|
Mr McLANE. That will answer my purpose
After some conversation on a point of order
between Mr. Chambers, of Kent, and the Presi
dent, the question was taken and the considera
tion of the report was postponed.
BASIS OF REPRESENTATION.
The PRESIDENT announced that the next in the
orders of the day was the report of Mr. MER
RICK from the committee on representation.
The pending question was on the amendment of-
fered by Mr. CHAMBERS, of Kent, to the amend-
ment prepared by Mr. SPENCER, to re-commit
the Report with instructions.
Mr. FITZPATRICK. I fear that this question is
going to lead to a very long and tedious debate
I think that such a discussion can result in no
practical good, and I therefore move that the
whole subject be laid upon the table.
Mr. BUCHANAN. Will the gentleman oblige
me by withdrawing the motion for a few minute?
I am desirous of saying a very few words on the
motion of the gentleman from Queen Anne's,
(Mr. Spencer,) as proposed to be amended by
the gentleman from Kent, (Mr. Chambers.)
Mr. FITZPATRICK. If I withdraw the motion,
will the gentleman renew it.
Mr. BUCHANAN. If the gentleman requires me
to do so, I will renew it.
Mr. FITZPATRICK. I withdraw the motion.
So the question recurred on the amendment of
Mr. CHAMBERS, of Kent, to the amendment pro-
posed by Mr. SPENCER to re-commit the report
with instructions.
Mr. BUCHANAN said he had no opportunity on
Friday or Saturday last to present his views upon
the questions pending; but he had felt as acutely
as any member of the Convention could feel,
that some things had occurred in the course of
this debate which ought not to pass by, and
which he was not disposed to pass by without
notice. He should vote against the proposition
of the gentleman from Kent, (Mr. Chambers.)
He should vote for the proposition of the gen-
tleman from Queen Anne's, (Mr. Spencer) not
because he (Mr. B.) altogether concurred in
it, but because it would in part effect the object
which he had in view— delay in respect to this
question of representation. His impression was
that no conceivable good could grow out of its dis-
cussion at this stage of the business of the Conven-
tion. It would swallow up all other matters, and
the Convention would not take one forward step
from the time it was taken ap, until, perhaps it
was too late to do any thing in the way of form-
ing a constitution.
But his main object in rising was, to say a few
words in reply to the very distinguished gentle-
man from Frederick, (Mr. Thomas,) whom he
(Mr. B.) regretted not to see in his seat. That gen-
tleman in endeavoring to effect a postponement
of this question had thought proper, in the course
of his remarks, to refer to the neglect, (for the
charge amounted to that,) on the part of the Con-
vention to do the work which the Convention had
assembled here to do. In other words, the Con-
vention had, to use the gentleman's own emphasis-
|
ed and expressive language, been here "eight long
tedious weeks," — and, done nothing. Sir, con-
tinued Mr. B., we have been here twelve long, te-
dious weeks and done much, and I call upon gen-
tlemen who have been here with us week after
week and month after month, steadily discharg-
ing the duties which have devolved upon us, to
bear me witness when I say that we have done
much. These statements thus made here, echoed
by the people and published by the newspapers,
are doing this Convention essential and serious
wrong. Talk only — debate only — nothing more
than that! By what warrant does the gentleman
say it ? Has he been here ? Has he been amongst
us? Is he now with us? How does he know
that the whole time of this body has been passed
away in mere talk? I point him to the works
which have been done here, and then let him an-
swer to his constituents and to mine, and say,
whether these works are not extremely import-
ant.
Mr. B., to sustain this position, recapitulated
the various measures which had been prepared
for the action of the Convention, and asked, by
what right the gentleman took his seat here, and
before the people of the State, told this Conven-
tion that they had been here all the time doing
nothing — that they were false to their duty and
faithless to their trust? He [Mr. B.] would sub-
mit to such a charge from no man. He had
given up home, occupation, interest, every thing
to the service of the State; and having done so,
he was to be told that he was reckless of his duty
and false to his trust.
He had now a word to say to his excellent
friend from Kent, [Mr. Chambers] whom he, [Mr.
B.,] confessed he approached with proper
caution; for that gentleman, when he under-
took to do execution upon those who might be
so unfortunate as to invoke his wrath, did not
kill them witli the stroke of a cleaver or a broad-
axe, but put them to death in the most delicate
manner, by piercing them through and through
with a well-polished small-sword.
Mr. B. then proceeded to refer to the remarks
made by Mr. Chambers on a former day, in which
the latter gentleman had called upon the Con-
vention to meet this question of representation,
and had declared that it was not to be "shyed"—
as if, [Mr. B. said,] we were running away from
it. He was actuated by the kindest feelings to-
wards the gentleman, [Mr. Chambers,] because
he was the first man who had made a report in
part, and upon which the Convention had been
zealously and laboriously engaged week after
week. And now that they were ready to act
upon that question, another exciting subject
came in, and all that had been done was to go
for naught. He, [Mr. B.,] had desired to aid that
gentleman who had hewn out and polished the
first block upon which was to rest the glorious
fabric of the Constitution. He, [Mr. B.,] did not
wish to see it cast aside — he wanted to protect the
gentleman against himself — he desired that his
work should be made perfect. The original report
of his honorable friend was in itself of the highest
importance, and the gentleman from Anne Arun-
del, [Mr. Dorsey,] not satisfied with what had
|
