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DIiBATH ON THE BANK REPORT. I
rkhakks or MR. ciAYT (of Georgia!) ” ,
Mr. Ci.ayto.v said, on presenting the re-)
port of the Bank Committee, he expected the j
course of proceeding which is usual on such!
••cessions ; but it seems that every thing to-1
luting to this question is to be treated differ- 1
onily from other subjects .which generally fall
under the notice of/this House. 1 have al- j
ways, said Mr. (f. understood that when the J
minority ofa committee were dissatisfied with !
a report, tnayie by the majority, they possess- j
<ul the privilege to present a counter report, j
but never before, and I shall he sale in assert- i
ing the fact that it is unprecedented, Inis it i
bean know n that a member of the committee
was permitted to answer a report by com
menting upon its facts or reasoning, before j
it is read to the House, or even those facts!
>r reasonings are known to a single member. 1
If 'his be the usage of the House, and if these :
romurv :t intended to break the force of the j
report when it comes to be known, then 1 i
have t lie right to claim, and do claim of every |
ne. !> r u > ins heard these ;vm irks, losu-- ,
y in until he obtains a full knojn
< c ... ic r. >rt. 1 feci as if I ask nothiijg
in the request w uch liberality, disinterested- i
ness, and a higiilninded sense of honor of tlfts
House will not readily accord. I would
much rather the gentleman should have taken
time to have made his counter report. This
.1 eapeebed, but the course pursued, I must
say, is not only unheard of before, but is mi- j
fair. If, in future, reports are to be answer
ed by discussions of their merits by the minqr
itv, before they are known to the House, it is
perfectly idle for committees to make those
reports. Who does not perceive the obvious
futility of such a course on the part of the
majority. This discussion I expected ,to
moot when the question came fairly before
the House, and when it should be fully pos
sessed of all the facts of the report.
1 am, tiiereforc, driven to the necessity of
answering the gentleman’s exceptions. I
owl? it not less to the committee of which I
have been the chairman, than to this House,
to explain all the points to which objection
has been made, premising that, in my opinion, j
it will require all the ingenuity of the/gen
tleman, as well as that of the friends of the i
bulk, to relieve it from the stubbornness of j
the facts which will soon come to light from !
tiie document just submitted.
The first objection to the report is, that it
Las been submitted for inquiry, whether tlie
selling of American coin, by the bank, is fti
''filiation of the charter, the 9th fundamental
rule' of which forbidding it to deal in any
thing “except bills of exchange, gold and I
silver bullion, or the sale of goods rtally and j
trul;/ pledged for money lent, or goods the j
proceeds of its lands.” Th.c gcptlcman says i
that thfc hank obtained the advice of counsel, j
who gave it asThcir opinion that foreign coin
was bullion, and tiiereforc the subject of
traffic. And he infers that, as , foreign coin
is bullion, in which they can, .lawfully trade,
he sees no reason why they inayi nut ♦mde ip i
American coin this way.,, •vivi.'-atitiie geverii
inent has attempted to fix the value of gold
at fifteen times that ofsilvet, when in truth
it is 10 to 1, the bank may fairly buy and sell
under this latter estimate*. 1 5 ■*_- ‘ .
The object.jvas brought to; the consul erq
of the coi.mlfiltae by the following circinh
stance:~'i'l)jcy ascertained that tho-Bank had
made the General Government pay two pet
“cent, upon 10.001) Spanish dellais,’though it
had milhoiis on doposile, which it wanted for
. jfit: use of flic 'navy op \ a cruise to South
America. They asked the President why
• iiis was done? lie answered, because Span
ish dollars were considered 'bullion, and the
bank could trade in bullion ; that they were
only compelled to pay in legalized coin,
American coin, thereby virtually acknowledg
ing that American coin was npt bullion, and
if iu>i bullion, the bank, under tlio rule just
quoted, had no right to traffic iu that article 1 .
