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IN CONVENTION, Feb. 27, 1868.

Resolved, That there be printed, in addition to the number already printed, a sufficient num. ber of copies of the debates, documents and journals, to furnish each of the members with three copies; and also one copy each to the Mayor and the members of the Common Council of the city of Albany, and one copy each to the State Law Libraries at Rochester and Syracuse the law libraries of the several judicial districts, the Law Institute, the Astor Library, and the New York Historical Society in the city of New York, and the Young Men's Associations of the cities of Albany and Troy.

LUTHER CALDWELL, Secretary.

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Pursuant to chapter 194, of the Laws of 1867, being an Act to provide for a Convention to revise and amend the Constitution, passed March 29, 1867, the Delegates duly elected thereto assembled at the Capitol in the city of Albany.

At eleven o'clock, A. M., the Convention was called to order by Hon. FRANCIS C. BARLOW, Secretary of State.

Rev. W. B. SPRAGUE, D.D., of Albany, addressed the throne of Grace in prayer, in words as follows:

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the wisdom of the present generation, which aspires still to amend and, if it may be, to perfect the work of those who have gone before them. And now, we desire gratefully to acknowledge We invoke Thy blessThine hand in all the propitious circumstances which attend this occasion. Almighty and all gracious Father, we bow be- ing upon this large deliberative assembly, who are fore Thee as the God of all the Nations of the assembled for one of the most important purposes earth. Thou liftest up one and puttest down which can occupy mortals. We ask, first of all, another, and all are alike under Thy control. We that Thou would impress them deeply with a sense recognize Thy gracious providence in the ordering of the importance of the object which has conof our lot, ever since our existence as a Nation vened them together, and grant that they may commenced. We thank Thee that here, while rightly understand their duty and have grace and yet this was savage ground, a seed was sown strength given them faithfully to discharge it; and which has sprung up and expanded into a mighty that they may discharge their duty successfully, tree, that has sent forth its boughs to the ends of wilt Thou grant to them to-day a fresh baptism of the earth, and whose leaves we believe will be the spirit of christian patriotism and good will for the healing of the Nations. We thank Thee, toward each other; let them realize their responsithat though Thou hast in retribution for our aggra- bility, not only to those whose interests they are vated sins, sometimes inflicted upon us grievous immediately charged with, but toward that God National calamities, yet Thou hast in Thine own who has placed them in this important position. best time delivered us out of them, so we are now Grant, most merciful Father, that every discusin the full enjoyment of our liberties and our sion may be conducted with candor and courtesy institutions. We thank Thee specially for the and unity, that every measure may be adopted favor with which Thou hast regarded this State in with wisdom, and that the result of all those which our lot is cast; and we thank Thee for all deliberations may be to add to the stability of our the means of intellectual, moral and Christian institutions, and also to intensify our influence culture, which we have here enjoyed. We thank as a State, and to bring us into more intimate Thee for all the intelligence, order and social ele-relations with the great Ruler of the world. Now vation, which here prevail. We thank Thee for grant that all the members of this Convention the good influence this State has exerted, not may be under Thy gracious care, during their resimerely upon the sister States of the Union, but dence in the midst of us, and wilt Thou watch We thank over and preserve their families during the period upon other Nations of the globe. of their separation from them; and when they shall have accomplished the object of their meeting, may they be returned safely to their homes, rejoicing in Thy goodness-rejoicing in the approval

Thee for the wisdom of our fathers in which origi-
nated the Constitution under which we live, and
for the wisdom of their successors by which it
has been, from time to time, improved; and for

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