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SEVENTY-SECOND DAY—EVENING SESSION.
Convention met at seven o'clock; 101 members present.
On motion of Mr. Wilkinson, the Convention resolved
itself into committee of the whole (Mr. Dent in the chair)
on the third section of the report of the committee on
public works, relating to the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal.
Mr. Motter said if he was to consult his personal feel-
ings he would not waste the time of the Convention, but
would preserve his habit of silence, but should he now re-
main silent, under the grave and important interests in-
volved in the proposition now under consideration, he
should deem himself derelict to his duty.
The boldness of the proposition was all that gave it
any influence. It was insulting in its nature to the people
of the State. If it was presented as a separate propo-
sition it would not be entertained for one moment. What
were they asked to do? If he understood it, this Con-
vention was proceeding on the principle that the people
alone should designate the repositories of power. If the
people are not to do this, then your whole theory is false
and rotten at the foundation. The Governor and Comp-
troller are selected by the people, and the Treasurer by
the Legislature, the people's representatives, and these
three compose the board of public works, to whose care
are committed the public works of the State.
This proposition says that these, the people's represen-
tatives selected for their public work and ability, are not
competent to take charge of the public works. Who are
these people that come up here and place themselves be-
fore these public functionaries. They are what are called
the bondholders, and they were asked to take from the
control of the public officers a work reaching an interest
of $27, 000, 000 and hand it over to them. These lobbies
were filled with men of the highest position who were
here to take the power and patronage out of the hands of
the State. Who are these bondholders, what are their
peculiar merits, that they should ask that the State of
Maryland, interested to the amount of $17, 000, 000, should
give up the control of the work to those who were nomi-
nally interested to the amount of $4, 000, 000? It is a
mistake to suppose that the canal company is indebted
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