Resolved, That Section 7 Article II of the present Constitution be amended by adding: "Provided further, That the Legislature shall not grant charters of incorporation to any corporation of a local or private character,"

Mr. THOMPSON, of Davidson, offered the following, which was referred to the Committee on Finance:

Be it resolved, That it is expedient and for the honor of the State that due and unpaid coupons of bonds of the State of Tennnessee, issued prior to May, 1861, shall be receivable in payment of all State taxes; and that due and unpaid coupons of the bonds of any County of this State, issued prior to the month of May, 1861, shall be receivable in payment of all County taxes of such County.

Mr. THOMPSON, of Davidson, offered the following, which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary:

Be it resolved, That Section 1, of Article VII, be amended by words to the following effect: There shall be elected for each County, by the Justices thereof, one Clerk, one Sheriff, one Tax Collector, one Register, one Coroner, and one Ranger, who shall hold office respectively for two years, or until their successors are appointed. The Clerk, the Register, the Sheriff and the Tax Collector to be respectively appointed at different terms of the Quarterly Court; but every person holding or elected to one of said County offices, at the date of the organization of the government under the new Constitution, shall be entitled to hold their offices respectively until the full end and term of the period for which they are so elected.

Mr. BROWN, of Davidson, offered the following amendments, which were referred to the Committee on Finance:

To Section 6 of Article 11, add: "But the Legislature shall have power to pass laws establishing conventional interest, and within the limits therein prescribed, contracts shall be binding."

New Section 13, Article XI: The faith of the State is hereby pledged for the redemption of all of its obligations, and shall forever remain inviolate. And the General Assembly is required, without delay, to take such steps, and to adopt such measures, as may be necessary and adequate to meet the interest on the public debt, and to discharge the debt itself as fast as it matures.

Strike out Section 31 in Article II, and insert : "That the General Assembly shall have power to provide by law that all voters shall be required to vote within the Civil Districts or Wards in which they reside; and shall have power also to pass laws to protect all voters in the free exercise of their choice.

That the following sentence in Section 28, Article II, be stricken out, viz: But the Legislature shall have power to tax merchants, peddlers and privileges, in such manner as they may from time to

time direct, and insert: But the Legislature shall have power to require all persons who buy and sell as a vocation to take out a license, for which they shall pay a sum not exceeding one per cent. proportion of the taxes assessed on their capital for the current year.

FINANCE, ETC.

Section 7, Article II., strike out the following, viz:

Provided, always, the Legislature shall have power to grant such charters of incorporation as they may deem expedient for the public good, and insert: and shall have no power to grant charters of incorporation, either municipal or private, but may pass laws authorizing the Chancery, Circuit, or County Courts to grant all such charters, under such rules and regulations as are, or may be prescribed by law; Provided, that no municipal corporations or counties shall be authorized to create any debt without an adequate levy of taxes to meet the same, except by a vote of two thirds of all the voters of such corporation or county, counting by the last preceding Gubernatorial election.

Mr. HOUSE, of Williamson, offered the following resolution, which was referred to the Committee on the Legislative Department:

Resolved, That no law or section of the Code shall be amended or repealed by mere reference to its title, or to the number of the section in the Code, but the amending or repealing act shall distinctly and fully describe the law to be amended or repealed, as well as the alteration to be made.

Mr. GAUT, offered the following resolution which was referred to the Committee on the Legislative Department :

Resolved, That the Committee on the Legislative Department enquire into and report whether the Legislature should have power to grant any private charters, or pass any act exclusively for private or individual benefit, or relief and also to enquire whether the Legislature should invest the Courts of Chancery of this State with the exclusive power under proper application to grant such private charters, privileges and relief.

On motion, of Mr. GORDON, the Convention adjourned until tomorrow morning at 10 o'clock.

THURSDAY MORNING JANUARY 13, 1870.

The Convention met pursuant to adjournment, Mr. President BROWN in the Chair.

Prayer by the Rev. Mr. FALL.

AMENDMENTS OF THE RULES.

Mr. GIBSON, offered the following-which was read and referred to the Committee on Rules:

Rule No petition or memorial containing language disrespectful to this body, or to the State or General Governments, or any department thereof, shall be read if objected to.

Mr. HOUSE, of Montgomery, offered the following amendments to the Rules which were adopted, and ordered to be printed with the rules for the government of the Convention:

That the last permanent rule of this Convention be amended by adding the following :

But this rule shall not apply to resolutions proposing to amend the Constitution, but the same shall be referred at once to the appropriate Committee, and the delegate proposing such resolution shall have five minutes, within which to make explanatory remarks.

