At ten minutes past two o'clock, the Convention adjourned.

AFTERNOON SESSION.

Met according to adjournment.

The result of the vote upon Mr. Jenkins's amendment, was announced.

The Convention resumed the consideration of the unfinished business of the morning session, viz.: the Resolves on the subject of future amendments of the Constitution.

Mr. HOOPER, of Fall River, moved to amend the first Resolve by substituting the words "one thousand eight hundred and seventy-six," instead of "one thousand eight hundred and seventy-three;" but the amendment was rejected.

Mr. LORD, of Salem, moved to amend the first Resolve by inserting, after the word "affirmative" in the thirteenth line, the words "and such majority shall be equal to two-fifths of the votes given for gov. ernor at such election;" but the amendment was rejected, by a vote of thirty in the affirmative, to one hundred and thirty-six in the negative.

Mr. ALVORD, member for Montague, moved to amend by striking out the last Resolve, which is as follows:

Resolved, The foregoing provisions shall in no wise restrain or impair the reserved right of the people, in their sovereign capacity, and by such mode of proceeding as shall fully and fairly collect and ascertain the will of the majority, at all times, to reform, alter, or totally change their Constitution and Frame of Government.

But the motion was rejected, by a vote of twenty-five in the affirmative, to one hundred and forty-three in the negative.

Mr. GILES, of Boston, moved to amend, by striking out the words "and by such mode of proceeding as shall fully and fairly collect and ascertain the will of the majority," and inserting instead thereof, the words, "according to their will legally expressed."

But the amendment was rejected.

Mr. LORD, of Salem, moved to amend the first Resolve, by inserting after the word "affirmative," in the thirteenth line, the words " and such majority shall be equal to one-third of the votes given for governor at such election;" but the amendment, was rejected.

The first and second Resolves were then finally passed, without a division.

And the third Resolve was passed, by a vote of one hundred and forty-two in the affirmative, to sixty-four in the negative.

Mr. SCHOULER, of Boston, moved a reconsideration of the vote; and the rule was suspended, and the motion immediately considered. After debate, Mr. KINGMAN, of West Bridgewater, moved the Previous Question; which was ordered.

And the motion to reconsider was agreed to, by a vote of one hundred and ninety-five in the affirmative, to thirty-three in the negative.

Mr. ALLEN, of Worcester, moved a reconsideration of the vote by which the motion of Mr. Alvord, member for Montague, to strike out the third Resolve, was rejected.

After debate, Mr. WHITNEY, of Boylston, moved the Previous Question; which was ordered.

And the motion to reconsider prevailed.

The question recurring on the motion to strike out the third Resolve,

Mr. HALLETT, member for Wilbraham, moved to amend the Resolve by striking out the words, " and by such mode of proceeding as shall fully and fairly collect and ascertain the will of the majority."

Mr. BIRD, of Walpole, moved the Previous Question; which was ordered.

Mr. Hallett's amendment was then adopted, by a vote of one hundred and fifty-nine in the affirmative, to fifty-eight in the negative. The question recurring upon the motion to strike out the third Resolve, it was agreed to by a vote of one hundred and fifty-eight in the affirmative, to eighty-nine in the negative.

Mr. HUBBARD, of Boston, called for a division of the questions. On motion of Mr. LORD, of Salem, the yeas and nays were ordered upon the passage of the first and second Resolves.

It was here stated, that the motion of Mr. Schouler to reconsider embraced only the third Resolve; and the Chair considered this to be the state of the question.

So the first and second Resolves remained finally passed, as follow:

1. Resolved, That it is expedient to provide in the Constitution that

A Convention to revise or amend this Constitution, may be called and held in the following manner: At the general election in the year 1873, and in each twentieth year thereafter, the qualified voters in State elections shall give in their votes upon the question, "Shall there be a Convention to revise the Constitution?" which votes shall be received, counted, recorded and declared, in the same manner as in the election of governor; and a copy of the record thereof, shall, within one month, be returned to the office of the Secretary of State, who shall, thereupon, examine the same, and shall officially publish the number of yeas and nays given upon said question, in each town and city, and if a majority of said votes shall be in the affirmative, it shall be deemed and taken to be the will of the people that a Convention should meet accordingly; and thereafter, on the first Monday of March ensuing, meetings shall be held, and delegates shall be chosen, in all the towns, cities, and districts in the Commonwealth, in the manner and number then provided by law for the election of the largest number of representatives, which the towns, cities and districts shall then be entitled to elect in any year of that decennial period. And such delegates shall meet in Convention at the State House on the first Wednesday of May next ensuing, and when organized, shall have all the powers necessary to execute the purpose for which such Convention was called; and may establish the compensation of its officers and members, and the expense of its session, for which the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Council, shall draw his warrant on the treasury. And if such alterations and amendments as shall be proposed by the Convention, shall be adopted by the people voting thereon in such manner as the Convention shall direct, the Constitution shall be deemed and taken to be altered or amended accordingly. And it shall be the duty of the proper officers and persons in authority, to perform all acts necessary to carry into effect the foregoing provisions.

2. Resolved, That whenever towns or cities containing not less than one-third of the qualified voters of the Commonwealth, shall at any meeting for the election of State officers, request that a Convention be called to revise the Constitution, it shall be the duty of the legislature, at its next session, to pass an act for the calling of the

same, and submit the question to the qualified voters of the Commonwealth, whether a Convention shall be called accordingly: Provided, that nothing herein contained shall impair the power of the legislature to take action for calling a Convention, without such request, as heretofore practised in this Commonwealth.

On motion of Mr. WILSON, of Natick, the Orders of the Day were laid upon the table.

Mr. MORTON, of Taunton, from the Committee on the Judiciary, submitted a series of Resolves.

Laid upon the table, and ordered to be printed.

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On motion of Mr. WILSON, the motion of Mr. Bird, of Walpole, to reconsider the vote by which the Resolves on the subject of elections by plurality and majority, were finally passed, was taken from the table, and considered.

And the motion to reconsider was rejected, by a vote of one hundred and twelve in the affirmative, to one hundred and eighteen in the negative.

After the vote had been declared, its correctness was doubted by several members; but upon a re-examination of the returns of the Monitors, the President announced the result to be correct.

Another count was called for, but the President remarked that it could only be taken by unanimous consent.

Objections were made, and then Mr. DAVIS, of Plymouth, called for the yeas and nays upon the question,

And the Chair decided that the motion was in order.

Mr. STEVENSON, of Boston, appealed from the decision of the chair. On motion of Mr. LORD, of Salem, the yeas and nays were ordered upon the question of the appeal.

Mr. WILSON, of Natick, moved that the appeal be laid upon the table.

Mr. GRAY, of Boston, raised the question whether it was competent to lay an appeal upon the table,

And the President decided that the motion was in order.

On motion of Mr. GRAY, the yeas and nays were ordered upon the motion that the appeal be laid upon the table.

The motion, to lay upon the table, was then withdrawn.

Mr. WATERS, of Millbury, moved the Previous Question; which was ordered.

And the question being stated, "shall the decision of the Chair stand?"

The roll was called, and one hundred and sixty-eight members voted in the affirmative, and sixty-two in the negative.