WILSON-GILLASPY-EDWARDS--TODHUNTER-JOHNSTON-CLARKE.

Resolved, That the rules governing the Con-jects and proportious as are not referred to in stitutional Convention of 1846 of this State, except the tenth rule, be adopted temporarily, so far as applicable, for the Government of this Convention nutil otherwise or lered.

Mr JOHNSTON the name of this resolution seems to be legion. It is one of the most imThe question was taken upon the amendment portant resolutions in relation to the labors of and it was agreed to.

this convention, and I think time should be al

The resolution as amended was then adopted. lowed members for an examination of it. With

Tuesday,]

CLARKE-HALL-JOHNSTON-WARREN-ELLS.

[January 20th.

be appointed by the President to ascertain and two o'clock. If we are going to move, let us do report the name of a suitable and competent per- so; if we are going to remain let us decide to do son to be thus employed.

The resolution was then adopted.
The PRESIDENT announced the following
gentlemen as members of that committee, viz:
Messrs, Clarke of Henry, Hall and Clarke of
Johnson.

Mr. CLARKE of Johnson, offered the following resolution:

Resolved, That John Teesdale be employed to print 100 copies of the Constitution of this State for the use of members of this Conven

tion.

30.

Mr. JOHNSTON. I understand from the Chairman of the committee that is is impossib e for them to agree. If that is so I do not see why they should not report that fact and let the matter come up before this convention in some form for our decision.

Mr. CLARKE of Johnson. This committes consists of five members. They have never yet met. It is true the rival towns of Davenport, Daouque and Iowa City are represented but I apprehend there will be no trouble in agreeing upon a reMr. HALL. We have just adopted a resoln-port. Now if I am to leave home, I want to have tion the purpose of which is to furnish each a choice of places to which to go. And so I supmember of this Convention with a copy of the poso it is with the gentleman from Davenport code which contains the Constitution, and if we (Mr. Ells) and the gentlement from Dubuque get that it seems to me that it would be a use- |(Mr. Emerson.) Let us have a meeting of the less expense to print the Constitution separately. committee and come to some understanding and I know that it is necessary for every member of then we can report to the convention and they this Convention to have a copy of the Constitu- can decide whether they will go from this place tion, but we have it already in print, and if we or not. desire it for circulation, when we print the one! we may propose here, we can have the old one printed with it..

Mr. CLARKE of Johnson. The object I had in view in submitting this resolution was to place in the hands of our committees copies of the present Constitution to assist them in preparing their reports, and in preparing their reports it will be necessary for them to cut up many copies of the Constitution and use them up in various ways. And it would be better to have them printed than to employ clerks to copy them. That is the object I had in view. I think it will very much facilitate the business of this Convention to have 100 copies of the Constitution printed, and the cost of printing will certainly be much less than that of copying and enrolling the old Constitution.

Mr. HALL. The gentleman's suggestion would be very proper if the Convention shall decide that they will revise the whole Constitution. But I do not regard it as certain that the proposition upon our table to refer the various articles of the Constitution to their appropriate committees, will be adopted by this Convention. I shall not be in favor of any such course for one. There are many things in the present Constitution that require no revision whatever, and when we decide what we will do, there will be time enough to prepare the material to do it with. I therefore move to lay the resolution upon the table subject to the crder of the Con

vention.

The question being taken the motion was agreed to.

Mr. JOHNSTON. Mr. President, I would now call for a report from our committee on locomotion-the committee upon the subject of the removal of this convention to some other place.

Mr. ELLS. I would say that the committee have not come to any definite conclusion as yet, and would ask for further time in which to prepare their report.

Mr. WARREN. I would move that the committee be instructed to report this evening at

Mr. ELLS. I understood that the proposition from Davenport is this, and from Dubuque it is the same; in case this committee determine to go to either of those cities, the city authorities will furnish them with a hall, light and fuel. That is all. The iden of furnishing the members with board free of expense, as I have understood is the impression among some, is entirely imaginary.

Mr. JOHNSTON. If there is any prospect of the committee agreeing and reporting this afternoon, I will withdraw my objection to allowing them further time..

The question being taken upon instructing the committee to report this afternoon at two o'clock it was agreed to.

The President laid before the convention, the following, communication:

To the President of the Constitutional

HONORED SIR:

Convention of Iowe.

I herewith present to the members of the convention copies of a Journal of debates containing the terms upon which a similar publication of the doings and debates of the body over which you preside may be published so as to be subject only to newspaper postage, should it be the pleasure of the convention.

Yours Respectfully,

S. STORRS HOWE.

Iowa City, January 20th, 1857.

The communication was received and laid upon the table subject to the order of the convention.

Mr. CLARKE of Henry from the committee on the subject of reporting made the following report.

The committee appointed to ascertain and report the man as a suitable and competent person to be employed as reporter for this convention, report the name of W. Blair Lord of Baltimore, now present.