Nothing can fie plainer; and, Mr. Speaker,
tvho does not perceive the most dangerous j
consequences that must result from such a
'practice ? Is it to be put in the power of the
bank to alter the value of coin established by
hwl when the Government has said, for
purposes best suited to the wants and condi
tion of the country, that the (join, shall be
worth so much, the bank shall say we will
defeat that regulation and give another- value
to it ? Shall it he said that the metallic cur
rency of the country, established for tlie ex
press purpose of givrng-Qeflaiu and fixed value
to property, may be changed by tho specula- i
tioiis of a moneyed corporation ?. Shall it be j
considered that there is a Government within
this Government, whose power-extends to
the alteration cf the value of the lawful coin
of tne-country ? A Government, the more
powerful because its whole epergy • consists
in tbe use of its money, and -which wields
annually more than three hundred millions of
money? What monstrous consequences must
flow from such a power! How unsettled
■and fluctuating must be the value' nf proper
ty, if a moneyed institution shall Iv allowed
to raise and depress the established coin of
the Government at pleasure ? 'And this they
can do at their pleasure by means of its vast
influence over the currency of the country.
1 put it to the House to consider well this
matter. If a former committee; investigating
the affairs’of this same bank, reported to Con
gress that the buying and selling of the- lulls
of the State Hanks was in spirit’d’not in terms
a violation of thq 9th fundamental rule bo fine
mentioned, how much more so must it be to
barter in the legal coin of the country • 1 Let
me rsk what use is there for that provision of
file Constitution which gives to Congress the
right to regulate the coin of the Government,
and the value of foreign coin, if such its regu
lation depends upon tho mere will ofacorpo
r. *ion ? W hycioes Congress so expose its
weakness by legislating on this subject, if
that legislation is not regarded, and may be
controlled by a great moneyed institution 1
.There is such an absurdity in the very idea
.<!. this efficiency of the Government to give a
l.jual value to its coin, that it would seem
TviV'tfv'duofigttfto mention the fact to
iuos*. universally reprehended. Then it is a
it?:t that one of the statements will show, up
pended to the report on your table, that the j
bank has sold rf4,000 dollars of American j
old com at ditlereiit times, and for different
premiums:
ThCs.coml objection to the report,is, that
it complains of the bank having sold Govern- i
merit stock, and it is asserted that such pri\i- j
lege belongs to that institution.- ’J’lie cam- ,
mittec have not affirmed that this Ls a viola- i
I tiou of the charter, but they believe it a sub- j
ject well worthy of the consideration of the i
Mouse, and flu: case i-sthis: In the years J
1821 and 24, the Government obtained two i
loans from the bank, one of 4,000,000 dollars *
at five per cent, and the other of 5,000,000,!
called the Florida loan, at 4 1-2 per cent. —
Vv hen these loans were proposed by the Gov
ernment, there Were other bidders for them i
besides the bank, who offered the Govern- j
merit a premium for them, but the Govern
ment preferred Jetting, the bank take them at J
;>ur, upon the alleged ground* that inasmuch
as it was a holder of stock in the bank, to tlie
amount of one-fifth of lfs capital, it would be
ifioro to its advantage jo participate as a part
<r in the profits of the loans, by which it
would be partly enabled to pay the interest of j
tlie stock, than it would be by letting indi
viduals have it at a premium. Upon this j
condition, then, and upon the distinct under-!
standing, that the bank had the means of
i taking it and holding it, as will be seen by a
letter on your table, was it preferred, and
other bidders rejected. The bank had no
sooner obtained the stock than it commenced
selling it. Now who does not perceive the
violation of good faith in this transaction ?
The bank, and certain individuals present!
themselves as bidders for the stock, the latter!
offering a premium, the forinor urges its claim ■
to the Government to be preferred, because
of the interest which the Government holds j
in the bank ; it succeeds in its competition,
and then turns round and sells the stock to (
the very persons who bad been contending I
with her, and pockets the premium which
had just been offered to tiie Government. —
Such a proceeding cannot be sanctioned by
any principle of common honesty. The charter |
has prohibited the bank from dealing in j
stocks, unless positively permitted by law.—
| In the charter, it is true, a part of its capital
j was authorized to bo subscribed for in .the
: funded debt ol the Government, which by
j (hat same law, they were allowed again to
‘ dispose of; but not so, with regard to the
stock I have before described, and ought not
to be so for the reasons I have before men
tioned. It would destroy all competition for
the Government loans, and place it complete
ly in the power of the bank, to speculate upon
its necessities in times of difficulty.
