[Weekly Indiana State Journal, September 20, 1851.]

PROCLAMATION.

I, Joseph A. Wright, Governor of the State of Indiana, do certify that on the third day of September, A. D. 1851, E. W. H. Ellis, Auditor, James P. Drake, Treasurer, and Charles H. Test, Secretary of State, at the office of said Secretary of State, in the city of Indianapolis, in my presence, and that of divers other citizens there in attendance, examined and canvassed all the returns made from the several counties of this State, of the votes polled for and against the New Constitution, by the electors of this State, on the first Monday of August, being the fourth day of said month, A. D. 1851; and that the whole number of votes polled for the Constitution', in the counties making returns, is one hundred and nine thousand three hundred and nineteen. And that the whole number of votes polled "against the Constitution," is twenty-six thousand seven hundred and fifty-five, being a majority of eighty-two thousand five hundred and sixty-four in favor of the Constitution.

I further certify, that at the same time and place, first aforesaid, the said Auditor, Treasurer, and Secretary of State, in my presence and of the persons aforesaid, examined and canvassed all the returns made from the several counties aforesaid, of the votes polled for and against the Thirteenth article of said Constitution, known as the article entitled "Negroes and Mulattoes;" and that the whole number of votes polled for "exclusion and colonization of Negroes and Mulattoes'' is one hundred and nine thousand nine hundred and seventy-six; and that the whole number of votes polled against "exclusion and colonization of Negroes and Mulattoes," is twenty-one thousand and sixty-six, being a majority of eighty-eight thousand nine hundred and ten in favor of "exclusion and colonization of Negroes and Mulattoes."

I do further certify, that no returns of the votes for and agains the said Constitution, and for and against the said thirteenth article, have been received from the counties of Delaware, Noble, Porter, and Warrick.

I do, therefore, by virtue of the authority vested in me, declare and make known that the New Constitution is adopted by the good people of this State, as the Constitution of the State of Indiana; and that said thirteenth article is declared to be a part. of said New Constitution-the whole to take effect and be in force on and after the first day of November, A. D. 1851.

And I do enjoin on all whom it may concern the observance of the eleventh section of the schedule of said Constitution, which provides that, "on the taking effect of this Constitution, all the officers thereby continued in office shall, before proceeding in the further discharge of their duties, take an oath or affirmation to support the Constitution."

[L. S.]

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, and caused the great seal of the State of Indiana :o be affixed, at Indianapolis, this third day of September, A. D. 1851; the thirty-sixth year of the State, and of the independence of the United States the seventysixth.

BY THE GOVERNOR

CHARLES H. TEST,

Secretary of State.

JOSEPH A. WRIGHT.

150. Resolution of Whig Convention of Boone County (May 10, 1851). The Constitutional Convention which framed the present Constitution convened on October 7, 1850, and adjourned on February 10, 1851. The Whigs criticised the Democrats for protracting the Convention to an unusual length and incurring a needless expense. This sentiment was formally expressed in a resolution adopted by the Whig convention of Boone county held at Lebanon on May 10, 1851.

[Weekly Indiana State Journal, June 7, 1851.]

Resolved, That we condemn the extravagance of the late Demoratic Constitutional Convention in protracting its sittings to an unusual and unnecessary length, thereby expending a large amount of the people's money unnecessarily.

151.

Resolution of Whig State Convention (February 26, 1852).

The Whigs had persistently criticised the Democrats for the extravagance of the Constitutional Convention of 1850. The Whig State Convention held in Indianapolis on February 26, 1852, adopted the following resolution demanding that the expenses incurred by the Constitutional Convention be published in detail.

[Weekly Indiana State Journal, March 6, 1852.]

Resolved, That the Present General Assembly be respectfully requested to cause to be exhibited and published a plain and full account of the expense of the late Constitutional Convention, showing the items and accounts for which such expenditure was made,

and the persons to whom it was paid, and that a copy of this resolution, signed by the officers of this Convention, be presented to the President of the Senate, and Speaker of the House, with a request to lay the same before their respective bodies.

152. Expenses of the Constitutional Convention of 1850.

The aggregate total cost of the Constitutional Convention of 1850 was $88,280.39. A detailed itemized account of the character of the expenses is given in Part Second of the Documents of the General Assembly of Indiana at the Thirty-Sixth Session, commencing December 1, 1851, at page 389. A consolidated account will be found in Appendix XVI.