Mr. CLARK of Johnson. I would state for the information of the members of this convention that I hold in my hand certificates from various public men of all parties as to Mr. Lord's ability as a reporter. He was the reporter to the Kansas Investigating committee and brings with him a highly commendatory, certificate from all the members of that committee.

The question being taken the report was adopted.

On motion of Mr. WARREN the Convention took a recess until 2 o'clock, P. M.

EVENING SESSION.

The Convention assembled at 2 o'clock, and was called to order by the President.

[January 20th.

maining here, a suitable hall will be provided for our sessiens, free of expense to us, until we can have possession of one of the legislative chambers in this building.

The question being thus taken upon the substitute, it was adopted, as follows:

Yeas-Messrs. Ayres, Clarke of Alamakee, Clarke of Henry, Cotton, Day, Edwards, Elis, Emerson, Gibson, Gillaspy, Hall. Hollingsworth, Johnston, Patterson, Price, Robinson, Scott, Seeley, Skiff, Solomon, Todhunter and Warren-22.

Nays-The President, Messrs. Bunker, Clarke of Johnson, Gower, Gray, Harris, Marvin, Palmer, Parvin, Traer, Wilson, Winchester, and Young-12.

The question was upon the adoption of the report of the Committee as amended.

Mr. TRAER. I should like to know what is

The PRESIDENT stated that Judge F. H. the state of the case now; as I understand the Lee, of Johnson county, was present, and pre-nature of the invitation is somewhat different pared to administer the oath to the members of

the Convention.

Mr. ELLS, from the Committee to which had been referred the invitations from the cities of Davenport and Dubuque, for the Convention to hold its session in one of these places, made the following report:

Your Committee have had the same under consideration, and a majority of the Committee have instructed me to offer for adoption the following resolution:

Resolved, That while we duly appreciate the patriotic motives of the city authorities of Davenport and Dubuque in thus tendering the hospitalities of their respective cities, we deem it inexpedient to accept of either of these invitations, at the present time.

(Signed) GEO. W. ELLS, Chairman. Mr. CLARK, of Alamakee, moved that the report be accepted, and that the Committee be discharged; which was agreed to.

The question was upon the adoption of the report.

Mr. ELLS moved the following as a substi

tute:

from what we had reason at first to understand it.

The PRESIDENT. The invitation from the rooms, fuel and lights for our sessions. City of Davenport is, that we shall have suitable

Mr. TRAER. Then I should like to know

what particular advantage there will be in our removing from this place to Davenport? I sec none. I have no objection to going to Davenport or any other place, provided there was some good

reason for it. But I want to see that before I vote for anything of the kind.

Mr. ELLS. The advantages of going to Davthere, and when we get there we will be able to enport are, that it will cost us nothing to get cbtain good accommodations at fair prices. Here we have not. Half of the members of the Convention have to sleep three in a bed, and two on commodations here. It is to avoid that that we a bunk, in consequence of the want of good acshould go to Davenport.

Mr. TRAER. I do not wish to discuss this

question; but it occurs to me that before we adjourn to Davenport or any other place, we should ascertain what the accommodations there will be. If they get us down there, and charge us more for board than we are charged here, we shall not have gained much. However, I have no doubt they would do the fair thing by us; but I would suggest that before we determine to adjourn there, we should send a committee there to see what can be done. That, I believe, is the usual mode heretofore pursued by conventions.

And I must say that I have some scruples in regard to the legality of this thing of adjourning. I know there are gentlemen here who understand this question better than I do, but I have not That we duly appreciate the patriotic motives heard them express any opinion upon this point. of the city authorities of Davenport and Du- Until I have some further light upon the subject buque in thus tendering the hospitalities of their I shall be rather of the opinion that this convenrespective cities, and that we deem it expedition has no legal right to adjourn away from this ent to accept one of those invitations at this time. place. The act authorizing the assembling of Mr. CLARKE, of Johnson. I had not intend this body prescribed that we should meet at the ed to say a word upon this matter, for I am well Capitol of the State. And I understand that in aware that whatever I may say, may be subject all casos where conventions of this character to the imputation of selfishness, as I am at have adjourned to places other than the one where home in this city. But I wish to remark this: they were called together, it has been done unthat I am authorized by our city authorities to der some provision of the law calling them tosay, that if the Convention shall decide upon re-gether, which gave them the privilege of so do

ing. The Ohio Convention adjourned from Co- Mr. PARVIN.
lumbus to Cincinnati. But the law that called
that convention together contained a provision
giving them the power of adjourning from one
point to another as they should see fit. Now I
would like to hear some gentleman of legal abil-
ity and experience express his opinion upon this
matter. I might probably be induced to view
this matter in a different light, but at present I
shall feel compelled to vote against this resolu-
tion.