The third gnund of objection to the re
i port is, that it complains of the bank’s having
| made large donations towards procuring in
| ternal improvements. Here the gentleman
j has the candor to admit that it has no right
1 (o make such donations, but he supposes, for
there is no proof of the fapqjtliat it has been
doiie to increase the value of some large real
estate in the neighborhood of the improve
: merits belonging to the bank. Can it be pos
sible- that one who contends for strict con
struction of powers—one who believes that
constitutions, or written authorities, by which
given agents are to act must be strictly pur
sued, can admit that such agents may derive
powers not granted on the score of cither
convenience, interest, or even necessity it
self? Such a person has no longer a right to
complain of the (aritF or any other exercise of
power diawn from the Constitution by virtue
of the construction tiiat it promote* the gen
eral welfare. Tlie charter gives no such
power to the bank, nothing like it can be
found in that instrument, and if that is the
grant of its powers, beyond which it is not
to act, it has as clearly violated its charter as
if it had made donations for internal inprove
ineiits where it was not interested, which the
gentleman virtually admits would be the
case.
It appears, by a statement on your table, i
that the bank has made two appropriations of
1500 dollars each to turnpike roads; one in
Kentucky and one in Ohio. And, sir, this
was after the General Government had re-;
fused to grant Such aids to similar objects.— ’
.Who does not perceive the purpose of such j
generosity ? The President had put his veto ■
Upon such appropriations for many reasons', j
' hut especially because he could find no an- j
, thority for.it in tho Constitution of his conn-'
j try. He chose to act strictly;up.to the char- j
j ter of the Government. This doubtless pro- j
j duced considerable feeling in that quarter j
j of the country where the aid was sought, and i
j the bank, profiting by this excitement,,with
j a view to make friends' for itself and enemies
I to its political adversaries, put forth its liber
j ality under all the advantages of strong con
! tiast, and designed it to speak a laneuage
j like this—the President has disappointed
j you, but we will come tq your relief. Sir,
I even if tho bank qould give away the money
! of the other stockholders, what right has it to
| approprinte.thc money of the Government to
! stick objects, when tlie k Government itself
i will not do it, nav, dare not do it, if it regards
1 its written. Constitution ? The.bank- has been ’
f established, audi* holds its charter under the
j express admission that it is a part of the Gov.
I erifiitent’, that it is connected with the Tr.casu
-Iry Department for the purpose. of collecting:
j and disbursing the public moneys. That but
! for its necessity for carrvirig into effect cer-
J tain express powers of the Constitution,, it
: could not legally exist. Now, Sir, if this he
true, how dare this subordinate branch of
the Government to take from the public the
money of the people; and apply it to objects
which their immediate representatives have
positively refused? . .
Mr. Speaker, who docs not perceive the
danger of such a power ? What! a great mo
lded institution dealing in untold millions,
and controlling the w hole currency of this
vast country fioin one end of ii to the other,
so as to be able to change even tho value of
the regulated coin of the Government, shall
take the great subject of internal improve
■ incut under its direction ! What city, or e
. von country, is safe where it shall Choose to
I exorcise this powerful influence ? Between
j contending commercial rival cities
' for the'trade of the country, is it not plain toi
mmmm
every one that wherever it throw** a weight,
the antagonist interest inu*t immediately
fall? Nay, sir, whole .Stateseoukl not with-*
stand its power; and they may be "robbed of
their lawful and natural trade lor some more
favorite State, by the intervention of this ir
resistible and all commanding influence-
These . were the objections to the report
relative to the violation of the charter. There
are three others in that document, against
which, I presume, nothing can be said. Tim
gentleman then proceeds to mention other
objections of certain charges of mismanage
ment, and the first is in reference to what is
said concerning the branches of the bank.
Upon this point, I w ill refer to the report it
self, and patiently wait until it can be read
and rely confidently upon such examination
for a refutation of the argument just advan
ced. The second objection i3, that the re
port has drawn a comparison between the sit
uation of the bank now and in the year 1819,
when it nearly failed, calculated, as he thinks,
to do great mischief to tlie bank.
