or Prince Georges or Montgomery County,
would have the same total impact with his
vote when he voted for a member of the
General Assembly as anyone else through-
out the State of Maryland.
We tried to balance representational gov-
ernment with effective government. This
represents our best efforts. We have come
before you in the spirit of compromise
within the Committee because it is the only
way we know to get the job done and to
get the proposition on the floor for the full
consideration of this Committee of the
Whole.
We have done our best. We believe that
the numbers while not having the force of
eternal verity, at the same time certainly
represent the best we can see over the long
pull.
THE CHAIRMAN: The question arises
on the adoption of Amendment No. 6 to
Committee Recommendation LB-I.
A vote Aye is a vote in favor of the
adoption of Amendment No. 6. A vote No
is a vote against.
Are you ready for the question?
(Call for the question.)
Cast your vote.
(Whereupon, a roll call vote was taken.)
Have all delegates voted? Does any dele-
gate desire to change his vote?
(There was no response.)
The Clerk will record the vote. There
being 58 votes in the affirmative, and 78 in
the negative, the motion is lost. The amend-
ment is rejected. For what purpose does
Delegate Chabot rise?
DELEGATE CHABOT: If I am recog-
nized, I rise to offer, Amendment CD.
THE CHAIRMAN: What amendment is
that?
DELEGATE CHABOT: I have been di-
rected to designate as CD—shall I read the
amendment?
THE CHAIRMAN: No. Just a second.
The Clerk will read the amendment.
Amendment No. 7. Please strike out on
the amendment the printed language, "to
amend number".
READING CLERK: Amendment No. 7
to Committee Recommendation LB-I by
Delegate Chabot: On page 1 in section 3.04, |
Composition of the Legislature line 24,
strike out the words "one hundred five" and
insert in lieu thereof the words "one hun-
dred twenty-three".
THE CHAIRMAN: Is there a second to
the amendment?
(Whereupon, the motion was duly sec-
onded.)
Delegate Clarke seconded. The Chair rec-
ognizes Delegate Chabot to speak to the
amendment.
DELEGATE CHABOT: This amend-
ment would permit the House of Delegates
to have 123 members and the Senate to
have 41 members. I could say that this was
derived so that the House could have four
effective committees. I could say that 123
is somehow a magic number because for
some number of years prior to 1962, it was
a magic number.
But quite frankly and obviously this
amendment is moved .because it is hoped
that we can arrive with some substantial
majority support at a position. These fig-
ures are no more magic than the present
figures. They are no more magic than the
105-35 figures. Nevertheless, they fit in with
the basic plan of Committee Recommenda-
tion LB-I with which I agree. They do no
violence to any of the other parts of LB-I.
And so that we may complete the discussion
on this particular point, hopefully with
some substantial majority, I urge this
amendment to be adopted.
THE CHAIRMAN: Does any delegate
desire to speak in opposition to the amend-
ment? Delegate Gallagher.
DELEGATE GALLAGHER: Mr. Chair-
man and ladies and gentlemen of the Com-
mittee, this particular amendment does
have the virtue of preserving the 3 to 1
ratio of 123 delegates, 41 senators.
I would say in opposition that I served
in this General Assembly when the House
was 123 and I will make the same observa-
tions I made before this. That is, simply,
that if you are not on the Ways and Means
Committee or the Judiciary Committee and
that situation covered approximately half
of the House, your full potential was cer-
tainly not employed and those not fortunate
enough certainly felt they were not effec-
tive delegates, and they were not repre-
sentational delegates. For this reason and
for all the other reasons, I have summoned
from time to time today in opposing the
various amendments which 1 incorporate
now by reference into my remarks, I would
oppose this amendment. |
