The first section thereof being read, Mr. PURDY offered the following amendment thereto; to wit: "All officers who shall be elected by the General Assembly, shall hold their offices for the terms as provided for by this Constitution, and until such offices shall be filled at the succeeding regular session of the Legislature." In lieu of which Mr. LEDBETTER offered the folowing; to wit: "Judges of the Supreme Court, the Judges of the Circuit Courts, the Attorneys General, Secretary of State, the Treaurers and such other officers as are to be elected by the General Asembly, whose terms may expire in the recess of the Legislature in consequence of changing the time of the meeting of regular sessions of the General Assembly from the odd to the even years, may continue in ffice until the end of the next session of the Legislature, after the epiration of such term." Which amendment was received. Mr. CHEATHAM moved to lay the schedule and said amendme on the table; Which motion prevailed. Mr. CHEATHAM moved a reconsideration of the vote adopting the seventh section of the second article of the Constitution, together with all other sections relating to the election of officers under the amend ed Constitution, and the time of meeting of the Legislature. Which motion prevailed; ayes 30, noes 26. The ayes and noes being demanded by Mr. HUNTSMAN, Messrs. Allen, Armstrong, Bradshaw, Burton, Cannon, Childress, Cahal, Cobbs, Cheatham, Douglass, Garrett, Gray, Gordon, Hodges, Kincannon, Kendall, Ledbetter, Loving, Robert J. McKinney, Mabry, McGaughey, Neil, Porter, Purdy, Richardson, Stephenson, Sharp, Scott, Whitson and White; 30. The negative voters are, Messrs. President (Carter), Alexander, Blount, Fulton, Fogg, Gillespy, Hill, Huntsman, Humphreys, Hess, Kelly, Kincaid, Kimbrough, McClellan, John A. McKinney, Montgomery, Roadman, Ridley, Robertson, Senter, Smith, Smartt, Ury, Walton, Webster and Weakley; 26. And so the said vote was reconsidered. Mr. BURTON moved to strike out from the eighth section of the second article the following words; to wit: "The second on the first Monday in October one thousand eight hundred and thirty-seven; the third on the first Monday in October one thousand eight hdred and forty." Which motion pred. Whereupon Mr. Cheatham moved that all those parts of the amended Constitution, which relate to the election of Members of Congress, Governor and Members of the Legislature, and the meeting of the General Assembly under this Constitution, be referred to the revising committee, with instructions so to arrange them, as that said elections be made once in every two years, in order that the sessions of the Legislature may meet as heretofore: Which motion prevailed. The Schedule was again taken up, and the sections thereof being severally read, were adopted. On motion of Mr. FULTON, the subject of the location of the Seat of Government was taken up : Whereupon Mr. CANNON called up a resolution submitted by him on the 30th day of May, providing for the permanent location of the Seat of Government; which was taken up and read. In lieu of which, Mr. CAHAL offered the following; to wit: "The Seat of Government shall be permanently established by the third Legislature that shall sit under this Constitution, at its first session." And thereupon the question was had, and determined in the nega18, noes 40. The ayes and noes being demanded, The affirmative voters are, Messrs President (Carter), Alexander, Cahal, Cobbs, Gillespy, Gray, Huntsman, Humphreys, Kendall, McClellan, Robert J. McKinney, John A. McKinney, Mabry, McGaughey, Purdy, Roadman, Robertson and Stephenson; 18. The negative voters are, Messrs. Allen, Armstrong, Bradshaw, Burton, Blount, Cannon, Childress, Cheatham, Cross, Douglass, Fulton, Fogg, Garrett, Gordon, Hodges,Hill, Hess, Kelly, Kincannon, Kincaid, Kimbrough, Ledbetter, Loving, Montgomery, Neil, Nelson, Porter, Richardson, Ridley, Senter, Smith, Smartt, Sharp, Scott, Ury, Whitson, Walton, White, Webster and Weakley; 40. And so said proposition was rejected. The question recurring upon the adoption of Mr CANNON's resolution, and being had, it was determined in the affirmative; ayes 38, noes 20. The ayes and noes being demanded by Mr CANNON, The affirmative voters are, Messrs. Allen, Armstrong, Bradshaw, Burton, Blount, Cannon, Childress, Cheatham, Douglass, Fulton, Fogg, Garrett, Gordon, Hodges, Hill, Hess, Kelly, Kincannon, Kincaid, Kimbrough, Ledbetter, Loving, Montgomery, Neil, Nelson, Richardson, Ridley, Senter, Smith, Smartt, Sharp, Scott, Ury, Whitson, Walton, White, Webster and Weakley; 38. The negative voters are, Messrs. President (Carter), Alexander, Cahal, Cobbs, Cross, Gillespy, Gray, Huntsman, Humphreys, Kendall, McClellan, Robert J. McKinney, John