mmediately after the roll had been called,
Enos Lowe, of Des Moines county, was chosen, _viva voce_, President of
the Convention. Mr. Thompson was retained as permanent Secretary, Wm.
A. Skinner was named as the Sergeant-at-Arms. At this point "the Rev.
Mr. Smith invoked a blessing from the Deity upon the future labors of
the Convention." This was the only prayer offered during the entire
session. Some time was saved by the immediate adoption of the rules of
the Convention of 1844.

In the afternoon it was agreed to have six regular standing
Committees. These were: (1) On Boundaries and Bill of Rights; (2) On
Executive Department; (3) On Legislative Department, Suffrage,
Citizenship, Education, and School Lands; (4) On Judicial Department;
(5) On Incorporations, Internal Improvements, and State Debts; and (6)
On Schedule.

It is unfortunate that only the barest fragments have been
preserved of what was said in the Convention of 1846. The official
journal and a few speeches are all that have come down to us. The
debates could not have been very long, however, since the entire
session of the Convention did not cover more than fifteen days. The
discussion for the most part was confined to those subjects upon which
there had been a marked difference of opinion in the earlier
Convention or which had received attention in the campaigns of 1845.
Indeed, the fact that Boundaries, Incorporations, Banks, Salaries,
Suffrage, Executive Veto, Elective Judiciary, and Individual Rights
were among the important topics of debate is evidence of a desire on
the part of the Convention to formulate a code of fundamental law that
would not meet with the criticisms which were so lavishly heaped
upon the Constitution of 1844.

The Convention of 1846 was certainly in earnest in its desire to draft
a Constitution which would be approved by the people. Enos Lowe, the
President, had at the outset informed the members that they were
elected "to form a _new_ Constitution." But the attitude of the
Convention is nowhere better expressed than in the following action
which was taken on the eleventh day of May: "Whereas, In the opinion
of this Convention, it is all important that the Constitution formed
here at this time, be so framed as to meet with the approbation of a
majority of the electors of this Territory, therefore,

"_Resolved_, That a committee of three be added to the Supervisory
Committee, whose duty shall be to enquire into the sec