Mr. Ingersoll, asked and obtained leave of absence for A. W. Hovey, Clerk of the House of Representatives, for an indefinite period. Mr. Chittenden, by unanimous consent of the House, offered the following resolution, which was adopted:

Resolved, That Charles Smith be and he is hereby appointed Clerk pro tempore of this House, to act during the absence of the regular Clerk.

PETITIONS PRESENTED.

By Mr. Hammond, of L. H. Ion and others relative to laying out a state road in Eaton county; referred to the committee on roads and bridges.

By Mr. Lovell, of Ethan S. Johnson and sixty-one others; of A. F. Carr and thirteen others; of Samuel Dexter and thirty-one others, praying for an extension of the charter of the Farmers' and Mechanics' bank of Michigan; which were severally laid on the table.

Mr. Ferguson, from the committee on the judiciary, to whom was referred Senate bill to amend section thirty-four of chapter one hundred and thirty-four of the revised statutes of 1846,

Reported the same back without amendment, recommended its passage, and asked to be discharged from its further considera

tion.

The report was accepted, the committee discharged, and the bill. referred to the committee of the whole and placed on the general order.

Mr. Ferguson, from the same committee, to whom was referred the petition of the district board of school district number eight, in the township of Ransom, in the county of Hillsdale, praying for the passage of an act to legalize certain proceedings of said district, reported the same back accompanied by a bill entitled a bill for the relief of school district number eight, of the township of Ransom, in the county of Hillsdale, and asked to be discharged from the further consideration of the subject.

The report was accepted, the committee discharged, and the bill was read twice, referred to the committee of the whole, placed on the general order and ordered to be printed.

Mr. J. W. Turner, from the committee on banks and incorporations, to whom was referred Senate bill to incorporate the grand lodge of free and accepted masons of the state of Michigan, reported the same back accompanied by a written report as follows:

The minority of the committee to whom was referred Senate bill number fifty-five, entitled "a bill to incorporate the grand lodge of free and accepted masons of the state of Michigan," hoping that a brief expose of the leading objections to the bill will create no excitement in the House or out of it, your committee beg leave to call the attention of the House to section second, by the provisions of which the incorporation would have power to hold twenty thousand dollars worth of real estate, and an unlimited amount of all other kinds of property-for uses and purposes unrevealed by the bill and unknown. There is no provision in the charter for any alteration, amendment or repeal by future legislation-it is evidently intended for a perpetual charter unlimited in its monied power and secret in the exercise of its prerogative.

Your committee cannot see the necessity of a charter to secure a company in business or social transactions, if they be secret transactions, because if not known they cannot be disturbed. If the charter is asked to give a popular sanction to the organization of the society, then the legislature should be satisfied that its influences would be beneficial; that no exclusive privileges are granted; that the principles of the society are in accordance with the spirit and genius of American institutions, dispensing equal rights to all; that no social or national evil can arise from the exercise of its chartered rights.

Your committee not being able to judge of these things at the present time, because uninitiated, and believing it would be a dangerous precedent to give a corporation such unlimited power with the right to exercise it at will; believing that it is unmanly and debasing to approve of measures that cannot be sanctioned by the judgment because not presented to the mind, report adverse to the passage of the bill, all of which is respectfully submitted.

The report was accepted, the committee discharged, and the bil referred to the committee of the whole and placed on the general

order.

Mr. Coe, from the committee on the judiciary, to whom was referred the bill to authorize Jacob Barns, guardian of Cornelius Barns, to sell certain real estate, reported the same back with amendments, in which they asked the concurrence of the House, and to be discharged from further consideration of the subject.

The report was accepted, the committee discharged, and the bill

with amendments referred to the committee of the whole and placed on the general order.

The Speaker announced the following communication from the Governor:

To the House of Representatives:

EXECUTIVE OFFICE, Lansing, February 16th, 1849.)

I have this day approved, signed and deposited in the office of the Secretary of State,

An act to attach a part of the township of Rives, in the county of Jackson, to the township of Henrietta;

Also an act to amend an act entitled an act to incorporate the Monroe and Erie plank road company.

EPAPHRO. RANSOM.

Also the following from the Attorney General:

Hon. LEANDER CHAPMAN,

OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL,)
Lansing, February 17, 1849.

Speaker of the House of Representatives:

DEAR SIR:-I beg leave herewith to transmit to the House of Representatives a reply to their resolution asking a statement of the terms and conditions of the settlement made by the state with the Detroit and Pontiac railroad company.

I have been prevented by other pressing duties from making an earlier reply. I have the honor to be,

Your most ob't servant,

GEO. V. N. LOTHROP,

Attorney General.

The report accompanying the foregoing communication was laid

on the table and ordered to be printed.

The following message was received from the Senate:

SENATE CHAMBER, Lansing, February 17, 1849.f

To the Speaker of the House of Representatives:

SIR: I am instructed to transmit herewith a bill to amend an act entitled an act to incorporate the Kalamazoo and Three rivers plank company, which the Senate have passed and in which the concurrence of the House is respectfully asked.

The bill named in the foregoing communication was read twice and referred to the committee on banks and incorporations.

Mr. J. W. Turner, from the committee on banks and incorporations, by unanimous consent of the House, reported a bill to amend an act entitled an act to amend the revised statutes of 1846, concerning the assessment and collection of taxes, approved March 17, 1847; which was read twice, referred to the committee of the whole, placed on the general order and ordered to be printed.

On motion of Mr. Pennoyer,

The bill to provide for the sale of certain state tax lands and lands withheld for taxes, and for other purposes, was taken from the table, and

On motion of Mr. J. W. Turner,

Referred to the committee of the whole and placed on the general order.

Mr. O'Malley moved a reconsideration of the vote by which was passed yesterday, a bill to authorize the improvement of the Kalamazoo river, and for other purposes.

On motion of Mr. Ingersoll,

A call of the House was ordered, and Messrs. H. H. Comstock and Lockwood were absent without leave.

Mr. Bowne moved that the Sergeant-at-Arms be directed to bring in the absentees; but

On motion of Mr. Chamberlain,

All further proceedings under the call were dispensed with.

The motion to reconsider the vote on the above named bill being under consideration, Mr. Hawley moved to lay the motion to reconsider on the table, which motion prevailed, by yeas and nays, as follows:

Mr. J. W. Turner moved a reconsideration of the last vote, which motion the Speaker decided to be out of order, the vote laying the motion to reconsider on the table being equivalent to a refusal to re

consider it.

The motion was then withdrawn.

Mr. Moffatt moved an adjournment, but the House refused to adjourn, by the following vote:

Mr. J. W. Turner moved to take from the table the motion to reconsider the vote by which the bill last above named was passed, which did not prevail, the vote thereon being as follows: