655

Mr. Johnson with the consent of the convention, withdrew the
substitute offered by him on yesterday, and submitted the follow
ing in lieu of it as an amendment to come in at the end of the
amendment offered by Mr. Chambers of Kent:

"And that each county in the State be divided into as many
convenient election districts of contiguous territory, and as nearly
equal in population as may be, as such county may be entitled to
members of the House of Delegates, and each of said districts
shall be entitled to elect one delegate, provided that each county
and city shall be divided into separate election districts of compact
contiguous territory, in the manner hereafter to be provided in this
constitution; the qualified voters in each of which districts shall
at the time and in the manner in which delegates are chosen elect
one delegate, who has for one year next before his election been a
resident of the district from which he shall be elected; and the
residence in a district requisite to give a right of suffrage shall be
six months next preceding the election; but in case any voter
otherwise qualified shall have less than six months residence in the
district of his then residence, he shall not thereby lose his right to
vote in the district in which he may have resided for the six
months next preceding his removal."

Which was read.

Mr. Thomas offered as a substitute for the amendment offered
by Mr. Chambers of Kent, and the amendment proposed by Mr.
Johnson, the following:

"In order that each and every portion of the State may be fairly
represented and its various interests protected in the Legislature,
for the purpose of electing delegates therein, the city of Baltimore
and each county in the State shall be divided into separate election
districts of compact, contiguous territory, in the manner hereafter
to be provided in this constitution, the qualified voters in each of
which districts shall at the time and in the manner in which dele
gates are chosen, elect one delegate who has for one year next be
fore his election been a resident of the district from which he shall
be elected, and the residence in a district requisite to give a right
of suffrage shall be six months next preceding the election, but in
case any voter otherwise qualified shall have less than six months
residence in the district of his then residence, he shall not thereby
lose his tight to vote in the district in which he may have resided
for the six months next preceding his removal;"
Which was read.

The President stated that the amendment offered by Mr. Johnson
being pending, the substitute offered by Mr. Thomas was not in
order;

Mr. Thomas then withdrew his substitute.

After debate;

Mr. Howard moved the previous question, which motion he
waived to enable Mr. Brent of Balt. city, to offer the following as