This, 1 cannot help, and if the comparison
be true, and like causes produce like effects,
it is time for the government and the country
to take care of the consequences and to be
prepared for any event. The bank, like all
other commercial establishments, is subject
to direct demands that cannot be postponed,
and it must have immediate meant to meet
these demands. The first, the direct de
mands, are Us circulation, by w hich is meant
its bills afloat—the deposite which the gen
tleman forgot to mention in his calculation,
and its debts in Europe. The last—its im
mediate means, arc its specie, the bill of oth
er banks, and its funded debt. The report
will show, that in 1819, its circnlation, de
posites, and debt, amounted to 14 .millions, 1
and its specie, State bank bills, and funded
debt, amounted to 10; the proportion being
only as 10 to 14; and yet, under this differ
ence, it produced a panic in the country
which will be long recollected.
At the present time, its immediate means
6,800,000 dollars in specie—about 2,700,000
dollars in State bills, and funded debt none!
; making an aggregate of 9,500,000 dollars to
meet —what? 20,000,000 dollars dollars of
circulation, 17,000,000 of depositee, and 2,-
, 000,000 of foreign debt, making, in round
j numbers,an aggregate of 42,000,000 dollars!
1 forbear to make any comment upon a con
dition like this. There is a terrible suspen
sion of discounts and a sudden withdrawal of
accommodation now going on throughout the
whole country, and to the great distress of
the community, which is wholly a sufficient
commentary for me. The gentleman says,
I ought to place w ithin the list of the imme
diate means of the bank, its domestic bills
of exchange, running at 90 days, differing,
he says, from notes discounted. This I
might safely do, and then leave a dispropor
tion between the demands and the mourns,
greatly beyond that of 1819. But I con
tend, sir, that such paper cannot payoff de
mands, it must be money, or that which re
presents money, to meet momentary de
mands, such as cannot wait an hour, with
out involving the consequences of bankrupt
cy. But, sir, if I were to admit, for the
sake of argument, that this twenty millions of
domestic bills should represent money, I
presume the gentleman would let nte go
back, and include the same item in the state
ment made for the year 1819; and, if he docs,
there will remain the same corresponding
diticrenco between its condition then and
now. Sir, this picture cannot be turned a
side, look upon it we must; and the opera
tions now going on in the commercial com
munity are enough to make us jremblc for
! the consequences.
Under this objection, the gentleman men
tioned a fact which, he said, lie would take
j occasion to explain. He says, a charge was
made by me, when this question was first
agitated; that the Bank had employed bro
kers to job in stocks; and, when the matter
came to be investigated, it turned out that
the Bank was employed by the Government
to purchase up, secretly, the three per cents;
and some secret informer had communicated
the fact to me* Now, sir, nothing could so
well have justified the charge which I made,
and which so provoked the gentleman’s sur
prise at the time, as the very transaction
which he says has been triumphantly refuted.
The Government, in a confidential manner,au
thorizes the Bank to purchase its own stocks;
the Bank keeps the secret, and employs a
broker to doit. This is going on unknown
to the surrounding community; and because,
forsooth, they talk of it> and want to know
by what authority the bank jobs in stocks.it
is considered as an improper prying into the
affairs of the bank. For myself, sir, when it
was explained, I felt rejoiced that i had so
good a ground for the accusation.
The gentleman objects, further, to the re
port’s noticing that bianch of business which
it has lately pursued, in selling bills to go
circuitously, as it is called. This Subject
has been presented to the House, and the
commercial community, not so much as a
complaint against the Bank, but as a proper
matter for grave inquiry, whether there is not
something delusive in it, and whether it“e
conomizcs” the specie of the country, as sta
ted by the Bank. Tho practice is this; when
a person, who w ishes to trade to China, oj
India, is without immediate funds, lie goes
to the Bank and purchases a bill of exchange.
.What does ho give for it? Not cash as usual ;
but he gives a bond to pay for it in twelve
months; and agrees, if he uses it, to pay 2J
per cent, for it; and, also, the rate of ex
change between this country and London,
opon which it is drawn, when it falls due;
and, if he returns it, he pays one per cent.
