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ture in favor of it, and had been sent to the Convention
after this, in opposition to his own wishes.
By common consent, on motion of Mr. Jones, leave of
absence was granted for a few days to the President.
Without further action, the Convention adjourned until
Monday.
TWENTIETH DAY.
ANNAPOLIS, MONDAY JUNE 3, 1867.
The Convention met at 10 1/2 o'clock, Hon. Joshua Van-
sant in the chair. Prayer by the Rev. Mr. Hammond.
The President laid before the Convention a communica-
tion from the clerk of the commissioners of Baltimore
county, showing amounts paid, as follows: Registers of
voters in Baltimore county for the years 1865 and 1866,
$2, 763; clerks of registers $1, 176; printing lists of regis-
tered voters, $2, 178. 50—total $6, 117. 50. Also from clerk
of commissioners of Anne Arundel county, showing
amount paid registers and clerks for 1865 and 1866, $1, -
659. 40; printing lists of voters, $751. 25—total $2, 410. 65.
Mr. McMaster presented the petition of W. F. Dennis,
W. G. Gordy, and sixty others, in opposition to the for-
mation of a new county out of parts of Somerset and
Worcester counties.
The unfinished business was taken up, being the con-
sideration of the order submitted by Mr. Archer, (not
Mr. Farnandis, as heretofore reported, ) recommitting the
report of the committee on the legislative department,
with instructions to report an additional section, "that
no person shall be incompetent as a witness on account
of race or color, except hereafter so declared by act of the
General Assembly, " and the pending question being on
the amendment of Mr. Pleasants to strike out all after the
word "color. "
Mr. Barnes, of Baltimore city, addressed the Conven-
tion at some length on the subject. He remarked that
on the first presentation of this question he deemed it
eminently proper, and thought the constitution the place
for it, but more mature reflection had satisfied him that
it had no business in the constitution. He was con-
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