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reported the following order, which was adopted:
The committee of accounts ben leave to report
that the several accounts herewith filed number-
ed respectively, No. 1, 2, 3 and 4; have been
examined by them, which they believe correct,
that under resolution No. 67, passed at Decem-
ber session 1849, they are of opinion they should
be paid by an order on the Treasury, drawn by
the President of this body, the}1 beg leave to
suggest the adoption of the following resolution:
Resolved, That the amount of the accompany-
ing accounts, being $4f'8. 14, be paid by an order
drawn on the Treasury by the President of this
Convention. G. WELLS,
W. WILLIAMS,
EDWARD LLOYD.
ALEX NEILL, Jr.,
ELIAS WARE, Jr.
Committee on. Accounts.
MASTER AND SLAVE.
Mr. PRESSTMAN submitted the following order:
"Resolved, That the Legislature shall not pass
any law to abolish the relation of master and
slave as it now exists in this State, and that the
committee on the Legislative Department be in-
structed to report an article to carry out this pro •
vision. "
Some conversation followed between Messrs.
BLAKISTONE, PRESSTMAN and the PRESIDENT, as
to the fact whether a similar proposition had not
heretofore been referred to Committee No. 14.
Mr. PRESSTMAN said he did not think that the
subject matter embraced in this resolution had
already been referred, or that any order had been
submitted to the Convention going to the extent
contemplated by it. If the subject had been re-
ferred in this particular form, he had no wish to
press the resolution; but he thought that no order
had been referred denying to the Legislature the
power to act upon the question of the relation of
master and slave. His desire was to insert a guar-
antee in the new Constitution upon slavery as it
now existed in the State of Maryland, and, pro-
viding that it should not be changed by the Legis-
lature. In making a Constitution, he was pre-
pared to look to compromises, with a view to
obtain more confidence on the part of the coun-
ties than now existed in relation to the matter of
slavery. He believed that there was no desire
on the part of his constituents to interfere with
the relation of master and slave as it now existed;
and they would be prepared to sustain a Consti-
tution embodying such a provision. He thought
it was important that, in the early stages of the
proceedings of the Convention on the subject of
representation, gentlemen should understand that,
whatever its basis might hereafter be, the rights
of property as regarded the relation of master
and slave would be secure. He intended to press
the resolution with a view to obtain the speedy
action of the Convention upon it, and he believed
there was a large majority here ready to sustain
it.
Mr. SPRIGG said, that on Wednesday, the 4th
of December, he had offered the following order
which had been referred to the committee on the
Legislative department;
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" Resolved, That the committee on the Legis-
lative department of the government, enquire in-
to the expediency of engrafting on that branch of
the Constitution, a clause prohibiting the Legis-
lature from passing any law affecting the existing
relation of master and slave in this State. '"
Mr. BROWN remarked that there was no such
committee as a committee on the colored popu-
lation. There was a committee on the free col-
ored population. He would suggest that the re-
solution should be referred to Committee No. 14,
and he (Mr. B. ) would vote for that reform with
pleasure.
Mr. PRESSTMAN said that his object was differ-
ent from that of the gentleman, (Mr. SPRIGG. )
The order introduced by the latter gentleman,
proposed to direct the com. on the Legislative de-
partment of the government to enquire into the
expediency, &c. Now, his (Mr. P s. ) object was
to carry out (he entire view embraced in the re-
solution of the gentleman in the present propo-
sition, as he (Mr. S. ) would probably desire it
should come from the Committee.
Mr. CHAMBERS, of Kent, (to the PRESIDENT.
Is it in order for a proposition identically the
same as one previously offered, to be renewed ?
I hold, in justice to my friend, (Mr. SPRIGG, )
that, as this is precisely the same proposition
which he introduced some time ago, it is not in
order now to renew it.
Mr. PRESSTMAN. I admit that the two propo-
sitions are of a similar character, but I deny that
I have not the right to oiler a resolution, the ob-
ject of which is to take the sense of the Conven-
tion on any subject. I would not have offered
the resolution if I had not known that the object
it has in view is agreeable to a majority of the
Convention. But if the gentleman (Mr, SPRIGG)
has any objection, personally, I shall certainly
withdraw the order. I hope he will understand
the spirit in which 1 offer it.
Mr. DORSEY. I ask for the reading of the re-
solution.
The resolution having been again read,
Mr. CHAMBERS, of Kent, said, I withdraw all
objection.
Mr. BOWIE. The gentleman from Kent,
(Mr. CHAMBERS, ) will, I think, perceive at once
the difference between the two propositions. The
one which my colleague, (Mr. SPRIGG, ) submit-
ted was a mere resolution of enquiry. The reso-
lution of the gentleman from Baltimore city, (Mr.
PRESSTMAN, ) I understand to be a resolution di-
rectly instructing the Committee on the Legisla-
tive department of the government to report such
a provision.
Mr. SPRIGG. Personally, I have not the slight-
est objection that the House should refer this
proposition.
Mr. DASHIELL. It seems to me that this reso-
lution comes from rather a suspicious source;
slavery not being much in favor in the city of
Baltimore. H comes from a part of the State of
Maryland, which is called Western Maryland,
where, I repeat, no great interest in slavery is
felt. It seems from the remarks of the gentle-
man from Baltimore city, that he designs to gain
votes and influence upon other questions, in
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