A. McKinney, Mabry, McGaughey, Porter, Purdy, Roadman, Robertson and Stephenson; 20. And so said resolution was adopted: WEDNESDAY, August 27, 1834. The Convention met pursuant to adjournment, and was opened with prayer, by the Rev. Mr EDGAR, of the Presbyterian Church. Mr JOHN A. MCKINNEY and Mr WALTON presented the reasons which influenced them to vote for limiting the compensation of the Members of the Convention and of the Legislature to three dollars per day, and the same sum for every twenty-five miles travelling; and moved that they be spread upon the Journals: And thereupon the question was had, and determined in the affirmative; ayes 39, noes 16. The ayes and noes being demanded by Mr HUMPHREYS, The affirmative voters are, Messrs. President (Carter), Allen, Armstrong, Alexander, Bradshaw Blount, Cannon, Cahal, Cross, Douglass, Fogg, Garrett, Hill, Huntsman, Hess, Kelly, Kimbrough, Ledbetter, McClellan, Robert J. McKinney, Mabry, McGaughey, Montgomery, Nelson, Roadman, Richardson, Ridley, Robertson, Stephenson, Senter, Smith, Smartt, Sharp, Ury, Whitson, Walton, White, Webster and Weakley; 39. The negative voters are, Messrs. Burton, Childress, Cobbs, Cheatham, Fulton, Gray, Gordon, Hodges, Humphreys, Kincaid, Kendall, Loving, Neil, Porter, Purdy and Scott; 16. And so the Convention ordered that said reasons be spread upon the Journals: Which reasons are in the following words, to wit: "In the exercise of that privilege, which secures to every member of this Convention, the right of spreading on the journals, his reasons for the vote he may have given, on any proposition submitted to the consideration of the convention; and to enter his protest against the vote of the majority, in any case, when he may have voted in the minority; the undersigned will respectfully state the reasons why they proposed to limit the compensation of the members of the Convention, and of the Legislature, to three dollars per day, and to the same sum for every twenty-five miles travelling to and from the seat of government, and enter their solemn protest, against the vote of the Convention, in fixing the compensation at four dollars per day and four dollars for travelling every twenty-five miles, going and returning. In the opinion of the undersigned, the compensation to the Members of the Convention, and of the Legislature, is vastly greater, than is allowed to other members of the community, for services equally meritorious. The citizen soldier, who in time of war is called on and compelled to shoulder his musket, and buckle on his knap sack, and leave his home, and his friends, and all that is dear to him, and to march on foot in the heat of summer, and the cold of winter, and to endure all the hardships and privations, of a camp, and to face death in the field of battle, receives as a compensation from his country, whose rights he is defending, at the risk of his own life, eight or ten dollars per month. But a Member of the Legislature who sits in a comfortable apartment, and spends six, or seven hours each day, in talking about matters and things in general, while at the same time he is enjoying all the comforts and luxuries of life, takes, (being his own paymaster,) one hundred and twenty dollars per month, out of the public treasury for his services. Another class of citizens are frequently called on to serve their country in the capacity of jurors, and have, in the opinion of the undersigned, to undergo more fatigue of body, and more anxiety of mind, than either the Members of the Convention, or of the Legislature, and yet they never receive more than one dollar per day, and very frequently they receive no compensation; although they have to perform services the most painful and perplexing, having often to sit whole days in judgment, on the lives and fortunes of their fellow citizens, and sometimes for weeks together. Justices of the peace have also, to devote their time, and expend their money, in performing the most meritorious services for the community, day after day, and time after time, in holding the county courts, in taking the lists of taxable property, in deciding controversies between their fellow citizens, and in preserving the peace of the community. And we have said, solemnly, and deliberately, that, this most respectable class of citizens, for all these important services, shall receive no compensation. But to the Members of the Legislature we have given, and to ourselves we have taken, out of the public treasury, four dollars per day, and four dollars for every twenty-five miles travelling to and from the seat of government, for performing services not harder than the services of a juror, not more arduduous than those performed by a justice of the peace, and that will bear no comparison with the services of the