This bill is drawn payable six months after
sight; and by'the terms of the bond is not to
go direct to the place of payment, but to go
round the Cape of Good Hope, and through
the Indies to London. Instead,' therefore,
of the specie, w hich was usually carticd by
the merchant to the Indies, going to that
quarter, its destination is changed to Kng*
lancj, and the Bank becomes the shipper * fit,
to meet'its biffs by the time they get from
iChiria. There is trot a dollar less carried
away than before; bu* there is evefy proba
, bility that there is much more* for this credit
plan will enable more persons to engage in<
this trade that if they had to do carry the spe-1
etc themselves; and they will obtain credit to j
a larger amount than any amount of specie j
which they could possibly command. This 1
is dealing without capital, and leads inevita- j
bty to overtrading—the corse of any country
—and under which it is now experiencing
very heavy suffering. They depend upon
the success of the voyage for the means of
paying for their bills, and is therefore, a
gambling species of trade, resembling the
respondentia bonds, the most pernicious of all
commercial speculations.
The last objection to thfc report is its no
ticing the indulgence which the bank has
lately obtained-from the Government in ref
erence to the three per cent, stocks. This,
sir, is considered one of the most important
subjects in that report, because it is a painful
omen of the dangerous stress which now
presses upon the hank, and which bears soj
heavy that it is gradually crushing its help
less customers to death. Sir, the President
of the Bank says lie sought no indulgence
from the government, he asked none ; he was
ready to pay off its debt ; and yet, sir, the
bank has agreced to pay the interest on this
9tock rather than part with the government’s
deposites at this time ; and says Jt does this
to favor the commercial community* What
credulity is ready to swallow’ such an idea ?
What! a bank borrowing money and paying
an interest for it to favor individuals ! A
bank running the risk of having its own cred*,
it suspected—its president leaving Philadel-1
phia at a critical moment, when its affairs j
were just about to be examined, and comes
off to this city—a bank that had by a previ
ous resolution on its minutes authorized a
committee to pay the stockholders any amount
of interest they might ask, rather than part
with the government money at this time!—
A bank borrowing $7,000,000 from the gov
ernment at an interest of three per cent.,
and all merely for the sake of the commercial
community—name i* not in Gath—such a
bank would be a prodigy, and all creation
would flock to see it. S.r, this is the story of
tlie bank, let us hear from the government.
One story is good till another is told. Can
it be possible that the government has no
merit in this unusual benevolence ? That
it has thrust its money, unasked, unsought
lor, upon the bank, to enable them to perform
this wonderful feat of generosity, while the
creditors of the government, under these hard |
times, when money is worth from 32 to 16
per cent, are compelled to take but three per
cent. Is it an act of good faith, seeing how
long the government has had the use of this
money at three percent., when all its other
stocks, some of which were created long
since, have been paidofF, because, they bore
a higher interest, now to postpone the pay
ment of its righteous debts merely to enable
the bank, unsolicited too, to perform an act
of liberality? If it be true, 1 hope the gov
j eminent has credit for the act. From the gov
ernment I would expect such generosity, be
cause it is not a heartless speculating institu
tion, and doubtless feels deeply, for the situa
tion of its distressed citizens, brought about
by the operations of the bank itself. Mr.
Speaker, nothing but a most urgpnt case of
necessity could justify the government, with
ample means in its power, to withhold from
its long waiting creditors the payment of this
debt. Sir, 1 will mention a fact which exhib
its the crying injustice of such a delay. The
State of Maryland holds against the govern
ment #330,000 worth of this stock, for which
it only receives 3 percent., and has been
compelled to borrow, to carry on her work s of
internal improvement, two hundred thousand
dollars from this very same bank, at an inter
est of six j ercent., the consequence of which
is, the hank is holding' her very means of
paying to it the debt which sheow’esat three
' percent., while it demands of Maryland six
per cent, for the same money. This cannot
be just, and nothing, as I said before, but the
necessity of savijig the bank and the commu
nity from general ruin, could possible justify
it. Sir, it is subjects like these that have
produceed such a consternation in the minor
ity of the committee, and all I ask is for this
House to suspend itsopiuion until they read
the report.
The Convention.
Milledgeville, May 7, 1832.
