be received by him, and at all events within fifteen days after the election, in the presence of the Governor and Auditor General, open and compute all the returns received of votes given for members of the Convention; and the Governor shall forthwith issue his proclamation, declaring the names of the persons who have been chosen members of the Convention :" And whereas, The Secretary of the Commonwealth did, on the twenty-first day of October, A. D. 1872, in the manner provided in the act of the General Assembly aforesaid, open and compute all the returns received of votes given for members of the Convention: And whereas, It appears by the returns of the general election held on the second Tuesday of October instant, being the eighth day of said month, that the names of the persons who have been chosen members of the Convention, are as follows, viz: William M. Meredith, J. Gillingham Fell, Harry White, William Lilly, Lin Bartholomew, Hugh N. M'Allister, William Davis, James L. Reynolds, Samuel E. Dimmick, George V. Lawrence, William H. Armstrong, David N. White, William H. Ainey, John H. Walker, George W. Woodward, Jeremiah S. Black, Andrew G. Curtin, William J. Baer, William H. Smith, Franklin B. Gowen, John II. Campbell, Samuel H. Reynolds, James Ellis, Samuel C. T. Dodd, George M. Dallas, Robert A. Lamberton, Andrew A. Purman and William L. Corbett, delegates at large to said Convention. Henry C. Carey, Edward C. Knight, John Price Wetherill, Lewis C. Cassidy, James H. Heverin and Theodore Cuyler, delegates at large from the city of Philadelphia. From the First Senatorial district, in the city of Philadelphia, John Bardsley, James W. M. Newlin and George W. Biddle. From the Second Senatorial district, in the city of Philadelphia, John E. Addicks, William B. Hanna and John R. Read. From the Third Senatorial district, in the city of Philadelphia, M. HaH Stanton and William E. Littleton, and in this district the official return made to the Secretary of the Commonwealth by the return judges, shows the election of R. E. Shapley by a majority of two hundred and forty-one, over Benjamin L. Temple, whilst the certified copy of the returns filed in the office of the prothonotary shows the election of Benjamin L. Temple, by a majority of two hundred and forty-one over R. E. Shapley, and hence I am unable to proclaim or declare either of these two persons elected. From the Fourth Senatorial district, in the city of Philadelphia, William D. Baker, J. Alexander Simpson and Edward R. Worrell. From the Fifth Senatorial district, composed of the counties of Chester and Delaware, John M. Broomall and William Darlington and Joseph Hemphill. From the Sixth Senatorial district, composed of the county of Montgomery, James Boyd, Charles Hunsicker and George N. Corson. From the Seventh Senatorial district, composed of the counties of Bucks and Northampton, Charles Brodhead, George Ross and George Lear. From the eighth Senatorial district, composed of the county of Berks, George G. Barclay, Henry W. Smith and Henry Van Reed. From the Ninth Senatorial district, composed of the county of Lancaster, David W. Patterson, Henry Carter and Henry G. Smith. From the Tenth Senatorial district, composed of the county of Schuylkill, Joel B. M'Camant, John M. Wetherill and Thomas R. Bannan. From the Eleventh Senatorial district, composed of the counties of Lehigh and Carbon, Charles M. Runk, Zachariah Long and Edward Harvey. From the Twelfth Senatorial district, composed of the counties of Dauphin and Lebanon, Josiah Funck, Wayne Mac Veagh and Hamilton Alricks. From the Thirteenth Senatorial district, composed of the counties of Luzerne Monroe and Pike, Henry S. Mott, Gideon W. Palmer, Abraham R. Dunning, Daniel L. Rhone, Henry W. Palmer and Lewis Pughe. From the Fourteenth Senatorial district, composed of the counties of Bradford, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming, George F. Horton, William S. Turrell and Joseph G. Patton. From the Fifteenth Senatorial district, composed of the counties of Columbia, Lycoming, Montour and Sullivan, John J. Metzer, John G. Freeze and Henry C. Parsons. From the Sixteenth Senatorial district, composed of the counties of Cameron, M'Kean, Potter and Tioga, John S. Mann, Jerome B. Niles and Mortimer F. Elliott. From the Seventeenth Senatorial district, composed of the counties of Snyder, Perry, Northumberland and Union, Joseph Baily, Levi Rooke and John P. Čron miller. From the Eighteenth Senatorial district, composed of the counties of Clinton, Cambria, Clearfield and Elk, George A. Achenbach, John G. Hall and Ashel C. Finney. From the Nineteenth Senatorial district, composed of the counties of Cumberland and Franklin, Samuel M. Wherry, J. M'Dowell Sharpe and John Stewart. From the Twentieth Senatorial district, composed of the counties of Adams, and York, William M'Lean, John Gibson and Thomas E. Cochran. From the Twenty-first Senatorial district, composed of the