soldier on the march, in the camp, or in the field of battle. And yet there is patriotism enough in the community to induce many a brave man to volunteer his services in the defence of his country, although his only recompense should be a soldier's grave. There is patriotism enough in the community to induce a sufficient number of men to discharge the arduous duties of magistrates from year to year; although they receive no pecuniary recompense, and it is to be hoped that there is patriotism enough in the country, to induce a sufficient number of suitable persons, to serve their country in the halls of legislation; although in doing so, they should be obliged to sustain some pecuniary loss. "But furthermore, the undersigned are satisfied that by the allowance the Convention has made the Members of the Legislature, the expenses of the government under the amended Constitution, will be increased to a ruinous extent. For some years past the average expense of the sessions of the Legislature has been about thirty-five thousand dollars. But, under the new Constitution, if it should be adopted, the cost of a single session of the Legislature will not be less than sixty thousand dollars, as will manifestly appear from the following statement. In the Legislature there will be one hundred members-the daily pay of whom will amount to four hundred dollars. Then the pay of four Clerks and four Door keepers, together with fuel, stationary, job printing and oth er contingent expenses, will not amount to less than another hundred dollars per day which will make the expenditure of the Legislature amount to at least five hundred dollars per day. Supposing then, the Legislature to sit one hundred days at each session, (and this is a moderate calculation) the expense would be fifty thousand dollars. Add to this, the printing and distribution of the public and private laws, and of the journals of both Houses of the Assembly; and the mileage of the Members, which will amount to from ten to fifteen thousand dollars; and it will be manifest, that the expense of a single session will cost the State from sixty to sixty-five thousand dollars. And all this has to be paid out of a treasury at present exhausted, and which can only be replenished by taxes to be collected from the people. To the wealthy inhabitants of Middle Tennessee and the Western District, who have a staple article of commerce, and a market at their door to dispose of it, this may be a matter of little consequence, but to the people in the Eastern part of the State it presents an appalling spectacle. That under the amended Constitution, taxes must of necessity be greatly increased, is so manifest, that in the opinion of the undersigned it requires no proof. To avoid this enormous expense, and to prevent the necessity of increased taxation, several plans were proposed in the Convention. One was, to have but one session of the Legislature in three years, instead of one in two years, as is the case at present. By that arrangement, had the plan been adopted, more than two hundred thousand dollars would be saved to the State, in every period of twenty-four years, as will appear manifest to every one who will calculate the expenses of the Legislature for that length of time. But that would not be the only good that would result from such an arrangement. It would save the good people of this State from being oppress ed with excessive legislation, with which they have been already most greviously afflicted; and it would give the citizens an opportunity to read and understand the laws that are past at one session of the Legislature, before another would sit to repeal or change them, which heretofore they have not had an opportunity of doing. And can any good reason be assigned, why the Legislature of Tennessee should sit more than once in three years? In England there is an annual session of parliament, but the necessity of that arises from the King and council having the power of making war without the consent of Parliament. To control that power which might otherwise be wielded to the ruin of the country, the House of Commons, which holds the purse of the Nation, refuses to grant supplies to the Government, even for necessary purposes, for any longer term than one year. Hence the necessity of an annual session of the Legislature in that country. The same necessity exists for an annual session of Congress to pass appropriation bills, and to provide ways and means for supplying the annual expenses of Government, and to watch over the vast concerns of twentyfour States, and to regulate their ever-varying intercourse with foreign nations. But no such necessity exists for an annual or biennial session of a State Legislature, which has nothing to do with any thing except |