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of Mr. Brent (restricting the Orphans' Courts of the
power to order sales of real estate) to the substitute of-
fered by Mr. Merrick.
After some discussion, the further consideration of the
subject was postponed until tomorrow.
Mr. Perry asked and obtained leave to change his vote
to the affirmative on the passage of the elective franchise
bill.
Mr. Longwell said that as the Baltimore city delegation
did not seem disposed to take up their system, he would
move to proceed with the remaining section of the report.
Mr. Maulsby said he understood the city delegation
were willing.
Mr. Henderson said the city delegation were willing to
do anything that would facilitate business; all they want-
ed was to go right straight forward. They had sat here
for three months now, listening to the talk of the lawyers,
and had become very anxious now to go on with the work.
Part four, relating to the courts of Baltimore city, was
taken up.
Section 27 was read.
Mr. Dobbin said the plan as submitted by the committee
differed materially from that now existing. The consti-
tution of 1864 reposes the entire jurisdiction of the city
of Baltimore in five courts, exclusive of the Orphans'
Court. After defining the jurisdiction of the different
courts of Baltimore city, Mr. D. said it had been found
impossible to apportion jurisdiction among these courts so
as to secure an equality of labor. Some of the courts were
in session all the time, and were unable to do all the work
imposed on them, while others had so little that they
were unoccupied for a considerable part of the time. The
committee, therefore, had provided for one court under a
system which would produce equalization of labor by the
transfer of the judges from one court to another as oc-
casion may require. Under this, it was thought, the
judges would be able to get through with the work. The
Court of Common Pleas, at its last term, had been unable
to reach the trial docket at all, but had been entirely oc-
cupied with appeals from justices of the peace. The com-
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