Mr. BISER said it was evident that a quorum
was not present, and he would, therefore, move
a call of the Convention.
The motion was agreed to.
The Secretary called the roll.
A quorum having in the interim appeared, all
further proceedings in the call were dispensed
with.
The Journal of yesterday was read and ap-
proved.
The President laid before the Convention a
communication from the Treasurer of the State,
(for which see Journal) in reply to a resolution
heretofore adopted, calling for certain informa-
tion.
On motion of Mr. BROWN, the communication
was ordered to be printed (the reading having,
on his motion, been in part dispensed with.)
The President also laid before the Convention
a communication from the Governor of the
State of Louisiana., in relation to the system of
education in that State.
Mr. BROWN said, if there were no other busi-
ness before the Convention, he would move that
the Convention resolve itself into committee of
the whole on the order of the day.
Mr. BRENT, of Baltimore city, requested him
to withdraw the motion for a short time, to en-
able him (Mr. BRENT) to offer a resolution.
Mr, BROWN withdrew his motion.
ABSENTEES.
Mr. BRENT then offered the following order,
which was read:
Ordered, That on and after Monday next, the
Secretary shall enter on the journal of each day,
the names of all members absent at the call of
roll without leave, unless they shall on the same
day before adjournment, report themselves in
person to the Secretary; which was twice read.
Mr. BRENT said he had not offered this pro-
position with any sort of reference to Buncombe,
and he believed he could conscientiously say
that he had not, during the entire session of this
body given one single vote with reference to
that object. But he was impressed with the ne-
cessity of the Convention taking some action,
with a view to enforce the attendance of its
members. Before the holidays it was declared
on every side that, after their termination, the
Convention would, on resuming its duties, go
earnestly to work. What was the actual state
offacts? The Convention had been in session
fourteen days after the holidays; and yet, on
Saturday last, when a vote was taken upon one
of the most important questions on which the
Convention would be called to act, some. thirty
members were absent. Yesterday, he believed,
a still greater number were absent. Could they
all be sick, or have a valid excuse? His pro-
position was, not to deprive them of their per
diem, but simply to record their names upon the
Journal. If any gentleman had just cause of
absence, it could not be doubted that the Con-
vention would excuse him. He hoped that the
Convention would put. a stop to this system, at
least so far as the object could be effected by
this resolution. The people had to vote upon
5 |
the adoption or rejection of the new Constitu-
tion, in June, and time ought to be allowed them
to canvass its various provisions. With this
view, the Convention ought to adjourn by the
first of April, or, at furthest, by the fifteenth ;
and this would allow but little time for exami-
nation. The new Constitution would contain
more than one hundred sections; yet, for four-
teen days, the Convention had been engaged up-
on one. At that rate, when would the labors of
the Convention terminate ? He called upon the
reformers in the body to expedite its business;
and, with that end in view, he gave notice that
he should follow up the resolution he had now-
offered by another, providing for the application
of the one hour rule, at least for the present, to
the speeches of members.
Mr. JENIFER said, that if the resolution of the .
gentleman from Baltimore city (Mr. BRENT) had
been offered at an early period of the session, it
might have met with his (Mr. JENIFER'S) sup-
port; but that, coming upon the Convention at
this time, it seemed to him to be rather a reflec-
tion upon it. And it occurred to him as some-
what remarkable that those gentlemen who had
been most often absent, and who had themselves
indulged in the broadest latitude of debate,
should be the first to turn round and read Puri-
tanical lectures to the Convention upon the de-
lay in the transaction of its business. He thought
that, previous to the recess, his friend from Bal-
timore city had been absent as much, perhaps,
as any other member, and yet nothing was said
about that. In what instance had his friend ever
expedited the public business by calling for the
question, or withholding, for the sake of allow-
ing it to be taken, any remarks which he might
have desired to make? He (Mr. J.) protested
against these ad captandem arguments to bring
this body into disrepute. Enough had been said
about this Convention in the newspapers. If the
gentleman intended that the whole of the Con-
vention should he reflected upon by this resolu-
tion, then he (Mr, J.) hoped that the gentleman .
would go back to the commencement of the ses-
sion. He (Mr. J.) moved that the resolution he
laid upon the table.
Mr. BRENT said he had been as faithful to the
attendance of his duties here before the recess
as after, and explained that he had never been
absent except in one case of imperious necessity
—an occasion upon which the Convention would
have been willing to grant him leave. But he
insisted that if gentlemen were to be permitted
to absent themselves by thirties and forties, it was
his right to reflect upon them and his duty to do
so if such a proposition as this could be viewed as
a reflection. He believed that the public inter-
ests would have been promoted if such a resolu-
tion had been passed long ago.
The gentleman (Mr. JENIFER) was mistaken in
saying that he (Mr. B.) had not called for the
question. He had often done so—and this was,
therefore, an unnecessary attack upon him.
Mr. JENIFER (interposing) disclaimed any in-
tention to attack the gentlemen, and stated that
his intention was to defend him. |