Agreeable to the recommendation of the
Central Committee, the delegates hereinafter
named, from the counties prefixed to their
names, convened in the Senate Chamber, in
the town of Milledgeville, to determine upon
the arrangements neccsssary to be made, for
the call of a Convention, to be holdcn for
the purpose of amending the Constitution of
the State of Georgia.
General Mitchell, Chairman of the Cen
tral Committee; briefly explained to the del
egates assembled, the object the Central Com
mittee had in view, in recommending the ap
pointment of delegates by the several coun
ties in this State, and their convocation in
this place. After which, the proceedings of
the Central Committee were read, together
with the following letter from Governor
Lumpkin:
Milledgeville, March 26,1832.
I’. Guieu, Esq.
Sir :—l have received this morning a com
munication signed by you, as Secretary of a
meeting held in this place on the 24th instant.
The circular and proceedings of the citizens
of Hancock county, held in the town of Spar
ta, I had previously seen. I consider it my
duty to inform you, the highly respectable
citizens who composed the meetings referred
to, that I am duly sensible of the honor they
have done me, in giving my name a promi
nent place in the proceedings which have
taken place at those meeting*. The funda
mental object of those meetings, being a
constitutional reduction of flic number of
members composing our legislature, 1 have
no hesitation in expressing my entire appro
bation of any legitimate course, which may
tend to produce that result. lam decidedly
in favor of reduction.* If the prominent pla
ces assigned mo by tho citizens composing
t lose several meetings, were deemed coinpat- j
ible with the ollicial relation which 1 bear to j
the people, I should nevertheless be under
the necessity of declining the honor propos
ed, while unceasing oflicial duties, o. deep
interest to the people, occupy my entire time
and consideration.
Very respectfully, dec.
(Signed,) WILSON LUMPKIN.
Gen. Mitchell communicated also the fol
lowing letter from citizens of Hall county.
“ Gainsville, April 30,1832.
Gentlemen :—From the unanimity of our
citizens relative to a reduction of the Legis
lature, we lcrl authorized to assure you ttiat
the county of Hall will cheerfully co-operate
with those friendly to the call of a conven
tion.
We have deemed it unecessary to elect a
delegate to represent this county at the pre
t ltsamary meetings to beheld at Milledgeville,
I on the first-Monday in next month, owing to
to the distance, &c. Rest assured that we
shall feel proud to act in concert w ith any ar
rangements made at the May meeting ; and
the object of this address is to request your
body to give us early information of the re
sult of your deliberations.
Respectfully, Your ob’t Serv’ts.
(Signed,) THOMAS S. TALE,
SAMUEL FINLEY,
LARKIN CLEVELAND,
ROBERT MITCHELL,
JAMES VV. JONES,
DAVID C. NEAL.
To D. B. Mitchell, Esq.
Chairman of Executive Committee.
On motion of Mr. Crawford, of Hancock,
the following resolution was adopted :
Resolved, That the Secretary of the Cen
tral Committee call over the names of the
several counties in this State alphabetically,
and when the names are so called, that the
delegates .'torn each, announce his name, in
order to an .Accurate enrolment of them.
The Secretary then called over the names
of'the countie a in this State, and it appeared
that the following counties were represent* and
by the following delegates, to w t :
From the co. of Bub twin, Seaton Grantland, Esq.
Bibb, Jol 'n Lamar, Esq.
Burke, Dr. S. Harlow,
Clark, Jud;,'e Charles Dougherty,
Columbia, fc immons Crawford, Esq.
Elbert, Gen. J. V. Harris,
Creme, W. C. Dawson, Esq.
Cwiunctt, IL’ncs Holt, Jun. Esq.
Hancock, JnrrK'3 Thomas, Esq.
Harris, Robert S. Hardaway, Esq.
Houston, I)r. David Jameson,
Jackson, VV. K. Jones, Esq.
Jasper, Jno. Hill, Kttq. ot Hillsboro’
Junes, Iverson 11. J.or.es, Esq.
Monroe, Gen. Elias L’e >ll,
Morgan, Eugenius A. Nhsbet, Esq.
Oglethorpe, George H. Y’oung, Esq.