counties of Bedford, Fulton, Blair and Somerset, Samuel L. Russel, Sames W. Curry and Augustus S. Landis. From the Twenty-second Senatorial district, composed of the counties of Cen tre, Juniata, Mifflin and Huntingdon, John M. Bailey, Andrew Reed and John M'Culloch. From the Twenty-third Senatorial district, composed of the county of Allegheny, Thomas MacConnel, Samuel A. Purviance, Thomas Ewing, John W. F. White, Matthew Edwards, Thomas Howard, Malcolm Hay, John B. Guthrie and Thomas H. B. Patterson. From the Twenty-fourth Senatorial district, composed of the counties of Indiana and Westmoreland, Daniel S. Porter, Andrew M. Fulton and Silas M. Clark. From the Twenty-fifth Senatorial district, composed of the counties of Fayette and Greene, Daniel Kane, Charles A. Black and John Collins. From the Twenty-sixth Senatorial district, composed of the counties of Beaver, Butler and Washington, John N. Purviance, Thomas R. Hazzard and William Hopkins. From the Twenty-seventh Senatorial district, composed of the counties of Clarion, Armstrong, Jefferson and Forest, George W. Andrews, John M'Murray and John Gilpin. From the Twenty-eighth Senatorial district, composed of the counties of Lawrence, Mercer and Venango, David Craig, Manly C. Beebe and Robert M. De France. From the Twenty-ninth Senatorial district, composed of the county of Crawford, Frank Mantor, Samuel Minor and Pearson Church. From the Thirtieth Senatorial district, composed of the counties of Erie and Warren, Thomas Struthers, Charles O. Bowman and Rasselas Brown. Now, therefore, I, John W. Geary, Governor as aforesaid, have issued this my proclamation, hereby publishing and declaring that the persons herein before named, have been returned as duly elected delegates from the State at large. Delegates at large from the city of Philadelphia, and as delegates from the different Senatorial districts of the State as hereinbefore recited, and are the names of the persons who have been chosen members of the Convention, to assemble in the hall of the House of Representatives, at the State Capitol in Harrisburg, on the second Tuesday, being the twelfth day of November, A. D. 1872, at twelve o'clock, M., on that day, to revise and amend the Constitution of this State, in accordance with the provisions of the aforesaid act of the General Assembly of this Commonwealth. Given under my hand and the Great Seal of the State, at Harrisburg, this twentysecond day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, and of the Commonwealth the ninety-seventh. JNO. W. GEARY. In conformity with precedent, and in recognition of the fact that this is a Christian Commonwealth, it is deemed proper the Convention should be formally opened with prayer; and the Rev. Dr. A. K. Strong, of this city, having been selected for that purpose, offered the following prayer, viz: PRAYER. Almighty and all merciful God, in Whom we live and move and have our being, we bow ourselves in Thy most holy presence, recognizing Thy presence, and humbly and gratefully make mention of Thy goodness and mercy, which have followed us all the days of our lives, even to this hour. We seek Divine wisdom and Divine guidance in the opening of the sessions of this Convention, praying that the Lord, in his infinite mercy, will be pleased to preside over the deliberations of this body. Be pleased to grant successful results to its deliberation, so that the best interests of this Commonwealth, and the greatest good to the greatest number of our citizens may thereby be secured. Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it; except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. So we gratefully and devoutly recognize our need of Thy guidance and of Thy aid, which Thou, the father of our mercies, the ruler of this universe, art pleased to give, and doth give, in answer to prayer. Be pleased, therefore, we beseech of Thee, to guide in the choice of the officers of this Convention; be pleased to guide in the rules which they may adopt; be pleased to guide in all that comes before them for decision, so that Thy name may be honored, and so that the interests of truth and justice and peace may be secured. These blessings we ask in the name of our Divine Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, who hath taught us to pray : Our Father which art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen. The Secretary of the Commonwealth then directed the roll of members to be called, when the following answered to their names, viz : DELEGATES AT LARGE IN STATE. Messrs. Wm. H. Ainey, Wm. A. Armstrong, Wm. J. Baer, Lin Bartholomew, Jeremiah S. Black, John H. Campbell, Wm. L. Corbett, Andrew G. Curtin, Geo. M. Dallas, Wm. Davis, Samuel E. Dimmick, Samuel C. T. Dodd, James Ellis, J. Gillingham Fell, Franklin B. Gowen, Robert A. Lamberton, George V. Lawrence, William Lilly, Hugh N. M'Allister, William M. Meredith, Andrew A. Purman, James L. Reynolds, Samuel H. Reynolds, William