in the councils of government. As a responsible, law-abiding people,
we must, of course, accept this decision. Therefore, we must take
immediate steps to establish congressional districts and to apportion
the membership of this General Assembly to conform with the rules
the courts have laid down. To do less, and not to do it now, would
be an unfortunate neglect of our duties as responsible public officials.

CONCLUSION

To conclude, let me express my appreciation to you for affording
me this opportunity to suggest to you some of the proposals I have
in mind for the betterment of our State and its people. I wish for
each of you a very pleasant stay in our capital city and for all of our
people a constructive legislative session. May the blessings of Divine
Providence be with you, and with all the people, as we work together
to make Maryland a better place in which to dwell and a stronger
factor in the life of our nation.

ADDRESS, SPECIAL SESSION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

October 11, 1965

Mr. President, Mr. Speaker, ladies and gentlemen of the Genera]
Assembly:

The people of Maryland, through the Constitution they have
adopted, have prescribed seventy days of legislative duty for you here
each year, with the provision that you may be convened in special
session "on extraordinary occasions. " Today is such an extraordinary
occasion. The task you face here at this extraordinary session is to
reapportion the membership of both houses of the General Assembly
in such a way as to meet the requirements that the courts have laid
down to give all citizens equal representation in their legislative
bodies. You duty is clear plain, unmistakable. You must apportion
the membership of this General Assembly in such a way as to give
every citizen a substantially equal voice in the deliberations and
decisions of your two bodies.

The hour of decision has arrived. The Maryland General Assembly
must meet head on the mandate of the Supreme Court of the United
States and reapportion both Houses in accordance with the "one
man, one vote" theme enunciated by the Supreme Court on June 15,
1964. It matters not whether one agrees with the Court's pronounce-

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