(a)

MANNER OF KEEPING THE RECORDS OF THE CONVENTION.

The following resolution, adopted on October 21, prescribed the manner in which the records of the proceedings of the convention should be kept.

[Convention Journal, 107.]

Resolved, That a record of the proceedings of this Convention shall be kept in the following manner, to-wit: All that class of legislative matter usually contained in the journals of the legislature shall be journalized under the direction of the principal secretary. He shall prepare, or cause to be prepared, an index. to said journal; and, if the printing of said journal be ordered, he shall superintend the same. He shall also prepare, or cause to be prepared, a manuscript copy, to be deposited by the President and Secretary, in the office of the Secretary of State, in pursuance of the 14th Section of the Act, entitled "An act to provide for the call of a Convention of the people of the State of Indiana to revise, amend, or alter the Constitution of said State." There shall also be kept a "Journal of Debates," under the direction of the stenographer; but said "Journal of Debates," shall not contain that class of matter usually embraced in legislative journals further than may be actually necessary to identify and give a correct understanding of the subject matter under discussion.

(b) PRINTING OF THE CONSTITUTION.

The following resolution, adopted on February 8, 1851, authorized the secretary of the Convention to contract for the printing of the Constitution.

[Convention Journal, 972.]

Resolved, That the secretary of this Convention be instructed to contract for the printing of the Constitution as provided for by this Convention, at such price as to him may seem reasonable and just.

(c) BINDING OF THE JOURNAL OF DEBATES.

The following resolution, adopted on February 5, ordered the secretary of the Convention to superintend the binding of the journals.

[Convention Journal, 906.]

That the secretary be directed to contract for and superintend the binding of the Journal of Debates and legislative Journal as ordered by the Convention.

(d) ENROLLMENT OF CONSTITUTION AND COMPLETION

OF JOURNALS.

By a resolution adopted on February 8, 1851, the President and principal secretary of the Convention were directed to remain in Indianapolis until the new Constitution was enrolled and the journals completed, and they were allowed their usual per diem for the work.

[Convention Journal, 982.]

Resolved, That the President and principal secretary be directed to stay at Indianapolis until the new Constitution shall be enrolled and our journals completed; and that they file the same with the Secretary of State; and that they be allowed the same per diem as when the Convention was in session; and that the President shall have the same power to certify accounts after as before the adjournment.

(e)

COMPLETION OF PRINTING OF CONSTITUTIONAL DOCUMENTS. The following undated letter written by Austin H. Brown, the printer to the Convention, announces the date on which the constitutional printing was completed and turned over to the binder.

[Documentary Journal, 1851 and 1852, Part Second, 400.]

Dear Sir: In reply to your note of this date, I have to state that the printing of the Constitutional Convention was finally completed and turned over to the book binder about the middle of June, 1851, and that there was, at no time, any delay in the execution of said printing.

(f)

COMPLETION OF BINDING OF CONSTITUTIONAL DOCUMENTS.

The following letter, dated Indianapolis, January 16th, 1852, fixes the date on which Samuel Delzell and Co., binders for the Convention, completed the binding of the Journals of the convention.

[Documentary Journal, 1851 and 1852, Part Second, 400.]

In reply to your note of this date, I have to state that the binding of the Journals of the Constitutional Convention was not finished until the first of August, 1851; and that the secretary of the Convention always urged the completion of the work at the earliest period, and that the same was done without any unnecessary delay.

(g)

REQUEST FOR ITEMS OF EXPENSE OF CONVENTION.

On January 6, 1852, the House adopted the following resolution requesting the Auditor of State to furnish an itemized account of the expenses of the Constitutional Convention of 1850.

[House Journal, Thirty-Sixth Session, 370.]

Resolved, That the Auditor of State be requested to report at his earliest convenience to this House, the items that constitute the bill of expense of the Constitutional Convention of 1850 and 1851.

(h)

RESOLUTION DIRECTING THE WORK OF CLOSING UP THE
BUSINESS OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION.

By virtue of the following resolution, adopted by the House on January 17, 1852, all of the foregoing resolutions and orders comprised in this document were set forth by the Auditor of State.

[House Journal, Thirty-Sixth Session, 525.]

Resolved, That there be printed with the communication of the Auditor of State, on the subject of the expenses of the Constitutional Convention, the resolutions under which the President and secretary acted in closing up the business of the Convention, and also the statement of the printer and binder as to the time of completion of their work.