FEDERAL REPRESENTATION.

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

WHEREAS, All power being inherent in the people, as guaranteed by the Constitution of Tennessee, as well as the Constitution of the United States, set forth in the first Article of the Bill of Rights of each; therefore, be it

Resolved, That it is the duty of this Convention to see that no law shall be passed calculated to destroy, impair or diminish the representation of this State in the Congress of the United States;

Resolved, That this Convention, deriving its power from the people, will not make, pass, alter, change or amend the fundamental law of the State, so as to diminish or alter the power of this State in the Congress of the United States;

Resolved, That these resolutions be referred to the Committee on the Constitution.

AMENDMENTS PROPOSED.

Mr. BRITTON offered the following resolution which was referred to the Committee on Miscellaneous Provisions :

Resolved, That as all power is inherent in the people, and as free governments were instituted for their mutual protection and security, it is therefore eminently proper that all the offices created by the Coustitution in the various co-ordinate branches of the State government should be elected by and derive their power directly from the people.

Mr. CARTER submitted the following amendments to the Constitution, which were read and referred to the Committee on Franchise and Elections:

Article II, Section 7. The first election for Senators and Representatives shall be held on the first Tuesday in November, one thousand eight hundred and seventy; and forever thereafter, elections for members of the General Assembly shall be held once in two years, on the first Tuesday in November; said election shall terminate the same day.

Sec. 8. The first session of the General Assembly shall commence on the first Monday in January, one thousand eight hundred and seventy-one; and forever thereafter the General Assembly shall meet on the first Monday in January next ensuing the election.

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

Resolved, That the appropriate committee be instructed to inquire and report upon the expediency and practicability of establishing natural and permanent boundaries to govern and control the representation in the General Assembly of the State, instead of the twothirds ratio, as provided for in Section 5, Article II, of the present Constitution.

Mr. DOHERTY offered the following preamble and resolution, which were read and referred to the Committee on the Legislative Department:

WHEREAS, Much of the valuable time of the Legislature is appropriated in the passage of local and private laws, to the hindrance of the public interest:

Resolved, That the Committee on the Legislative Department be requested to examine and report whether or not it would be to the interest of the State to divest the Legislature of the power of enacting private acts, and that power be vested in such court or courts as shall be designated by law.

Mr. FINLEY offered the following resolution, which was read and referred to the Committee on Franchise:

Resolved, That every male person, regardless of race or color, if qualified, having arrived at the age that may hereafter be prescribed by law, shall be eligible to any office to which he may be elected by a popular vote of the qualified voters of the County or District where he resides.

Mr. FINLEY offered the following resolution, which was read and referred to the Committee on Franchise, etc. :

Resolved, That every male person of the age of twenty-one years, regardless of race or color, not convicted of infamous crime, being a citizen of the United States and of the State of Tennessee twelve months, and of the county where he may offer his vote three months preceding the day of election, shall be entitled to vote for members of the General Assembly and all ther civil officers for the County or District where he resides.

Mr. FENTRESS offered the following resolution, which was read and referred to the Committee on the Bill of Rights:

Resolved, That the Committee on the Bill of Rights be requested to report whether Section 15 of the Bill of Rights should not be so amended as to provide that the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended or denied in any case.

Mr. FIELDER submitted the following preamble and resolution, which were read and referred to the Committee on the Legislative Department:

WHEREAS, The powers of the State Government are composed of three co-ordinate branches, viz.: the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Legislative Committee be requested to inquire whether or not any amendment to the present Constitution is necessary to keep them separate and distinct, so that the one may not infringe upon the rights of the other, and if so, report the same to this body.

Mr. GIBSON submitted the following amendments to the Constitution, which were read and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary Department:

Article, Section The number of Law Circuits shall never exceed one for every 75,000 inhabitants; and the number of Chancery Divisions shall never exceed one for every 100,000 inhabitants. But in establishing Circuits and Divisions, territory and population shall be so equalized that the labors of the several Judges and the several Chancellors shall be equalized as nearly as possible.

Sec.. No Judicial officer shall be a candidate before the people for any other than a Judicial office, directly or indirectly. And the election of any such officer by the people during his incumbency, or for one year thereafter, shall be absolutely void.

Sec. - The Legislature may, by joint resolution, two-thirds in each House concurring, remove from office any Judge, Chancellor, or State's Attorney, for crime, corruption, incompetency, drunkenness, neglect, or violation of duty, or other conduct unbecoming such an officer. Provided, That such officer, when accused, shall be allowed to present his evidence and argument, in writing, at the bar of the two Houses in joint session. But each House shall vote separately by ayes and noes, and the same shall be entered on the Journals of each House, together with the cause or causes of re-. moval.

