|
|
|
from the people who resided without the limits. The
friends of this measure had expected to encounter this
opposition, and they had come here prepared to dispel the
mists of error which it would be sought to throw around
the question. He contended that the principle which had
heretofore guided the formation of new counties had been
adhered to in the proposition before them. Mr. R. quoted
from statistics, and claimed that the population of the two
counties had increased in a sufficient ratio since 1860 as
to give them the minimum number of white inhabitants
prescribed by the constitution for each county, and re-
plied at length to the arguments of Mr. Page. He was
in favor now of this new county because it would pre-
serve the balance of power throughout the State, and
he commended this particularly to every county man. He
was glad to find that their friends from Baltimore went
for this, because they knew that Wicomico county would
always send a Democratic senator and delegates to these
halls to serve as an additional barrier against the en-
croachments of radicalism. He did not believe the taxa-
tion would be increased one dollar by the creation of this
new county. He stated as a fact that the money to erect
all the necessary public buildings would be raised in Salis-
bury.
Mr. Jones said one of the chief complaints against this
movement was that it took the people of Somerset and
Worcester completely by surprise. They had no idea
that it was to be agitated before this Convention. There
had been no memorials or petitions of late years, although
an effort had been made in this direction some years ago.
Mr. Rider said it had been discussed in the papers of
Princess Anne and Salisbury.
Mr. Jones said there might have been some fugitive
newspaper articles, but no memorial had come up to the
last Legislature, and the town of Salisbury was then rep-
resented by a very competent gentleman. His colleague's
assumption of the increase of population was entirely con-
jecture, and would, probably, not be borne out by the
facts. In regard to the petitions sent to this Convention,
there was very little difference in the number for and
against, and he had noticed several duplications of signa-
tures in the memorials in favor, and it was impossible to
392
|
|
|
|
 |