Mr. TURNER, offered the following resolution which was referred to the Committee on Rules.

Resolved, That all petitions and memorials shall be received and read, and referred without debate to the appropriate committee.

Mr. GARDNER, offered the following resolution, which was read and ordered to be referred to the Committee on Rules.

Resolved, That a committee of seven be appointed on Petitions, Memorials and Grievances, to whom all petitions and memorials, addressed to this body shall be referred without reading or debate.

AMENDMENTS PROPOSED.

Mr. ALLEN, offered the following resolution, which was read and ordered to be referred to the Committee on the Legislative Department:

Resolved, That the Committee on Corporations be instructed to report an amendment to the Constitution which will forever guaran

tee to the cities and other incorporated towns, in this State, the right to elect their own municipal officers, including officers of police.

Mr. ARLEDGE offered the following, which was read and referred :

Resolved, That the Committee on Finance, Internal Improvements and Corporations, report such changes in the Constitution as will prohibit any further issuance of State bonds.

Mr. BRITTON submitted the following resolutions, which were read and referred to the Committee on Miscellaneous Provisions:

Resolved 1st, That we are admonished by the embarrassing condition of our own internal affairs, as well as the threatening aspect of the surroundings, that it is a matter of the highest importance to make the work of this Convention harmonious and as expeditious as possible, doing full justice to ourselves, and looking well to the interest of the people of the whole State, white and colored, present and future.

Resolved 2nd, That in the opinion of this Convention, our present Constitution is a model Constitution, well adapted to the times for which it was intended, and wisely balancing the independent powers of the co-ordinate departments of the State government, and was the work of wise, patriotic and good men.

Resolved 3rd, That this Cenvention, with a high reverence for the work of a noble and patriotic ancestry, and fully appreciating the importance and responsibility of the position in which we have been placed, will proceed to the work assigned us, aided by the reports of Standing Committees, and such Special Committees as may hereafter be appointed, by reading the present Constitution in full Convention, article by article, and section by section, and in this way making such amendments, as we proceed, as time and experience have shown to be necessary, with as little disturbance as possible of the symmetry and harmony of our present Constitution, but guided alone by the necessities arising out of the changed condition of our affairs.

Mr. BROOKS offered the following resolution, which was read and referred to the Committee on the Legislative Department:

Resolved, That the Constitution be so amended as to limit the Legislature to one thousand dollars as appropriation for internal improvement by the State, and all appropriations over one thousand dollars shall be void until ratified by a majority of the qualified voters of the State of Tennessee.

Mr. BURTON offered the following, which was read and referred to the Committee on the Judicial Department:

Resolved, That Article VI, Section 2, of the Constitution be amended so as to read as follows: "The Supreme Court shall be composed of five Judges, one of whom shall reside in and be elected by the qualified voters of each of the three grand divisions of the State, the remaining two to be nominated by the Governor from the State at large, and confirmed by the Senate."

Mr. BURTON offered the following, which was read and referred : Resolved, That it be referred to the Committee on the Bill of Rights to report upon the propriety of the following amendment, to-wit:

"That no person shall be held to answer for a capital crime, or crime above the grade of petit larceny, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases of impeachment or military trials, otherwise provided for in the Constitution. The Legislature shall pass no laws making the stealing of more than $50 personalty petit larceny."

JOHN H. MEEKS, delegate elect from the county of McNairy, appeared, presented his credentials, was sworn and took his seat as a member of this Convention.

COMMITTEE ON NEW COUNTIES, ETC.

The President announced the following gentlemen to constitute the Committee on New Counties and County Lines: Messrs. SEAY, COFFIN, DEADERICK, WARNER, JONES, of Giles, GIBBS, and TAYLOR.

AMENDMENTS PROPOSED.

Mr. DIBBRELL, submitted the following resolution, which was referred to the Committee on New Counties and County Lines.

Resolved, That the last clause of Section 4, Article X of the Constitution, which says: "That the counties of Marion and Bledsoe shall not be reduced below one thousand qualified voters each, in forming a new county or counties," be stricken out of the Constitution.

Mr. DEAVENPORT, submitted the following resolution, which was read and referred to the Committee on Miscellaneous Subjects:

Resolved, That the appropriate Committee be instructed to inquire and report upon the propriety of ordering an election for all Judicial and County officers as soon after the ratification of the New Constitution as practicable.