Mr. GIBSON submitted' the following resolution, which was read and referred to the Committee on the Judicial Department:

Resolved, That the Judiciary Committee be requested, if they decide against the Judges and District Attorneys being chosen by the people, to consider the propriety of having Circuit Judges, Chancellors, and District Attorneys nominated by the Supreme Court and confirmed by the Senate.

Mr. HILL, of Gibson, offered the following resolution, which was read and referred to the Committee on the Judicial Department: Resolved, That Section 10, of Article VI, of the present Constitution be so amended as to read as follows:

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Judges or Justices of such Inferior Courts of Law and Equity as the Legislature may establish shall have power in all civil cases to issue writs of Certiorari to remove any cause or transcript thereof from inferior jurisdiction into said Courts of Law on sufficient cause supported by oath or affirmation. '

MEMORIAL.

Mr. HILL, of Gibson, presented a memorial, signed by 255 citizens, praying a change in the Constitution of the State in relation to the formation of new counties, which was read and referred to the Committee on New Counties and County Lines.

AMENDMENTS PROPOSED.

Mr. HOUSE, of Williamson, submitted the following amendments to the Constitution, which were read and referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

Resolved, That Article V, of the Constitution be amended as follows:

Sec. 1. The Governor, Judges of the Supreme Court, Judges of Inferior Courts, Chancellors, Attorneys for the State and Secretary of State shall be liable to impeachment, whenever they may commit any offence in their official capacity, which may require disqualification; but judgment shall only extend to removal from office and disqualification to fill any office thereafter. The party shall nevertheless, be liable to indictment, trial, judgment and punishment according to law.

Sec. 2. The House of Representatives shall have the sole power of impeaching the Governor, Judges of the Supreme Court, the Attorney General for the State and the Secretary of State.

Sec. 3. All impeachments of any of the officers mentioned in Section 2 shall be tried by the Senate; and when sitting for that purpose the Senators shall be upon oath or affirmation-and presided over by the Senior Judge of the Supreme Court of the State. If the senior Judge should be impeached then the Senate shall be presided over by the next senior Judge of the Supreme Court.

No person shall be convicted without the concurrence of two thirds of the Senators sworn to try the officer impeached.

Sec. 4. The House of Representatives shall elect from their own body three members, whose duty it shall be to prosecute impeachments. No impeachment shall be tried until the Legislature shall have adjourned sine die, when the Senate shall proceed to try such impeachment.

Sec 5. All Judges of Inferior Courts, Chancellors and Attorneys for the State, for the several Judicial Districts or Circuits, shall be

liable to impeachment for crimes and misdemeanors in office at the instance and upon the prosecution of any citizen in the Supreme Court of the State, in such manner as the Legislature may by law direct.

Sec. 6. Justices of the Peace and other civil officers not herein before mentioned, for crimes and misdemeanors in office, shall be liable to indictment in such courts as the Legislature may direct ; and upon conviction, shall be removed from office by said court as if found guilty on impeachment; and shall be subject to such other punishment as may be prescribed by law.

Mr. HOUSE, of Davidson, Robertson and Montgomery, offered the following resolution, which was read and referred to the Committee on New Counties and County Lines.

Resolved, That the county of Cheatham, as now established, be, and the same is hereby declared to be a Constitutional county.

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

Resolved, That Section, Article, of the present Constitution be amended so as to prohibit the Legislature of this State from granting any charter of incorporation, except to Banks and Internal Iprovements. And that no charter shall be granted for any bank unless the same shall have a capital stock of five hundred thousand dollars. One half of which shall be paid in before said corporation shall be entitled to do business under the charter.

Mr. JONES, of Giles, submitted the following amendment to the Constitution, which was read and referred to the Committee on Franchise :

"Resolved, That the Committee on Elections and Franchise be instructed to so amend Article IV, of the Constitution of Tennessee, as that the same shall read: "Every freeman of the age of twentyone years, being a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the State two years, and of the county, in which he may offer his vote, twelve months next preceeding the day of election, and having paid his poll tax, shall be entitled to vote for members of the General Assembly, and other civil officers for the county or district in which he resides."

Mr. MCNABB offered the following resolution, which was read. and referred to the Committee on Franchise:

Resolved, That no law shall ever be passed in the State of Tennessee, debarring any man from voting in any election in consequence of not having paid his tax, prior to said election.

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