HOWARD BISTRICT
Mr. DORSEY moved that the Convention pro-
ceed to the consideration of the report heretofore
made by him, from the select committee appoint-
ed to consider and report respecting the forma-
tion of new counties, in relation to erecting
Howard District into a new county to be called
Howard county.
This Report had been made the special order
of the day for this day.
The PRESIDENT, pro tem., announced the said
Report to be the business before the Convention.
THE LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT.
Mr. PHELPS rose to inquire of the Chairman,
whether the unfinished business of yesterday (the
Report on the Legislative Department of the
Government) had not precedence over the Re-
port of the gentleman from Anne Arundel, (Mr.
Dorsey.) He (Mr. P.) had yesterday been com-
pelled, very strongly against his wishes, to take
up the former subject, and, having been so, he
did not now feel disposed to yield its title to pri-
ority. He had also stated the other day, and he
now repeated, that he was unwilling to take up
this question as to Howard District until (he
question of representation and apportionment had
been settled.
The PRESIDENT, pro tem., replying to the point
of order raised by Mr. PHELPS, stated the condi-
tion of the business upon the calendar, and pro-
ceeded to say, that the Convention had yesterday,
taken up the Report from the Legislative De-
partment. That report had not been made the
order of the day for any particular day. If the
report had been allowed to remain where it was
lift yesterday, after it had been read, it would
have come up to-day as unfinished business. But
the Convention had thought proper to take it out
of its line, and to make it the special order for
to-day. It would, therefore, come up after pre-
vious special orders should have been disposed
of.
Mr. MERRICK thought, he said, that the decision
of the Chair was correct. The Convention had
been brought into the difficulty in which it was
now placed, by anerror on its own part. And in
order that the Convention might clear itself from
this difficulty, he would move that all previous
orders be postponed, with a view to enable the
Convention to proceed to the consideration of the
Report of the Committee on the Legislative De-
partment.
Mr. DORSEY briefly opposed the motion to post-
pone the Howard District report, and suggested
that if the report of the legislative committee
should be first acted upon, it would be requisite
to re-consider portions of its provisions, in order
to accomodate them to the action of the Conven-
tion upon the other report. He presumed it
would not occupy much time.
Mr. DONALDSON hoped that the Convention
would take up the Howard District report.
Mr. PHELPS hoped, he said, that the motion of
the gentleman from Charles, ( Mr. Merrick,)
would prevail. The question involved in the re-
port of the gentleman from Anne Arundel, (Mr. |
Dorsey,) was an important one, and he, (Mr. P.,)
thought that the gentleman was mistaken in sup-
posing that the report would pass sub silentio, or
or without debate. For his own part, he, (Mr.
P.,) was not disposed to give his vote in favor of
erecting new counties, until he had first ascer-
tained what the basis of representation was to be.
He thought that the argument of the gentleman
from Anne Arundel, (Mr. Dorsey,) did not ap-
ply, because the report of the legislative commit-
tee provided how new counties, made by subdi-
vision, should be represented in the legislative
halls. In addition to this, he, (Mr. P.,) would
state, that there was a number of gentleman on
both sides of the Convention who were anxious
to vote upon the second section of the report of
the committee on the legislative department, and
who were desirous to leave the city. He thought
that an opportunity should be extended to them to
express their sentiments and to record their votes
upon the section. (It was that which related to
biennial sessions.) He hoped, therefore, that
the report of the committee on the legislative de-
partment would be taken up to-day.
Mr. MERRICK said it was deeply to be regret-
ted, that so much of the time of the Convention
was consumed in discussing the order of business.
At the time of the adjournment yesterday, it was
manifestly the fixed purpose of the Convention
to go on with the report of the committee on the
legislative department; and it was only by an er-
ror, as he had before stated, that the difficulty had
arisen this morning. He hoped that the purpose
still existed in the mind of the Convention, to
proceed now with this important part of the pub-
lic business. And he submitted that there was
no necessity to act upon the report of the com-
mittee relative to Howard District, in anticipa-
tion of the report of the legislative committee.
Mr. DORSEY said he had looked at the report
of the committee on the legislative department
with some Care, and he assured gentlemen that
they were mistaken in supposing that a re-con-
sideration of the legislative report would not be
necessary if it was acted upon before the report
of the committee on Howard District. He could
turn to the report and satisfy gentlemen that they
were mistaken, but he did not wish to take up
the time of the Convention. He thought that the
Howard District report would occupy but little
time, and he hoped that the Convention would go
on and dispose of it now.
The PRESIDENT, pro tem., stated the question
to be on the motion of Mr. MERRICK, to postpone
the consideration of the Howard District report,
with a view to take up the report of the commit-
tee on the legislative department.
Mr. BROWN hoped that the motion to postpone
would not be agreed to. The best way to get
through with the business of the Convention, was
to consider and dispose of it in the order in which
it came up.
Mr. JENIFER gave notice that if he should be
absent, (as he probably might be,) when the re-
port from Committee No. 14, in relation to the
.establishment of a .Board of Works, should come
up, be did not desire that the Convention should |
