Journal of the Convention, begun and held at the Capitol in the town of Frankfort, 22 July 1799.

JOURNAL OF THE CONVENTION, BEGUN and held at the Capitol in the town of Frankfort on Monday the twenty-second day of July, in the year of our Lord one thousand, seven hundred and ninety-nine :

On which day (being the day appointed by law for the meeting of the Convention) a quorum, confifting of two-thirds of the whole number of members being prefent, Ordered, That Thomas Todd be appointed Clerk of this Convention. The Honourable Alexander S. Bullitt was unanimoufly elected Prefident. Ordered, That Richard Taylor be appointed serjeant at arms, and Paschal Hickman, door keeper, to this convenetion ; and that give their attendance accordingly. Resolved, That the secretary of state be and he is hereby to lay before the convention the returns of election of members to ferve in the prefent convention Ordered, That a committee of privileges and elections be appointed of Meffrs, G. Clay, Johnson, Henry, B. Logan, Thrufton, Breckinridge, Innes, M'Dowell, R. Taylor, Thomas, Adair, and S. Taylor, who are to take into confederation the federal returns of election for members to ferve in this prefent convention, and fuch other matters as may be referes to them. The President laid before the convention, a letter from the secretary of fate, covering the returns of election for members to serve in this prefent convention, and the fame being read, was ordered to be referred to the committee of privileges and elections. Orderes, that Willis Lee be appointed clerk to the committee of privileges and elections. Ordered, That a committee be appointed to draught and report a set of rules for the government of the convention, and a committee was appointed of Meffrs. Thruston, J. Allen, Breckinridge and G. Clay. B

[ 4 ] Resolved, That the six seats on the left at the entrance of the room be appropriated to the use of the governor and such other officers of government, who have been usually admitted to attend the debates of the legislature. Mr. G. Clay from the committee of privileges and elections, reported, that the committee had taken into confideration the feveral returns of election for members to ferve in the prefent convention, and had come to a resolution thereupon, which he delivered in at the clerk's table, where it was twice read and agreed to as follows : Resolved, That Robert Wilmot, Nathaniel Rodgers, Charles Smith, William Griffith, John Allen, and James Duncan from Bourbon, Philip Buckner from Bracken, Henry Crist from Bullitt, Thomas Standford from Campbell, Young Ewing from Christian, Robert Clarke fenior, Richard Hickman, Wm. Sudduth from Clarke, John M'Dowell, Buckner Thruston, John Bell, John Breckinridge, Hezekiah Harrison, and Walter Carr from Fayette, Harry Innes, and John Logan from Franklin, George Stockdon from Fleming, William M. Bledsoe from Garrard, William Casey from Green, Patrick Brown from Hardin, William E. Boswell, and Henry Coleman from Harrison, Alexander S. Bullitt and Richard Taylor from Jefferson, John Price from Jeffamine, William Logan, Jonathan Forbes, Nathan Huston from Lincoln, John Bailey, and Reubin Ewing from Logan, Green Clay, Thomas Clay, and William Irvine from Madison, Philemon Thomas, Thomas Marshall, and Joshua Baker from Mason, John adair, Thomas Allin, Samuel Taylor, and Peter Brunner from Mercer, Jilson Payne from Montgomery, Robert Johnson and William Henry from Scott, Nicholas Minor, Richard Prather and John Rowan from Nelson, Benjamin Logan and Abraham Owens from Shelby, Alexander Davidson from Warren, Felix Grundy and Robert Able from Washington, and William Steele and Caleb Wallace from Woodford, were duly elected and returned as members to serve in the prefent convention. Mr. Thruston from the committee appointed for that purpose, reported a set of rules for the government of the convention ; which he delivered in at the clerk's table, where they were twice read, some of them amended, and the whole then agreed to as follows, viz. 1. That any member conducting himself indecently towards the prefident or any of the members in the convention, or who shall transgrefs any of the following rules, shall be subject to such reproof from the chair as the convention may think proper to direct. 2. That every member when speaking shall stand up in his place, and address himself to the president ; and when he has closed his motion, observation, or argument, shall again take his seat ; nor shall any member speak more than twice, on the fame subject, unless by permission of the convention. 3. That the president shall have power to call to order, when he shall conceive it necessary, or shall be requested of to do by any member. 4. That when any member shall be speaking in addrefs to the prefident, no member shall pafs between the perfon speaking and the chair ; nor otherwife interrupt him unlees by requesting the prefident to call to-order, which any mem-