I‘utnam, Irby, Hudson,
Taliaferro, Col. Arch’d G. J anes,
'Troup, William Dougherty. Esq.
Twiggs, Geo. W. Welch, L’s<jV
Walton, Hines Holt, Sen. Esq-
IVushington, John Peabody, Es J.
Wilkes, Col. Win. C. Lyman.
On motion of Mr. Crawford, of Hancock,
tbo following resolution, presented by hilt',
was adopted:
Resolerd, That the members of the Ce
tral Committee, and the Special delegates of
counties, will deliberate in united council,
and that the hotly thus formed, will transact
business in accordance with parliamentary or
der.
The following members of the Central
Committee present, took their seats with the
special delegates: Gen. 1). B. Mitchell,
Judge Lamar, Dr. S. Boykin, Col. S. Rock
well, Col. James M. Chambers, John 11.
Howard, Esq. Parish Carter, Esq. Williama
Rutherford, Esq. Joel Crawford, Esq. and
W. 11. Torrance, Esq.
The meeting then proceeded to organize,
by calling Gen. D. B. Mitchell to the chair,
and appointing P. C. Guiru, Secretary.
On motion of Mr. Dawson, of Greene, it
was
Resolved, That the editors of newspapers,
desiring to publish the proceedings of this
convention, be permitted to occupy seats
within this chamber for that purpose.
Mr. Crawford, of Hancock, presented the
following resolution, which after being read
and amended, was adopted in the words fol
lowing :
Resolved, That a Committee of nine mem
bers be appointed by the Chair, and instruc
ted to enquire and report to this body,
what sections or clauses of the Consti
tution, relative to the apportionment and
equalization of the members of the. General
Assembly, with a view to a reduction of the
number, it would be expedient to amend;
the days on which it would be advisable to
hold an election of delegates, and for said
delegates to assemble, for the purpose of ma
king said anr.endmenls; designating in said
reoort, the most suitable apportionment of
delegates among the several counties of the
State, and the manner of holding elections
for the same.
Agreeably to this resolution, the following
gentlemen were appointed members of the
Committee :
Maj. Crawford, of Hancock,
Judge Lamar, of Baldwin,
Judge Dougherty, of Clark,
E. A..Nishet, Esq. of Baldwin,
Col. II . C. Lyman, of Wilkes,
Dr. S. Harlow, of Burke,
Gen. E. Beall, of Monroe,
Irby Hudson, Esq. of Putnam,
Col. S. Rockwell, of Baldwin.
Tiie meeting then adjourned to 9 o’clock
tomorrow morning.
Tuesday, May R.
Agreeable to a adjournment, the drle
gates, with the members of the Central Com
mittee, met.
The minutes of the proceedings of yester
day, were read and approved.
Col. William Jones, a delegate from the
county of Lincoln, and James Me Laws, Esq.
a delegate from the county of Richmond,
attended, presented their credentials, which
were read by the Secretary, and took their
seats.
Col. Rockwell, from the committee ap
pointed to enquire and report ,wbat sections
and clauses of the Constitution, rclutivo to
the apportionment and equalization u
members of the General Assembly M ,
view to a reduction of the number, it *
he expedient to amend, &c. reported a
resolutions and ;n address to the nroi/’l
Georgia. The reports were read, aa!) °1
tnoi ion, the resolutions were taken ( ’ f‘
paragraphs, adopted, w,th the preamblf 1
read as follows : ’
The committee to whom was referred
duty of ascertaining and reporting
sections and clauses of the Constitution , J
ative to the apportionment and equa!i z ’ C ''
of the members of the General Asscni/I
with a view to a reduction of the numbe |
would he expedient to amend; the day |
which it v.ould be advisable for the peonf?
bold their elections for delegates to lfl f e !o |
convention, for the purpose of making! m
amendments; the day upon which sai4r 111
vention shall assemble ; the number 0 f
gates to be elected from each county
the manner of holding the elections for
delegates,” respectfully submit for their '**l
port, in part, the following resolutions iJ* l
Resolved. That the several counties of || I
.State, be, and they are hereby respectful®
recommended, to elect delegates to the (k| '
vention to be held for the purpose of redo®
ing and equalizing the representation of®
people in the General Assembly, i„ n , ID . J
equal to the number of representatives iZ|
most numerous branch of the General
sernbly, at the time of the election of ®
delegates.
