Specialty 12-13-42 On the 10th of May, 1837, Mr. DORAN of Philadelphia County, offered a resolution "That a select committee of persons be appointed to enquire and report to the Convention, whether the people of this Commonwealth by a legislative enactment, or by a provision in their amended Constitution, can repeal, alter or modify an act of Assembly of this Commonwealth, entitled, An act to repeal the State Tax on real and personal property and to continue and extend the improvements of the State by rail-roads and canals, and to charter a state bank to be called The United States Bank,' passed the 18th of February, A. D. 1836, and if the people have such power, whether it would be proper and expedient to repeal, alter or modify that act, or any part thereof, and in what way and on what terms the same should be done." This resolution had been laid on the table and printed, but was not called up for second reading and consideration until the 18th day of November, 1837, when, on motion of McCahen of Philadelphia County, the Convention proceeded to the second reading and consideration of the same, by a vote of 53 to 50. The resolution being under consideration and discussed for two days, was indefinitely postponed on motion of Mr. Scott of Philadelphia. On the 20th day of November, whilst the resolution above referred to remained undisposed of, Mr. Meredith of Philadelphia offered the following resolutions: 1. Resolved, That it is the sense of this Convention that contracts made on the faith of the Commonwealth are, and of right ought to be, inviolable. 2. Resolved, That it is the sense of this Convention that a charter duly granted by an act of Assembly is, when accepted, a contract with the parties to whom the grant is made. After the indefinite postponement of Mr. Doran's resolution, the Convention proceeded to the consideration of those offered by Mr. Meredith. The first resolution was agreed to by a vote of 66 to 7, and the second being under consideration, a motion was made by Mr. Porter of Northampton, to amend the same by striking out all after the word resolved, and inserting the following: "That the power to create banking corporations is a power committed by |