Saturday, March 7, 1868
The Convention was called to order on Saturday at 10 o’clock, Mr. Pres. Cowles in the Chair.
The Convention moved more quickly through the work on the constitution as it took up reports already read.
The report of the committee on counties, cities and towns was taken up for its next reading. The Convention acted quickly in adopting each section with little discussion. The vote on the entire article stood yeas – 87, nays – 14.
The report of the committee on finance was taken up for its second reading.
On motion the Convention adjourned. With little change, the article was adopted, yeas – 77, nays – 20.
In the evening session that began at 7:00 p.m., the Convention took up the report of the Committee on Punishments, Penal Institutions & Charities.
The only changes made were to Section 5 and 9 where delegates agreed to soften requirements. Mr. Welker the chairman proposed the changes to section 5 in an exchange with Mr. Heaton. Mr. Welker agreed to the proposed change by Mr. Heaton to section 9.
SEC. 5. A House of Refuge shall also be established at an early period for the juvenile offenders, where, under proper supervision, they may be reclaimed from vicious habits and fitted for the duties of citizens. A House or Houses of Refuge may, also, be established whenever the public interests shall require it, for the correction and instruction of other classes of offenders.
SEC. 9. It shall be the duty of the Legislature, at an early day as soon as practicable, to devise means for the education of idiots and the cure of inebriates.
The entire report passed its second reading, yeas – 63, nays – 3.
On motion of Mr. Welker, the report was ordered to be endorsed and made a Special Order for Tuesday at 11 o’clock a.m.
On motion, the Convention adjourned.
Resources
Ferrell, Joseph, ed., Compilation of the Official Report of the Proceedings of the Convention (Chapel Hill, N.C.: unpublished manuscript 2007). (See day 8 for fuller explanation of this resource.)
*The debate and other quotes are close to verbatim from the reported resources with some adjustment to put all comments in first person, present tense.
