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The order was amended by substituting Wednesday,
July 31st, for Tuesday, July 30, and 11. 30 A. M. for 12
M., and was then adopted.
The unfinished business, being the report of the com-
mittee on the judiciary, was then taken up and passed
over informally.
The report of the committee respecting the appoint-
ment, tenure of office, duties and compensation of all civil
officers not embraced in the duties of other standing com-
mittees was taken up.
Sections 1 and 2 were read and passed over.
Section 3, relative to the State librarian, was read.
Mr. Ireland moved to amend by providing that the
librarian shall be elected by a joint vote of the two houses
of the General Assembly.
Mr. Carter said it was advisable that the incumbent of
this office should be selected with great care and discre-
tion, and the committee had thought that he should be in-
dependent of any branch of the legislative department,
and hence they had altered the mode of selection. The
librarian should be perfectly familiar with his duties,
and every day that he was in office, if he was a proper
person, would render him more competent, and it was
thought that four years was not too long a term, in con-
sideration of these facts, and also to induce competent
persons to take the position at the limited salary. The
committee had also been guided by two other reasons;
that the librarian, who furnished the stationery, &c., to
the Legislature, and in the distribution of which there
was great waste, should not hold his office through the
favor of this body; and finally, that the duties of the
Legislature would require all of its time, without occu-
pying it with the election of officers.
Mr. Watkins, of Montgomery, moved an amendment
that the librarian shall be elected by the people.
Mr. McKaig agreed with the opinions expressed by his
friend from Baltimore city, (Mr. Carter, ) but he would
prefer that this officer should be appointed by the judges
of the Court of Appeals, and alluded to the great incon-
venience occasioned to the attorneys of that court when
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