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President requested Mr. Dana, member for Manchester, to take the chair.

Afterwards, Mr. DANA 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. THOMPSON, of Charlestown, moved that when the Convention adjourn, it adjourn to meet at ten o'clock, to-morrow.

Mr. BUTLER, of Lowell, moved an adjournment; but the motion was rejected.

Mr. HOOPER, of Fall River, moved to amend the motion of Mr. Thompson, by substituting the hour of half past two this afternoon, Pending this question, the hour fixed for adjournment arrived. And at one o'clock, the Convention adjourned.

AFTERNOON SESSION.

Met according to adjournment.

On motion of Mr. STRONG, of Easthampton,

Ordered, That the Committee on the Bill of Rights be requested to take into consideration the expediency of so amending the Constitution, that the poor debtor's oath shall be administered by the magistrates of the several towns where the debtors reside, and that no citizen of this Commonwealth shall be imprisoned for debt.

On motion of Mr. HARMON, of New Ashford,

Ordered, That the Committee on the Judiciary consider the expediency of so revising the Constitution, as to give efficacy to the eleventh article of the Declaration of Rights, granting the subject a certain remedy in law, promptly and without delay.

On motion of Mr. WILSON, of Natick, the Convention resolved itself into Committee of the Whole, for the purpose of considering the Resolves on the subject of the qualifications of voters, and the President requested Mr. Dana, member for Manchester, to take the chair. Afterwards, Mr. DANA reported, that the committee had made further progress in the considération 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 five o'clock, on motion of Mr. TYLER, of Pawtucket,

The Convention adjourned.

TUESDAY, June 7, 1853.

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

On motion of Mr. Buck, of Lanesborough, the Convention proceeded to the consideration of the Orders of the Day.

The Resolve upon the subject of viva voce voting, was read a second time, and finally passed, as follows :—

Resolved, That it is expedient to provide in the Constitution, that in all elections made directly by the legislature, or either branch thereof, the viva voce mode be adopted.

On motion of Mr. BROWN, of Douglas, the Convention resolved itself into Committee of the Whole, for the consideration of the Resolves on the subject of the qualifications of voters, and the President requested Mr. Dana, member for Manchester, to take the chair. At one o'clock, the Convention adjourned.

AFTERNOON SESSION.

Met according to adjournment.

On motion of Mr. TYLER, of Pawtucket,

Ordered, That the Committee on so much of the Constitution as relates to county and town officers, and the registry of deeds, be directed to inquire into the expediency of so amending the Constitution, that all deeds of real estate, instead of being recorded as now, in one or more towns in the county specially designated for that purpose, shall be recorded in the several towns where such real estate is situated; that the town clerks of the several towns shall be the registers of deeds, and that good and sufficient safes shall be provided, at the expense of the towns, for the safe keeping of the records.

Mr. EARLE, of Worcester, offered a paper, containing a plan of representation in the House of Representatives.

Referred to the Committee of the Whole and ordered to be printed. Mr. GREENE, of Brookfield, presented the Petition of Mary Osgood and twelve others, women of Medford, in aid of the Petition of Mrs. Abby Alcott and others, that women may be allowed to vote on the proposed alterations and amendments of the Constitution.

Referred to the Committee on the Qualifications of Voters.
Mr. FAY, of Southborough, from the Committee on Leave of Ab-

sence, submitted a Report, granting leave of absence to Mr. Storrow, of Lawrence, for two weeks, and to Mr. Cushman, of Kingston, for four days.

The Report was considered and accepted.

Mr. DANA, member for Manchester, reported that the Committee of the Whole had made progress in the consideration of the Resolves on the subject of the qualifications of voters, but had come to no conclusion, and had instructed him to ask leave to sit again.

And leave was accordingly granted.

And then, on motion of Mr. HOOPER, of Fall River, the Convention. again resolved itself into Committee of the Whole, for the purpose of further considering the same subject, and the President requested Mr. Dana, member for Manchester, to take the chair.

