eral Assembly were incompetent to the discharge
of such aduty. If it was required that the Legis-
lature should go back to the commencement of our
legal system, and codify all the laws, the qualifi-
cations for such a task would rarely, if ever, be
found in any House of Delegates. He referred also
to the price of printing the work, as imposing a
great expense on the State, and the work, when
completed, would be wosre than valueless. Every
member of the Legislature would be required to
familiarize himself with all its enactments be-
fore he would be competent to discharge the du-
ties proposed to be assigned him.
Mr. SCHLEY suggested that the gentleman from
Caroline, might better obtain his object by the
mode adopted in the Constitution of the State of
Missouri, which he read. That he considered
to be the only feasible mode by which it could be
done. A colleague of his had early in the ses-
sion, suggested the appointment of a committee
to revise the laws, but he could not find it in his
file of journals If a commissioner were appoin-
ted, and the clause from the Missouri Constitu-
tion were added, the amendment might be sim-
plified and made effective.
Mr. SPENCER notified the House that, at a pro-
per time, he, if no other member of the Conven-
tion did so, would bring forward a proposition re-
lative to arranging the laws in asystem. In this
way, he thought, the object of the gentleman
from Caroline, might be accomplished. The
great labor and expense to which the amendment
of the gentleman would lead, was his great ob-
jection to it in its present shape.
Mr. STEWART said this was a subject which
had not occurred to his mind, at a very recent
period. It was one which had given him much
reflection. He had no objection to pass over his
proposition for the present.
And then, pending the question,
The Convention adjourned until to-morrow
morning at ten o'clock.
WEDNESDAY February 19,1851.
The Convention, pursuant to the order yesterday
adopted, met at 10 o'clock.
Prayer was made by the Rev. Mr. GRAUFF.
The roll was called.
Mr. GWINN, (to the PRESIDENT.) I under-
stand there is not a quorum present.
The PRESIDENT. No quorum, sir.
Mr. GWINN. I move that the doorkeeper be sent
to notify the absent members to attend.
Ordered accordingly.
Mr. DAVIS moved that the Convention proceed
to the orders of the day.
The PRESIDENT stated, that the Convention
was not in a condition to proceed to business, no
quorum being present.
Mr. DAVIS said, he hoped that fad: would be
noted on the journal.

After the lapse of a few minutes—a quorum
being present,
The journal of yesterday was read, and hav-
ing been amended as to an error in the state-
ment of Mr. THOMAS' amendment, was ap-
proved.
LOTTERIES.
The PRESIDENT laid before the Convention a
petition of sundry citizens of the city of New
York, praying the Convention to incorporate in
the organic law of this State, a provision entire-
ly, and forever prohibiting the drawing of lotte-
ries within the State of Maryland.
The petition having been read,
Mr. DONALDSON moved that it be printed on the
journal, (omitting the names, with the exception
of the first two or three.)
Mr. SHRIVER moved that the petition be refer-
red to the committee on the legislative depart-
ment;
Mr. DORSEY expressed himself in favor of the
reference, but opposed to the printing of the peti-
tion.
It was an innovation upon the practice of the
Convention, and would, he thought, open the
door to an expense which could not readily be
calculated.
Mr, DONALDSON said, his motion to print, em-
braced only the petition, not the names. The
petition was very short, and as to the precedent,
bethought it could lead to no difficulty. But
few petitions were presented here. This came
from a sister State, and as a matter of comity, he
thought it well that it should, be printed
Mr. BROWN thought it was a doubtful question
whether the petition ought even to be received.
If it was, the Convention might be called upon
to receive petitions upon every other subject
which the people of other States might think
proper to intrude upon them. The Convention
had not honored its own citizens by printing their
petitions, and he saw no reason why they should
treat petitions from other States with more res-
pect than the petitions of our own people.
Mr SMITH suggested that the petition was very
short, and that the printing could not be a mat-
ter worth speaking of,
Whilst on the floor, he desired to present a
petition.
The PRESIDENT said, the petition before the
Convention must first be disposed of. The gen-
tleman, (Mr. Smith,) could present his petition,
after the pending proposition should have been
disposed of.
Mr. DORSEY said, he very much misunder-
stood the question, if the courtesy due from one
State to another, had any thing to do with this
matter. The petition did not come from the
State of New York, but from some persons, lot-
tery dealers or others, in New York. He did
not think that the Convention should show great-
er respect to them, than to their own citizens.
Mr. DONALDSON said, that in making the mo-
tion to print, he had not the slightest idea that it
would lead to a discussion. It seemed to him
that the minds of gentlemen were tilled with
chimeras. The petition showed one of the great