Resolved, That no distinction shall ever be made, in the organization of the voluntary military companies of this Commonwealth, on account of color or race.

On motion of Mr. WILSON, the yeas and nays were ordered on the adoption of the amendment.

Without taking the question, the whole subject, on motion of Mr. ABBOTT, of Lowell, was

Laid upon the table.

On motion of Mr. TRAIN, of Framingham, leave was granted to the Committee on the University at Cambridge, to sit during the morning session of the Convention.

On motion of Mr. CHURCHILL, of Milton, the Convention proceeded to the consideration of the Orders of the Day.

The first subject was the Resolve on the subject of the militia. The substitute offered yesterday by Mr. Sumner, member for Marshfield, was rejected by a vote of seventy-eight in the affirmative, to one hundred and twelve in the negative.

Mr. HATHAWAY, of Freetown, moved to amend the first of the proposed articles by striking from the second and third lines, (printed copy,) the words, "the laws of the Commonwealth may exempt," and inserting instead thereof the words, "may by law be exempted."

Also, by striking out in the fourth line the words, "the legislature may prescribe," and inserting instead thereof the words, "by law may be required."

Mr. DANA, member for Manchester, moved to recommit the Resolve to the Committee on the Militia.

Pending this question,

At one o'clock, the Convention adjourned.

AFTERNOON SESSION.

Met according to adjournment.

Mr. GREENE, of Brookfield, presented the Petition of J. G. Forman and one hundred and one others, of Nantucket and Dukes Counties, in aid of the Petition of Mrs. Alcott, that women may be permitted to vote on the proposed amendments of the Constitution.

Referred to the Committee on the Qualifications of Voters.

Mr. ADAMS, of Lowell, offered an Order, providing that hereafter no member shall speak more than one hour on any question either in Committee of the Whole or in Convention, without leave.

Laid over, under the rule

The PRESIDENT appointed the following gentlemen as the committee under the Order offered by Mr. Boutwell, member for Berlin, providing for the appointment of a committee to reduce the amendments of the Constitution to the form in which it will be proper to submit the same to the people for ratification, viz. :—

Messrs. Boutwell, member for Berlin, Allen, of Worcester, Choate, of Boston, Hallett, member for Wilbraham, Morton, of Taunton, Abbott, of Lowell, Briggs, of Pittsfield, Dana, member for Manchester, Griswold, member for Erving, Parker, of Cambridge, Lord, of Salem, Oliver, of Lawrence, and Knowlton, of Worcester.

On motion of Mr. STETSON, of Braintree, the Orders of the Day were taken up; the first subject being the Resolve on the subject of the militia.

The motion of Mr. Dana, member for Manchester, to recommit the Resolve to the standing committee, was rejected.

The amendment offered by Mr. Hathaway, of Freetown, in the morning session, was adopted.

The Resolve was further amended, on motion of Mr. HATHAWAY, as follows:

In the eleventh of the proposed articles, by striking from the third line, (printed copy,) the words "the legislature," and inserting instead thereof the word "law."

In the thirteenth article, by striking from the last line the words. “the legislature may prescribe," and inserting instead thereof the words "may be prescribed by law."

In the fifteenth article, by striking from the fourth line the words "the legislature may by law prescribe," and inserting instead thereof the words "may be by law prescribed."

Mr. CHURCHILL, of Milton, moved the Previous Question, which was ordered;

And the Resolves were finally passed, by a vote of one hundred and seventy-three in the affirmative, and thirty-five in the negative, as follows:

Resolved, That the following be adopted as part of the Constitution relating to the militia.

1. All citizens of this Commonwealth, liable to military service, except such as may by law be exempted, shall be enrolled in the militia, and held to perform such military duty as by law may be required.

2. The militia shall be divided into convenient divisions, brigades, regiments, squadrons, battalions and companies, and officers of appropriate rank and titles shall be elected to command them; and said

militia shall be made to conform, as nearly as practicable, to the discipline of the army of the United States.

3. The captains and subalterns of the militia shall be elected by a majority of the written votes of the members present and voting, of the respective companies, at a meeting legally convened therefor.

4. The field-officers of regiments, squadrons, and battalions, shall be elected by a majority of the written votes of the captains and subalterns present and voting, of the companies of the respective regiments, squadrons and battalions, at a meeting legally convened therefor.

5. The brigadier-generals shall be elected by a majority of the written votes of the field-officers and captains of companies present and voting, of the regiments, squadrons and battalions of the respective brigades, at a meeting legally convened therefor.

6. The major-generals shall be elected by a majority of the written votes of the brigadier-generals and field-officers, present and voting, of the brigades, regiments, squadrons and battalions of the respective divisions, at a meeting legally convened therefor.