[ 5 ] ber may do when he shall think necessary ; nor shall any member name another in debate. 5. That all motions, if required by the prefident, or any member, shall be reduced to writing before any question be put thereon; and the member who makes a motion, may withdraw it, before decidion is given by the convention. 6. That no motion shall be received which is not seconded ; but when a motion is this brought regularly before the convention, the debate, and decision theron, shall not be interrupted by the admission of any other motion, except it be for the previous question, orfor amending or committing the original motion on subject in debate, nor shall any new proposition or motion be admitted by way of amendment or substitute for luch original motion while the fame is depending. 7. That the previous question ( which shall always be " shall the main question now be put") or a motion for the postponement or commitment of the subject, shall preclude all amendments or further debate on the main question or original subject, until such motion is decided. 8. That the president shall appoint committees, liable to addition or amendment, at the option of the convention or the motion of any member. 9. That in taking the fence of this convention, a majority of the votes of the members prevent ( exclusive of the president) shall give the casting vote. 10. The members shall avoid all unnecessary private conversation in the convention, and shall particularly forbear personal reflections, in the cource of argument or debate. 11. The fence of the convention shall be taken by the members saying " aye" or "no," and by standing up or going forth, if occafion requires ; and the "aye;" and " noes" shall be taken when required by any twon members, and entered on the journal. 12. That all questions of order be submitted to the prefident for decision, who may take the fence of the convention thereon if he thinks proper. 13. That no member stand up in the house, except when speaking. 14. That if any member fails to attend his duty, the serjeant at arms, by order of the house, shall take him into custody, for which he is to receive fix shillings per day for the time he is travelling to and from the place of residence of the member, and until he is admitted to his feat, to be paid by the delinquent. 15. No report, proposition, or revolution shall be debated ; nor shall a vote be taken theron until the fame shall have been twice read by the clerk. 16. That it be a standing rule, that the convention shall at least once in every day resolve itself into a committee of the whole, and when in committee shall be governed by the foregoing regulations, and such others as may hereafter be adopted by the house of far as relates to order, except that in committee of the whole, any member may speak as often as he may think proper. 17. That a motion to adjourn shall always be in order ; and no difcuffion shall take place theron. Resolved, That the percent constitution of government for the common-

[ 6 ] wealth and state of Kentucky, ought to be revised and amended by this convention. Resolved, That it will be the most advantageous method of proceedings in this business, first to consider the several functions of the constitution, separately, in the order they stand, or to many of them together as cannot conveniently be confidered apart, and to determine by way of resolves, what parts of the constitution ought to be retained, and what alterations herein, or additions thereto, ought to be admitted ; and then to appoint a committee, to drought and report the plan of a constitution, conformable to the resolves thus agreed on, which shall be subject to the revision and correction of the conventions. And then the convention adjourned until to-morrow morning ten o'clock.

TUESDAY, July 23, 1799.

The convention met according to adjournment. The convention according to the standing order of the day resolved itself into a committee of the whole, to take into consideration the constitution, Mr. INNES in the Chair, And after some time spent therin, the president refused the chair, and Mr. Innes reported, that the committee had made some progress in the constitution, but not having time to go through the fame, had directed him to move for leave to fit again to day, which was granted. The convention then adjourned till four o'clock. At four o'clock the convention met. The convention again resolved itself into a committee of the whole, to take into further consideration the constitution, Mr. INNES in the Chair, And after some time spent there in, the president refused the chair, and Mr. Innes reported further progress, and asked for leave to fit again to-morrow, which was granted. Ordered, That nine o'clock be the standing hour of adjournment. And then the convention adjourned accordingly.

WENDESDAY, July 24, 1799.

The convention met according to adjournment, and resolved itself into a committee of the whole, to take into further consideration the constitution, Mr. T. CLAY in the Chair, And after some time spent there in, the president refused the chair, and Mr. Clay reported further progress, and asked for leave to fit again to day ; which was granted. The convention then adjourned till four o'clock. At four o'clock the convention met, and again resolved itself into a committee of the whole, to take into further consideration of constitution,

[ 7 ] Mr. T. CLAY in the Chair, And after some time spent there in, the president refused the chair, and Mr. Clay reported further progress, and asked for leave to fit again to-morrow ; which was granted. And then the convention adjourned until to-morrow morning 9 o'clock.

THURSDAY, July 25, 1799.

The convention met according to adjournment, and resolved itself into a committee of the whole, to take into consideration the constitution, Mr. T. CLAY in the Chair, And after some time spent there in, the president refused the chair, and Mr. Clay reported further progress, and asked for leave to fit again ; which was granted. The convention then adjourned till three o'clock. At three o'clock the convention met, and again resolved itself into a committee of the whole, to take into further consideration the constitution, Mr. T. CLAY in the chair, And after some time spent there in, the president refused the chair, and Mr. Clay reported further progress, and asked for leave to fit again to-morrow ; which was granted. And then the committee adjourned until to-morrow 9 o'clock.

FRIDAY, July 26, 1799.

The convention met according to adjournment, and resolved into a committee of the whole, to take into further consideration the constitution, Mr. T. CLAY in the Chair, And after some time spent there in, the president refused the chair, and Mr. Clay reported further progress, and asked for leave to fit again ; which was granted. Resolved, That the committee of the whole report to the convention after each fitting, what progress they have made specially, and that the fame be entered regularly and a[art from the journal, for the perusal of the members. Resolved, That the proceedings of this convention in committee of the whole, be daily printed for the ufe of the members. The convention then adjourned till four o'clock. At four o'clock the convention met, and again resolved itself into a committee of the whole, to take into further consideration the constitution, Mr. T. CLAY in the Chair, And after some time spent there in, the president refused the chair, and Mr. Clay reported futher progress, and asked for leave to fit again to-morrow ; which was granted. And the convention adjourned until to-morrow morning nine o'clock. C