vention therein provided for, and if a majority of those voting be in favor of a Convention, it, shall be the duty of the Governor immediately to issue his proclamation announcing the result.

"Now, therefore, be it known, that upon a careful comparison of the returns made, it satisfactorily appears that a large majority of the votes so cast are in favor of said Convention, the votes for Convention being 50,520, and against 10,020, showing a majority of 40,500. I do, therefore, hereby proclaim that said Convention is carried by a majority of 40,500, as far as heard from.

"In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my official signature, and caused the Great Seal of the State to be affixed, at the Department in Nashville, this 10th day of January, 1870. "D. W. C. SENTER."

"By the Governor :

"A. J. FLETCHER,

Secretary of State."

On motion of Mr. NICHOLSON, Bolling Gordon, the delegate from Hickman, was appointed temporary President of the Convention. Mr. GORDON, on taking the Chair, addressed the Convention as follows:

GENTLEMEN OF THE CONVENTION:

For the honor conferred upon me, unsuited as I am to preside over this body during its organization, accept my thanks. I receive it at your hands the more properly, because I am a sort of connecting link between the past and present generation. I standbefore you as the sole return delegate to this body, being one who met with others, almost on this identical spot, thirty-five years ago, to give to the State a Constitution. Whether that instrument has been acceptable, it is not for me to inquire; but it certainly has to the great majority of the people of the State. I was associated with a class of men who performed great services for the State. I make mention of Blount, a man venerable in years and profound in erudition; Walton, an upright, sensible man, who occupied the same position in the Convention of 96, which I occupy in the present. To this class of men I may add the names of McKinney, of East, and Weakley, of West Tennessee. We had among us various distinguished men, whose deeds it is not necessary for me to recount. I may name the venerable Francis B. Fogg, of this city, who left his impress upon the Constitution. But society, like everything else, moves on, and we are now called upon to remodel that Constitution, to adapt it to the wants of the age.

May I not invoke this Convention, in which I see so many gray heads, and so many distinguished men, to aid in making a Constitutional Government which shall answer all the ends designed; may I not invoke you to discharge all the duties of the occasion with credit to yourselves, and with benefit to the State. I thank you, gentlemen.

The following named delegates appeared, produced their credentials, and took their seats:

From the County of Bedford-T. B. IVIE.

From the County of Blount-W. H. FINLEY.

From the County of Bradley-S. P. GAUT.

From the County of Cannon-WARREN CUMMINGS.
From the County of Carroll-W. M. WRIGHT.

From the County of Claiborne-P. G. FULKERSON.

From the County of Cocke-M. MCNABB.

From the County of Davidson-NEIL S. BROWN and JOHN C. THOMPSON.

From the County of DeKalb

From the County of Dickson-THOMAS C. MORRIS.

From the County of Fayette

From the County of Franklin-JESSE ARLEdge.

From the County of Gibson-SPARREL HILL.
From the County of Giles-THOMAS M. JONES.
From the County of Grainger-JAMES W. BRANSON.
From the County of Green-JAMES BRITTON.

From the County of Hamilton-RICHARD HENDERSON,
From the County of Hardeman-JAMES FENTRESS.
From the County of Hardin-A. G. MCDOUGAL.
From the County of Hawkins-JOHN NETHERLAND.
From the County of Haywood-GEORGE C. PORTER.
From the County of Henderson--

From the County of Henry-JAS. D. PORTER, JR.
From the County of Hickman-BOLLING GORDON.
From the County of Jackson--RICHARD P. BROOKS.
From the County of Jefferson-WM. SAMPLE.

From the County of Knox-JOHN Baxter.

From the County of Lawrence-T. D. DEAVENPORT.
From the County of Lincoln-GEO. W. JONES.

From the County of Madison-ALEXANDER W. CAMPBELL.
From the County of Marion-WM. BYRNE.

From the County of Marshall-RICHARD WARNer, Jr.
From the County of Maury-W. V. THOMP SON.
From the County of McNairy-

From the County of McMinn-A. BLIZARD.
From the County of Monroe-JAMES A. COFfin.
From the County of Montgomery-D. N. KENNEDY.
From the County of Obion-CHAS. N. GIBBS.
From the County of Overton-Z. R. CHOWNING.
From the County of Roane-W. B. STALEY.
From the County of Robertson-JOHN E. GARNER.
From the County of Rutherford-JOHN W. Burton.
From the County of Stewart-NATHAN BRANDON.
From the County of Sullivan-W. V. DEADERICK.
From the County of Sumner-JAMES J. TURNER.

From the County of Shelby--WILLIAM H. STEPHENS and Jos. B. HEISKELL.

From the County of Smith-JOHN ALLEN.

From the County of Warren-H. L. W. HILL.

From the County of Washington-S. J. KIRKPATRICK.

