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The question was then announced as on the following
amendment offered by Mr. Alvey.
"Strike out the words 'or teacher' in the first line, and
the words 'religious creed' in the second line, and insert
after the word 'denomination, ' 'while he continues in the
exercise of his pastoral functions. ' "
Mr. Dent thought the adoption of the amendment would
act as an invitation to ministers to enter into political
life.
Mr. Nelson said the last Legislature had seen the wis-
dom of excluding this class of people from such bodies as
this, by inserting a similar provision in the act calling
this Convention together.
Mr. McMaster rose to express his concurrence in the
propriety of the amendment offered by the gentleman
from Baltimore, (Mr. Gill. ) He could see no reason for
this exclusion, and hoped the whole matter would be left
to the people to decide whether this class should be ad-
mitted to legislative assemblies.
Mr. Maulsby said if the holder of the civil office was ex-
cluded, you must by the same rule of reason exclude the
holder of the religious office, or if not so, you must ac-
knowledge that the religious office is of less importance
to mankind than the civil office. He could not accept the
amendments which had been offered, because he could not
but regard with an unmixed deference the high and holy
calling of a minister of the Gospel, and because he could
not consent that this high and holy office should be sunk
in dignity beneath the civil office.
Mr. Jones said there was much to be said on both sides
of this question, and he had listened to the debate with
much interest. His reflection induced him to the same
conclusion as that arrived at by the gentleman from Fred-
erick, (Mr. Maulsby. ) It could not be considered as any
reflection on this class that this exclusion was applied to
them equally with other classes.
Mr. Gill again took the floor, and read a letter which
stated that the literal meaning of the section would ex-
clude Sunday school teachers, and asked why lawyers also
should not be excluded; and calculated that the number
of preachers excluded in the State would approximate to
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