Mr. ELLS. I ought to state that the LeClaire Hall—a large hall lighted by gas-has been sccured for the use of this convention if they de-, cide to go to Davenport. There will be no expense attending their going over there, and when they get there they will find everything free and liberal to their hearts' content.

[January 20th.

I have no desire to detain the Convention by any extended remarks upon this subject. I have no constitutional scruples with regard to our right to remove to some other place. I believe we have the undoubted right to do so; but I have doubts about the expediency of so doing. My friend from Des Moines (Mr. Hall) alludes to the dangers that are to be incurred here, and says we ought to flee from them. Now, we read of certain characters who flee when no man pursueth. (Laughter.) I do think that the citizens of this city have been held up in rather too severe a light. I have been here several times, and I have always had a good bed to lie upon and plenty to eat, and that which was good. In fact, I have always been treated as well as I deserved.

Now, I think we should inquire a little before Mr. HALL. I am in favor, Mr. President, of we decide to remove to Davenport or Dubuque. going to Davenport or Dubuque, I am not very Is it possible for them to accommodate us with as particular which place. I do not think there is good committee rooms there as we can have here? any provision of law prohibiting our adjourning | It is well known that the Legislature will soon to any other place we see fit. I think the power adjourn, and before they adjourn we can occupy of the Legislature extended only to doing what some other hall and quite as good a one as any the Constitution provides, and that is to pro- we can obtain in Davenport or Dubuque. When vide for the calling of this Convention and desig- the Legislature shall have concluded their labors, nate a place at which it should assemble. After then we can be accommodated better here than There is no city, we have met, we are not subject to Legislative in any other city in Iowa. enactments at all. There can be no improprie- without a house prepared for the purpose, that ty or illegality in our adjourning to some other has as good a hall as our Senate chamber, place, for we are not confined or governed by the and we have now, and can have, just as good a directory portion of the Act calling the Conven-hall before the Legislature adjourns, as can be tion farther than to meet and organize.

so far as the accommodations and attentions we

Now, with regard to the hospitality of Daven port and Dubuque, that is known all over the State. But I am under the impression that there. is some little hospitality in this city, notwithstanding what my friend from Des Moines (Mr. Hall) may say of his bad luck here. I rather think he must have got into some bad place-where, I cannot imagine. (Laughter.) I am opposed to removing our sessions from this place, unless I can be convinced that we can better our condition as a convention.

found in the State; and with regard to commitNow we have got to take something for grant accommodate the committees of this body as tee rooms, I do not think any tavern or hotelcan ed in this matter of removal. I am satisfied that well as they can be accommodate in this buildreceive here are concerned, go where we willing, which was prepared for that very purpose. we cannot get in a worse place; we cannot go to a place where we would have less hospitality, courtesy or accommodation shown to us. I am for the experiment of a change at all events. Davenport and Dubuque have, through their City Councils extended to us an invitation to meet in their midst, and I am willing to believe that they will treat us properly and that we will be fully and fairly accommodated there. There will be no inconvenience in going there, and I think we shall be well accommodated after we get there I do not wish to be regarded as saying any thing against the people of this city more than against any other town of a similar character. This city was created for the purpose of holding meetings here, Legislatures and Conventions, and the people have got into the habit of treating all who come here like sheep who are to be shorn. It is so every where. It is proverbial that in State Capitols persons receive harder treatment and less accommodation than at any other place. Now we have the power to avoid all this and we should exercise it. Let us show that we have at least the instincts of the lower aninrals, to flee from danger and hard treatment By going to Davenport or Dubuque we will be conferring a compliment upon the people there. And a constitution made there will be as good as one made here, provided it is ratified by the people.

Mr. TODHUNTER. With regard to this question of removing to Davenport, I desire to say this: Before we organized here, a proposition was made to us by the citizens of Davenport, which was generally understood to be something like this: that we should pass over the road to that place free of charge, and when we arrived there should be provided with a hall for our sessions well warmed and lighted, free of expense to the State, and that each member of the Convention should be boarded without cost to himself. In short, there was to be no. expense to a single member, in any shape or form, nor expense to the State, should we remove to Davenport. When that proposition was presented here, I was favorably impressed with it. I thought it one of the most liberal offers I had ever heardknowing what board costs in this place, and what I suppose it costs there, I came to the

And I beg leave to add further, in behalf of the people of Iowa City, that some two months ago, the subject of accommodating the members of the Legislature and of the Convention was much talked about among the citizens. time we talked about appointing a committee to go around among our private families and find Mr. CLARKE, of Johnson. I feel some deli- out all who could provide accommodations for cacy in speaking upon this question, from the that purpose. But many, myself among the fact that I am from the city most directly inter- number, took this view of the matter, that perested in its decision. But there is a view of it haps the members of the Legislature, and of the which I desire to present to this Convention. It Convention, would not thank us for taking this is almost certain that the Legislature will ad-matter in hand, but would prefer to look out