On motion of Mr. WATERS, of Millbury, Ordered, That the Committee on so much of the Constitution as relates to Sheriffs, Registers of Probate, and other County Officers, be instructed to inquire into the expediency of so amending the Constitution as to provide for the election of justices of the peace by the people, for a term not exceeding five years, and in a proportion not exceeding one to every five hundred inhabitants in the several cities and towns of this Commonwealth. On motion of Mr. WILSON, of Natick, Ordered, That the Committee on the Encouragement of Literature be instructed to consider the expediency of so amending the Constitution as to provide that all moneys to be derived from the sale of the public lands in Maine; and from that portion of the shares owned by the Commonwealth in the Western Railroad, paid for by the proceeds of sales of lands in Maine; and also the moneys to be derived from the claim of the State on the general government for military services, shall be added to the School Fund, until said fund shall amount to the sum of two millions of dollars; said fund to be preserved inviolate, and the income of the same to be applied only to the aid of common schools and for other educational purposes. On motion of Mr. GILBERT, of Harvard, Ordered, That the Committee on Oaths and Subscriptions be instructed so to amend the Constitution that the provision made in favor of the "Quakers" shall be extended to all who have conscientious scruples in regard to taking an oath. On motion of Mr. BIRD, of Walpole, Ordered, That the Committee on the Frame of Government be instructed to inquire into the expediency of a constitutional provision that no special privileges or immunities shall ever be granted that may not be altered, revoked, or repealed by the legislature, and to report thereon. On motion of Mr. DURGIN, of Wilmington, Ordered, That the Committee on the Qualifications of Voters consider the propriety of so altering the Constitution as to provide that no individual shall be deprived of the privilege of voting for State and United States officers in consequence of having changed his residence to another portion of the State, or lose his residence for the above purpose, until he shall have gained it in another. Mr. COLE, of Cheshire, offered the following Resolution, which was referred to the Committee on the Frame of Government. Resolved, That the legislature shall have no power to pass an act, the provisions of which release or discharge debtors from the payment of just liabilities. On motion of Mr. FRENCH, of New Bedford, Ordered, That when the Convention adjourn, it adjourn until Tuesday next at three o'clock. Mr. ALLEN, of Worcester, from the Committee on the Frame of Government, submitted a Report on the subject of the time of holding elections of state and county officers, which was referred to the Committee of the Whole. On motion of Mr. WILSON, of Natick, the Convention resolved itself into Committee of the Whole, for the purpose of further considering the Report on the subject of the Senate; and the President requested Mr. Morton, of Taunton, to take the chair. Afterwards, Mr. MORTON reported, that the committee had further considered the Resolves referred to them, and had instructed him to report them to the Convention without amendment. The Resolves were then ordered to a second reading. The PRESIDENT announced the appointment of Monitors for the galleries, as follows: For the Eastern Gallery-Messrs. Ober, of Beverly, and Bliss, of Hatfield. For the Western Gallery-Messrs. Cleverly, of Wellfleet, and Woods, of Enfield. Mr. BUTLER, of Lowell, moved a reconsideration of the vote by which the Convention agreed to adjourn until Tuesday; and the question being taken, one hundred and thirty-nine members voted in the affirmative, and seventy in the negative; so the vote was reconsidered. On motion of Mr. WILSON, of Natick, the motion to adjourn until Tuesday was laid upon the table. Whereupon, on motion of Mr. BUTLER, of Lowell, Ordered, That when the Convention adjourn, it adjourn until Monday next at three o'clock, P. M. On motion of Mr. NOYES, of Newbury, at six o'clock, P. M., The Convention adjourned. MONDAY, May 23, 1853. Met according to adjournment. Prayer was offered by the Chaplain. The Journal of Saturday was read. Mr. GREENE, of Brookfield, presented the Petition of Mrs. Abby B. Alcott and seventy-three others, women of Massachusetts, that they may be permitted to vote on the amendments and alterations of the Constitution that are to be submitted to the people. Referred to the Committee on the Qualifications of Voters. Mr. KEYES, member for Abington, presented the Petition of