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The gentleman from Baltimore, would lean when he bad the,*enefit of larger experience that the only safe and sure way to success, is b a straight forward, plain, direct and honest coura to the object candidly avowed. The crooked tortuous path in which that gentleman travellei occasionally crossed this straight track an brought him in his view, and the gentleman wa hence induced to think that he (Mr. G.) was als out of line. It was only an optical illusion. I the gentleman would march boldly, rightonward disregarding the clamors of that large family i Baltiraoic, alluded lu bj his colleague, or irom any other quarter, hi« own intelligence woul take him in the direct road. Mr. GWINN asked if the gentleman would poin out the direct course. Mr. CHAMBERS. "Follow me." (a laugh.) He said the gentleman from Frederick, [Mr THOMAS,] had renewed the charge against thi resolution, that it was an abstraction. He vind cated it at length from this imputation, an maintained that it was eminently practical. Tha gentleman had indulged in an elaborate address to the House, avowedly to convince them of the great error they had committed by their vote o sixty odd to seventeen, and yet concluded by assuring us that the vote "amounted to nothing.' It was very true, as stated that members of a committee, from courtesy to a chairman, often permitted him to report propositions they did no approve. It often occurred too that members presented propositions they did not mean to sanc tion by their votes. But in all such cases the fact was announced and known, and the sole object was to bring the House to a vote in which every member coulc express his actual opinion. It was certainly the first time in the experience of some years he had ever heard it said that on the final passage of a resolution by yeas and nays, the vote was no ev- idence of opinion, and he was glad to have the endorsement of the gentleman from Cecil, (Mr. MCLANE,) who had so fully concurred in this riew. He had no doubt there would be found of the members voting on that proposition, no more than seventeen, logo for the broad doctrine of representation on the basis of numbers alone. He repeated the ground he had heretofore urged as to the cut bona. Two gentlemen on the Com- mittee would agree to nothing till driven by the House from this claim of a popular basis. When that was disposed of, as it would be by passing this resolution, there remained the alternatives of compromise or the stafta enti ielum— the pre- sent arrangement. Compromise was an indefi- nite term. On that subject too the Committee was a divided family. We had a compromise in 1836— the city of Baltimore had the "lion's share." We are now to compromise again and another " lion's share" is to be taken from what was then left us. The House should indicate their views in regard to this one most important item in the compromise. The last vote decides that a reduction must be made from the immense number which would be given to the city by a basil purely of numbers. What was to be the limit? He supposed it must be to an extent 17

which would avert the danger of brinirinir the counties entirely under the control of the city He illuitrated how this would be the case if no limit was imposed. This amendment was ofler- ed by him in Committee— it was now before the House, and he would stand by it. If the House thought it proper to make the limit that which was allowed to the largest county, then they should adopt this amendment; if they determin- ed any other to be proper let it be made, and the Committee will regard it as an instruction. Mr. McLANE and Mr. OHAMBFII. «oid aaoh a few words in explanation. Mr. THOMAS stated, that he had considered these resolutions as presenting merely a negative question until yesterday. The amendment now proposed by the gentleman from Kent, giving Baltimore a specific number of representatives was an affirmative question. So was the vote of yes- terday, deciding that population shall not be the basis of representation in the House of Delegate* By that vote the House had fixed one principle ': and if it should be decided that Baltimore shall have a representation equal to the largest county in the State, another principle will be ixed. He went on to state the parliamentary prac- tice in relation to amendments and the manner in which they might be introduced; and asserted that any gentleman had a right to get up and contradict to-day any position which he might have taken yesterday; and even to record h» vote in one way, and to argue in another. No gentleman could be required to redeem any sup- posed pledge contained in his vote of the day pre- Mr. MCLANE explained. Mr. JOHNSON asked if the gentleman from Kent objected to going into committee of the whole. Mr. CHAMBERS said he would not object to hat course. J Mr. THOMAS resumed, explaining more fullv is views as to the binding effect of the vote of a gentleman in his future action. He adverted to ne contemplated reforms which extended to the Executive, the Judicial, and the Legislative de- artments. It was intended to take away almost 11 power from the Executive; and he stated hat he would not object to Ihis if to that reform ere connected an extension of power to the egislative branch. He stated that he repre- ented a large population, and he would not edge them or himself to the course they should ake when the Constitution was presented to hem for acceptance. There might be provision* ngrafted in it, such as would compel him to veins own vote against it, and to admonish the >eople from the hills and the house-tops to reject He concluded with some further remarks enerally reiterating what he had previously said to the inefficiency of votes given on isolated uestious to stand as a true exponent of the final ote of gentlemen on the report as a whole. He onsidered himself as entirely free to move to mend the report hereafter by the introduction of