Afterwards, Mr. DANA reported, that the committee had made further 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 six o'clock, on motion of Mr. FREEMAN, of Franklin,
The Convention adjourned.

WEDNESDAY, June 8, 1853.

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

Mr. BRIGGS, of Pittsfield, presented the Petition of Jonathan E. Field, and forty-seven others, citizens of Stockbridge, suggesting certain amendments of the Constitution on the subjects of the pay of members of the legislature, the plurality rule in elections, the mode of electing senators and representatives, and the power of the legislature to make permanent loans.

Referred to the Committee of the Whole, and to the several standing committees having those subjects in charge.

A communication was read from Mr. Taft, of Mendon, asking leave of absence on account of the death of a sister; which was considered, and leave of absence granted.

A communication was received from the Secretary of State, enclosing lists of the business corporations authorized since the adoption of the Constitution to the present time.

On motion of Mr. THOMPSON, of Charlestown,

Ordered, That the debate in Committee of the Whole on the subject of the qualifications of voters, shall cease at twelve o'clock.

On motion of Mr. SCHOULER, of Boston, the Convention resolved itself into Committee of the Whole, for the purpose of further considering the Resolves on the qualifications of voters; and the President requested Mr. Dana, member for Manchester, to take the chair. Afterwards, Mr. DANA reported, that the committee had considered the Resolves, and had instructed him to report,

That the first Resolve ought to pass;

That the second Resolve ought not to pass;

That the third Resolve ought to be amended by substituting the word "student" for the word "member" in the fifth line, (of the printed copy);

And that the fourth Resolve ought to pass.

The amendment to the third Resolve, recommended by the committee, was agreed to, and,

Pending the question on the adoption of the Resolves,

At one o'clock, the Convention adjourned.

AFTERNOON SESSION.

Met according to adjournment.

The communication from the Secretary of State, received in the morning, with the enclosed list of corporations, was ordered to be printed.

Mr. FAY, of Southborough, from the Committee on Leave of Absence, submitted a Report, granting leave of absence to Mr. Knight, of Peru, for five days.

The Report was considered, and leave of absence granted.

On motion of Mr. LORD, of Salem, the Convention proceeded to the consideration of the Orders of the Day; the first subject being the Resolves on the qualifications of voters.

Mr. SCHOULER, of Boston, moved that the fourth Resolve be amended by striking out all after the words "shall be," at the close of the second line, (printed copy,) and inserting instead thereof the words, "by secret ballot;" but the amendment was rejected.

Mr. BRIGGS, of Pittsfield, moved that the first Resolve be amended by striking out all after the word "vote" in the second line, (printed copy);

And further moved that when the question is taken on the amendment, it be taken by yeas and nays.

Pending this question,

At twenty minutes past six o'clock, on motion of Mr. BRADFORD, of Essex,

The Convention adjourned.

THURSDAY, June 9, 1853.

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

On motion of Mr. KINGMAN, of West Bridgewater,

Ordered, That the Committee on the Frame of Government be instructed to inquire into the expediency of incorporating into the Constitution the principle, that when any person shall be arrested in behalf of the Commonwealth, on suspicion of crime, and tried and not found guilty, such person shall be remunerated for loss of time and the cost he is thus subjected to.

Mr. ALLEN, of Worcester, from the Committee on the Frame of Government, submitted Reports as follow:

Inexpedient to act on 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.

Also, inexpedient to act upon the subject of an Order of June 3d, concerning extra payment to commissioners.

Also, a Resolve on the subject of the legislative department of the government.

Severally referred to the Committee of the Whole and ordered to be printed.

On motion of Mr. ALLEN, of Worcester, the Convention resolved itself into Committee of the Whole, for the purpose of considering the Report of the Committee on the Frame of Government, inexpedient to act on the subject of an Order of May 20th, concerning special privileges and immunities; and the President requested Mr. Thompson, of Charlestown, to take the chair.

Afterwards, Mr. THOMPSON 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. ALLEN, of Worcester, the Convention resolved itself into Committee of the Whole, for the purpose of considering the Report of the Committee on the Frame of Government, inex

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