H. Smith, John H. Walker, David N. White, Harry White, George W. Woodward. DELEGATES AT LARGE IN PHILADELPHIA CITY. Messrs. Henry C. Carey, Lewis C. Cassidy, Theodore Cuyler, James H. Heverin, Edward C. Knight, John Price Wetherill." DISTRICT DELEGATES. Messrs. John E. Addicks, Hamilton Alricks, George W. Andrews, George A. Achenbach, John M. Bailey, Joseph Baily, Wm. D. Baker, Thomas R. Bannan, George G. Barclay, John Bardsley, Manly C. Beebe, George W. Biddle, Charles A. Black, Charles O. Bowman, James Boyd, Charles Brodhead, John M. Broomall, Rasselas Brown, Henry Carter, Pearson Church, Silas M. Clark, Thomas E. Cochran, John Collins, George N. Corson, David Craig, John P. Cronmiller, James W. Curry, Wm. Darlington, Robert M. De France, Abraham B. Dunning, Matthew Edwards, Mortimer F. Elliott, Thomas Ewing, Ashel C. Finney, John G. Freeze, Andrew M. Fulton, Josiah Funck, John Gibson, John Gilpin, John B. Guthrie, John G. Hall, William B. Hanna, Edward Harvey, Malcolm Hay, Thos. R. Hazzard, Joseph Hemphill, William Hopkins, George F. Horton, Thomas Howard, Charles Hunsicker, Daniel Kaine, Augustus S. Landis, George Lear, William E. Littleton, Zachariah H. Long, Joel C. M'Camant, William M'Lean, Thos. MacConnell, John M'Culloch, John M'Murray, Wayne MacVeagh, John S. Mann, Frank Mantor, John J. Metzger, Samuel Minor, Henry S. Mott, James W. M. Newlin, Jerome B. Niles, Gideon W. Palmer, Henry W. Palmer, Henry C. Parsons, David W. Patterson, Thomas H. B. Patterson, Joseph G. Patton, Daniel S. Porter, Lewis Pughe, John N. Purviance, Samuel A. Purviance, John R. Read, Andrew Reed, Daniel L. Rhone, Levi Rooke, George Ross, Charles M. Runk, Samuel L. Russell, J. M'Dowell Sharpe, J. Alexander Simpson, Henry G. Smith, Henry W. Smith, M. Hall Stanton, John Stewart, Thomas Struthers, William J. Turrel, Henry Van Reed, John M. Wetherill, Samuel M. Wherry, John W. F. White, Edward R. Worrell. Mr. Darlington, of Chester county, and Mr. Purviance, of Allegheny county, nominated for President of the Convention the Hon. Wm. M. Meredith, of the city of Philadelphia. A motion was made by M. Hays, of the county of Allegheny, That the Hon. W. M. Meredith be elected President of the Convention by acclamation. Which was agreed to. On motion of Mr. MacVeagh, of Dauphin, Messrs. Darlington, of Chester, and Woodward, of Philadelphia, were appointed a committee to escort the President elect to the chair. That duty having been performed, The following special appointment, to administer oaths, was then read, viz: In the name and by the authority of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. JOHN W. GEARY, Governor of the said Commonwealth, to all to whom these presents shall come sends greeting: WHEREAS, In and by the third section of an act of the General Assembly, entitled "An Act to provide for calling a Convention to amend the Constitution," approved the 11th day of April, A. D. 1872, it is provided that the members of said Convention shall be sworn; but no person is designated, and no authority conferred to administer the necessary oaths and affirmations. Now, therefore, in consideration of the premises, to supply this omission, and to facilitate the organization of said Convention, I, John W. Geary, Governor aforesaid, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution, do hereby authorize and empower Francis Jordan, Secretary of the Commonwealth, to administer to the President and members of said Convention the oaths and affirmations authorized and required by law. Given under my hand and the great seal of the State, at Harrisburg, this eleventh day of November, in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, and of the Commonwealth the ninety-seventh. By the Governor : A. C. REINCHL, Deputy Secretary of the Commonwealh. Mr. Kaine offerred the following resolution, which was twice read, considered and adopted, viz: Resolved, That the following oath be administered by the Secretary of the Commonwealth to the President and members of this Convention : You do swear (or affirm) that you will support the Constitution of the United States, and discharge your duties as a member of this Convention with fidelity. Whereupon, The Secretary of the Commonwealth administered the said oath or affirmation to the President and members of the Convention. The President laid before the Convention the following communication from the Secretary of the Commonwealth, which was read, viz: OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF THE COMMONWEALTH, To the Hon. WILLIAM M. MEREDITH, President of the Constitutional Convention : SIR:-The "Act to provide for calling a Convention to amend the Constitution," imposed sundry duties upon the Secretary of the Commonwealth, other than calling the Convention to order, submitting the returns and reading the Proclamation of the Governor; and it is deemed proper the Convention should be informed of the manner in which those duties have been performed. The ninth