Wendell Phillips and nine hundred and thirty others, asking that the word "male" may be stricken from the Constitution, wherever it occurs. Laid upon the table, but afterwards referred to the Committee on the Qualifications of Voters. On motion of Mr. BATES, of Plymouth, Ordered, That the Committee on the Pay Roll consider the expediency of providing for the pay of the members of this Convention, at the rate of three dollars per diem, for the term of sixty days, and that no pay shall be allowed beyond that period of time. On motion of Mr. CUSHMAN, of Bernardston, Ordered, That the Committee on the Encouragement of Literature, be requested to consider the expediency of so amending the Constitution as to provide that the Board of Education and the Board of Agriculture shall be established as permanent departments of the government. On motion of Mr. HOBART, of East Bridgewater, Ordered, That the Committee on the Governor, consider the expediency of amending the Constitution, by striking out such parts thereof as provide that the governor shall have the title of "His Excellency," the lieutenant-governor the title of "His Honor," and that the councillors, in the civil arrangements of the Commonwealth, shall have rank next after the lieutenant-governor. The PRESIDENT read a communication from Hon. Samuel A. Eliot, Delegate from Boston, resigning his seat in the Convention on account of the state of his health; which was placed on file. Mr. HALE, of Boston, submitted a Resolution on the subject of the House of Representatives. Referred to the committee on that subject, and ordered to be printed. The PRESIDENT announced the appointment of the following Committees, viz. : On the Order offered by Mr. HOOD, of Lynn, concerning the mode of business which may be necessary or expedient, to bring the session to a close on or before July 1st: Messrs. Hood, of Lynn, Walker, of North Brookfield, Gray, of Boston, Fowler, of Danvers, Reed, of Boston, Brownell, of New Bedford, Hewes, of Lynnfield, Clark, of Clarksburg, Griswold, of Buckland, Davis, of Fall River, Pease, of Edgartown, Woods, of Enfield, and Wilson, of Blackstone. On the Order offered by Mr. WHITNEY, of Conway, concerning general laws for corporations: Messrs. Whitney, of Conway, Beach, of Springfield, Brewster, of Boston, Ely, of West Springfield, Hapgood, of Athol, Knox, of Blandford, Bradford, of Essex, Cross, of West Boylston, Bartlett, of Worthington, Hewes, of Haverhill, Haskins, of Medford, Hersey, of Hingham, and Nichols, of Burlington. On the Order offered by Mr. FROTHINGHAM, of Charlestown, concerning banking corporations: Messrs. Frothingham, of Charlestown, Chapin, of Springfield, Jenks, of Boston, De Witt, of Oxford, Allis, of Whately, Sampson, of Boston, Day, of Templeton, Taber, of New Bedford, Bennett, of Hubbardston, Noyes, of Newbury, Wilder, of Lancaster, Richardson, of Middleton, and Turner, of South Hadley. Mr. Marvin, of Boston, was appointed one of the Committee on the publication of Reports, in place of Mr. Hale, excused. Mr. Giles, of Boston, was appointed one of the Committee on the University at Cambridge, in place of Mr. Sprague, excused. On motion of Mr. NAYSON, of Amesbury, the Convention proceeded to the consideration of the Orders of the Day, the first subject being the Resolves concerning the Senate. On motion of Mr. GOURGAS, of Concord, Ordered, That when the question is taken on the passage of the Resolves, it be taken by yeas and nays. Mr. HATHAWAY, of Freetown, moved to amend the Resolves, by substituting the words "number of qualified voters" for the word "population." And further moved that when the question is taken on the amendment, it be taken by yeas and nays; and that the vote be taken at four o'clock on Tuesday. He afterwards withdrew the motion to postpone the taking of the question; and the question being put upon his demand for the yeas and nays upon the amendment, it was rejected, one-fifth not voting in the affirmative. The amendment was then rejected. The Resolves were then taken up separately and passed, and the question being upon the final passage, the roll was called, and one hundred and sixty-five members voted in the affirmative, and five in the negative. Those who voted in the affirmative are: Messrs. Benjamin P. Adams, Josiah Allis, D. W. Alvord, Hillel Baker, Alvah Ballard, George S. Ball, Alpheus Bancroft, Alpheus R. Brown, Hiram C. Brown, Frederick Brownell, Amariah Chandler, Josiah Childs, Rufus Choate, J. McKean Churchill, Messrs. Augustus Denton, James C. Doane, Samuel Duncan, James M. Freeman, Wanton C. Gilbert, Joel Giles, F. R. Gourgas, William B. Greene, B. F. Hallett, Lyman W. Hapgood, George Hayward, |