7. The governor shall be the commander-in-chief of the army and navy of the State, and of the militia thereof, excepting when these forces shall be actually in the service of the United States; and shall have power to call out the same to aid in the execution of the laws, to suppress insurrection, and to repel invasion.

8. In all elections of military officers, no person entitled to vote as herein before provided, shall be disqualified by reason of his being under twenty-one years of age.

9. If the electors of the several officers of the militia, hereinbefore named, shall refuse or neglect, for the space of three months after having been legally notified, to make elections, the governor shall appoint suitable persons to fill the vacant offices, advising with the Council, if the vacancy be that of a major-general; and with the major-general of the division in which the appointment is to be made, if the vacancy be of an officer of inferior grade.

10. The governor shall appoint and commission for one year, or until their successors shall be commissioned and qualified, the adjutant-general, the quartermaster-general, and such other general staff officers as shall be provided for by law. The major-generals, and brigadier-generals, and commandants of regiments, squadrons, and battalions, shall severally appoint such staff officers as shall be provided for by law for their respective commands.

11. The salary of the adjutant-general, of the quartermastergeneral, and of such other general staff officers as may be provided

for by law, shall be fixed by law, and shall be in full for all services rendered by them in their several offices.

12. The several officers elective, hereinbefore named, shall be commissioned by the governor for the term of three years from the date of their commissions, and until their successors shall have been commissioned and qualified.

13. All non-commissioned officers, whether of staff or company, and all musicians, shall be appointed and warranted in such manner as may be prescribed by law.

14. The legislature shall prescribe the time and manner of convening the electors hereinbefore named, of conducting the elections, and of certifying to the governor the officers elect.

15. All officers commissioned or appointed to command in the militia, as well as all staff officers and musicians, may be removed from office by trial by court martial, or by such other modes as may be by law prescribed.

The Resolves on the subject of the Council, were, on motion of Mr. BOUTWELL, member for Berlin,

Laid upon the table.

On motion of Mr. WILSON, of Natick, the Committee of the Whole was discharged from the consideration of the Report, inexpedient to act upon the subject of an Order concerning the governor's command of the militia.

And the Report was recommitted to the Standing Committee on the Governor.

Mr. WILSON offered the following Resolution, which was referred to the same committee.

Resolved, That it is expedient to alter the Constitution of the Commonwealth by striking out the whole of article 7 of section 1, chapter 2.

On motion of Mr. BOUTWELL, member for Berlin, the Convention resolved itself into Committee of the Whole, for the purpose of considering the Report of the Special Committee, inexpedient to act upon the subject of loaning the credit of the State, and the President requested Mr. Boutwell, member for Berlin, to take the chair.

Afterwards, Mr. BOUTWELL reported, that the committee had made progress in the consideration of the subject, but had come to no conclusion, and had instructed him to ask leave to sit again.

And leave was accordingly granted.

Mr. WATERS, of Millbury, moved an adjournment, but the motion

was rejected by a vote of eighty-one in the affirmative, to ninety in the negative.

On motion of Mr. WILSON, of Natick, the Convention resolved itself into Committee of the Whole, for the purpose of considering the Report, inexpedient to act upon the subject of an Order of May 31st, concerning the election of senators in the congress of the United States by joint ballot of the two Houses of the legislature, and the President requested Mr. Cushman, of Bernardston, to take the chair. Afterwards, Mr. CUSHMAN reported, that it was the opinion of the committee that the Report ought to be accepted.

And it was accordingly accepted.

On motion of Mr. WILSON, of Natick, the Convention resolved itself into Committee of the Whole, for the purpose of considering the Resolves reported by the Committee on the Qualifications of Voters, on the subject of the loss of residence by voters, and the President requested Mr. Briggs, of Pittsfield, to take the chair.

Afterwards, Mr. BRIGGS reported, that the committee had made progress in the consideration of the subject, but had come to no conclusion, and had instructed him to ask leave to sit again.

And leave was accordingly granted.

At a quarter past six o'clock, on motion of Mr. DUNCAN, of Williamstown,

The Convention adjourned.

THURSDAY, June 23, 1853.

Met according to adjournment. Prayer was offered by the Chaplain. The Journal of yesterday was read.

The Order offered yesterday by Mr. Adams, of Lowell, and laid over, was taken up and adopted, by a vote of one hundred and fourteen in the affirmative to forty in the negative.

Mr. BRIGGS, of Pittsfield, from the Committee on the Encouragement of Literature, having under consideration an Order concerning the propriety of requiring that voters shall be able to read the Constitution in the English language, submitted a Report, asking to be discharged from the consideration of the Order, and recommending that it be referred to the Committee on the Qualifications of Voters. The Report was accepted, and the Order so referred.

On motion of Mr. WILSON, of Natick, the Convention resolved itself into Committee of the Whole, for the purpose of considering