section directed the preparation of a form of notice of the election to be held for the purpose of choosing members of the Convention, including snch portions of the act as should be necessary and proper for the informaton of voters and election officers, respecting their rights and duties in relation thereto. This form was duly prepared, and on the 15th day of July, 1872, forwarded to the Sheriff's of the several counties, as will more fully appear by copies of the form, and letter of transmission, hereto attached, marked respectively A and B. By the sixth paragraph of the second section of said act, the Secretary was required to open and compute the returns of the votes given for members of the Convention. The manner in which this duty was discharged is made to appear by the copy of a certified abstract of returns already submitted to the Convention, and a copy of the Governor's proclamation hereto attached, marked C. The tenth section of the act requires the Secretary" to obtain for said Convention, prior to the meeting of the same, such publications relating to Constitutional amendments and reform, and cause to be prepared such statistical information as may be convenient and useful to the Convention in the performance of its duties." This ample, but vague and indefinite authority, has occasioned no little embarrassment; increased by the fact that only six hundred dollars were appropriated by the Legislature for all these purposes. On diligent inquiry I could ascertain that but one book had been published on this subject, which came up to my ideal of the requirements of the law, and the wants of the Convention. It is a very recent publication by Weed, Parsons & Co., of Albany, New York: and so impressed me with its thoroughness, fitness and value, I at once procured a copy for each member of the Convention, notwithstanding its cost far exceeded the whole amount of my appropriation, confidently trusting the powers that be, will sanction the exercise of discretion. The book is in two large octavo volumes, of about nine hundred pages each; and its general character is clearly indicated by the following title page: "American Constitutions: comprising the Constitution of each State in the Union, and of the United States, with the declaration of Independence and articles of confederation; each accompanied by Historical Induction and Notes, together with a classified analysis of the Constitutions according to their subjects, showing, by comparative arrangement, every constitutional provision now in force in the several States; with references to judicial divisions, and an analytical index-by Franklin Hough." I had hoped to supply the Convention with some publication upon proportional representation-an important subject, and one on which information is not readily accessible. But the book selected is not yet ready, and can not be delivered before next week. Under the authority to prepare statistics, I have compiled a small manual, contents of which are indicated by the following table of contents: I. Act authorizing the Convention. the II. List of delegates composing the Convention, with districts and post-office address. III. Population of Pennsylvania, by counties. IV. List of taxables by counties. V. Terms, districts and salaries of State Judiciary. VI. Amendments proposed for municipal corporations by Hon. Eli K. Price. VII. Evils of special legislation, and statistics thereon. Letter of Secretary of the Commonwealth. VIII. Lecture before the Social Science Association of Philadelphia, and Pittsburg Law Association, by Francis Jordan. IX. Constitution of the State of New York as adopted by convention of 1867-8, Although but little of the Constitution of the State of New York, as formed by the convention of 1867-8, was finally adopted, much labor was bestowed upon it by some of the ablest and wisest men of that State, and many of its provisions are considered worthy of most respectful consideration. The incorporation into this manual of the letter and lecture of the Secretary of the Commonwealth, may seem to some like egotism. But there is no better stand-point than the Secretary's office from which to observe the practical operations, merits and demerits, of the Constitution; and these papers embody such facts, statistics and suggestions, as will, it is hoped, be considered of sufficient value to justify the action taken in the premises. In the latter part of the third section of the act, it is provided that the members of the Convention shall be sworn; but no person is designated, and no authority conferred to administer the necessary oaths and affirmations. To obviate this, the Governor has issued to the Secretary of the Commonwealth, a special commission of Dedimus po-testatum, a copy of which is hereto attached, marked D. It is believed the statistical information given in the manual, will be found adequate for the purposes of the Convention. Should it turn out otherwise, anything |