Resolved 1 That the counties of this Stafl
are respectfully recommended to hold tl J
elections for delegates to the Convention, M
the first Monday in November next, thst'sa®
elections be held, superintended and cond®
ted according to the manner pointed out®
law for the election of members to the I®
islaturc. '■
Retolvtd, That it is expedient, that ®
delegates elected shall convene in tlieStat®
House in the town of Milledgeville, on thfl
first Monday of February, 1833, for the pi®
pose of altering as-i amending the Constit®
tion of Georgia, in relation to the rciuclio®
and equalization of the representation in tj®
legislature, ana that that day be, and is hot®
by respectfully named and recommended ®
the time for the meeting of the contempt®
ted convention.
Resol red, That such articles, sections a®’
clauses of the Constitution of Georgia, ®l
relate to the organization of the legisiatu® l
require amendment ; th?t the amemltnen® 1
alterations or additions to be made, should®'
confined to the reduction o( the number I
the General Assembly, and to an cquali®
tion of the representation of the people®
both branches of the legislature ; and
we recommend that the amendments, alit®
tions, and additions, thus to be mtirfr, be st®'
nutted to the people for their coulirmationß
rejection. * K
Resolved, That it! • recommended that)
several delegates elected to the Comeittit
be the bearers to that body, of the elect!
returns from their respective counties—!
Convention, as all such bodies-do, extreisj
,*4ie right of determining an the sufliciei
oi” such returns.
fiesolved, That tire address herewith
sent* 'd, be received as part of the r por
this committee, be signed by the member
this Convention,and tie published and tri
mitten to the people of Georgia, with
above re solutions, and the documents accj
panying Bids address.
The ad&'ri vs was then taken up, read a J
and adopted atf follows :
ADDRESS.
Fellow Citizens: —The undersigned,l
whom were confided the duty of reconmiel
ing to yon the expediency of a conwntiol
delegates, to arm ;.di the’ Constitutien, sol
to secure a reduction of the number at I
composing the General Assembly, I
selection of the day on which it would be J
visable to elect the delegates, their numl
and the time for the meeting of sCtch Col
tion; —having discharged the*trust repi
in them, they cannot forbear, in preset*
to you the result of their deliberations,!*
for your reflection, certain considera*
which may have a tendency to produces®
cert in action, so desirable in thismcffll
tous measure, and so conducive to an anl
cions result.
While the undersigned are deeply
of the numerous defects of the present®
stilution, and of the evils engendered hi
provisions, and also of the absolute nccca
of providing a speedy and efficient rsn*
for them ; while, too, they believe, i V
moil with many of their tel low-citizen?, 1
the only remedy for these evils, is to®
found in the redeeming virtues of the *
assembled by their delegates in Convent®
these Delegates acting, as they would,*
less act, with a single purpose to w*
the prosperity, and exalt the character oi®
State ; and at the same time, secure to®
and your children, the invaluable ble®
of civil and religious liberty; would notl
to present for your final sanction and m
tion, a revised constitution, remodeled, ■
ted to your present situation, every wav I
thy of the character of its framers, anlß
ceptable to yourselves; yet, the uw'frsiM
have felt themselves obliged to 'jestain I
recommending a revision of ‘.not inetr*
beyond a reduction and ’..qnalization fi
number composing General Assent*
They did not deer,, themselves at lilx*
go farther. TANARUS„ that object, therefore, I
enquiries ',iave been limited. 1
Ibe time for the election of dele®
ar .t for amending the Constitution,
auspicious. The cloud that lowered I
our political horizon, has passed away* ■
missil aimed at our sovereignty bv the ■
a! judiciary, has fail* * to achieve itsp*
There exists no political excitement,
into action the fever of party strife, n®
indeed to impede the onward course l
lie action, prevent the exercise of them
judgment, or to retard the progress °w
great work. I
This, fellow-citizcns, is no party rae fl
It is believed that all reflecting mfl
whatever party, who sincerely desire liff
perity of Georgia, and the happi ne * '■
people, arc deeply, impro* with