers
publishing an official copy of the amend
ed Constitution be paid $50 each.
Laid over under the rules.
POLL TAX
Resolution of Mr.. DromgoOle, pro-
viding that the revenue derived from
poll tax shall be devoted to payment
of the just debts of the State, was laid on
the table by a vote of Il to q.
AMENDMENTS To THE CONSTITUTION OF THE
UNITED STATES.
The following report of the Judiciary
Committee, based upon proposition sub
mitted by Mr.. Warren, was adopted by
vote of 60 to Z:
No Convention or General Assembly of
this State shall act upon any amendment
of the Constitution Of the United States,
proposed by Congress to the several
States, unless such Convention or General
Assembly shall have been elected after
such amendment is submitted.
DIFFERENTIATION.
The following, introduced by Mr..
Scay, as an Independent proposition, was
rejected by vote of At to 10.
No county which has Representative
at the date of the ratification of this Con-
stitution, shall ever be deprived thereof
under any apportionment made hereafter
under the provisions of this Constitution.
The Convention took 8 recess till two
p. NJ.
Afternoon Session.
Mr.. Stephens, Chairman of The Com
mittco en- Revision and Enrolment, made
the following report:
| beg leave to report, that in revising
section 10 of article VI, have caused it
to read as follows:
Sec. -. Judges of the Supreme Court
snail appoint their clerks, who shall hold
their Office for the term of six years.
Chancellors shall appoint theft Clerks and
Masters, who shall hold their offices for
the term of six years. Clerks Of inferior
courts holden in the counties OF districts
shall be elected by the qualified voters
thereof, for the term of four years. Any
clerk may be removed from office for MAX
feasance, incompetency or neglect of
duty, in such manner as may be pre-
scribed by law.
The action of the committee was con-
l.curred in by the Convention by large
majority. The change made was simply
to strike out the words, GAS may here
after be established" after the words
''inferior courts" these words being in
the old Constitution, and having been
huIriedly adopted by an oversight of the
| Convention.
MERCHANTS TAX.
| The subject of Merchants tax WAS