From the County of Wayne

From the County of Weakley-JOHN A. GARDNER.

From the County of White-Geo. G. DIBBRELL.

From the County of Wilson-S. G. SHEPARD, and W. H. WIL

LIAMSON.

From the County of Williamson-SAMUEL S. HOUSE.

From the Counties of Carter and Johnson-W. B. CARTER. From the Counties of Greene, Hawkins, Hancock and Jefferson --A. A. KYLE.

From the Counties of Knox and Sevier-Jos. A. MABRY.

From the Counties of Anderson and Campbell-H. R. GIBSON. From the Counties of Scott, Morgan and Fentress-JAMES C. PARKER.

From the Counties of Polk, McMinn, and Meigs-T. M. BURKETT. From the Counties of Rhea, Bledsoe, Hamilton, and Sequatchie -D. M. KEY.

From the Counties of Grundy, Coffee and Van Buren-MATT.

MARTIN.

From the Counties of Smith, Sumner and Macon-GEORGE E. SEAY.

From the Counties of Davidson, Robertson, and Montgomery-JOHN F. HOUSE.

From the Counties of Rutherford and Bedford-JNO. E. DROM

GOOLE.

From the Counties of Lincoln, Marshall and Giles-JNO. C. BROWN.

From the Counties of Williamson, Maury and Lewis-A. O. P. NICHOLSON.

From the Counties of Benton and Humphreys-W. F. DOHERTY. From the Counties of Perry and Decatur-G. W. WALTERS. From the Counties of Carroll, Gibson, Madison and HenryJAMES S. BROWN.

From the Counties of Dyer and Lauderdale-A. T. FIELDER. From the Counties of Tipton, Shelby, and Fayette-HUMPHREY R. BATE.

THE ORGANIZATION.

Sixty-six members appearing, it was announced by the Chair that the first business in order was the election of a President, and that nominations were in order.

Mr. NETHERLAND nominated Mr. John C. Brown, delegate from the counties of Lincoln, Marshall and Giles.

There being no other person in nomination,

On motion of Mr. KENNEDY, Mr. Brown was declared the unanimous choice of the Convention for President.

The Chair appointed Messrs. Netherland and Jones, of Lincoln, to conduct the President elect to the chair, and on taking his seat he addressed the Convention as follows:

GENTLEMEN OF THE CONVENTION:

While I am not insensible to the distinguished honor you have conferred on me, I trust you will give me credit for candor when I say that I would have preferred that the responsibilities which your generous confidence has imposed on me, should have been confided to one more experienced in parliamentary usage.

I am a stranger to deliberative bodies. I shall therefore be under the necessity of invoking your charity for my shortcomings, and your sympathy and assistance in the discharge of my official duties.

We have assembled at a most critical period in the history of our affairs. The peace, the happiness and prosperity of our beloved State may depend, in a great measure, for years to come, upon the wisdom, prudence and moderation which shall mark our delibera

tions. Questions of difficulty and delicacy may arise in the course of our proceedings. Let them be met and disposed of in a spirit worthy of those to whose hands the destinies of a great Commonwealth have been committed by a gallant and confiding people. Let us raise ourselves above the passions and prejudices of the hour, and dare to be just and generous regardless of the temptations prompting a contrary course. We cannot, we must not, be unmindful of the great changes that have impressed themselves upon our history. Let us accept the situation, and not seek to alter circumstances which have passed beyond our control. With this spirit animating every delegate, our session will speedily arrive at results which will satisfy all our people, and make Tennessee what she deserves to be, a great, happy and prosperous State.

With a sincere hope that all our deliberations may be characterized by justice and moderation, and again thanking you for the unmerited honor conferred upon me, I enter upon the discharge of the duties you have assigned me.

On motion of Mr. BROWN, of Davidson, the Rev. Mr. Rains opened the proceedings by prayer.

On motion of Mr. GORDON, all Ministers of the Gospel present were invited to the President's stand.

Mr. BAXTER offered the following resolution:

Resolved, That before proceeding further with the business of this Convention, each member be required to take an oath to support the Constitution of the United States.

On motion of Mr. HOUSE, of Davidson, Robertson and Montgomery, the resolution was laid on the table temporarily.

Mr. Burton offered the following resolution:

Resolved, That the Convention proceed to complete its organization by the election of one Secretary, one Assistant Secretary, one Door-keeper, one Assistant Door-keeper, and one Messenger.

Mr. PORTER of Henry, moved to amend by inserting "three Seeretaries."

Which amendment was rejected.

The resolution of Mr. BURTON was then adopted.

On motion of Mr. KENNEDY, it was

Resolved, That the rules of the House of Representatives be adopted by this Convention, as rules to govern its proceedings and deliberations, as far as they are applicable.

The President announced the next business in order to be the election of a Secretary, and that nominations were in order.