incapable of voting otherwise than he believed to
be right, and that he would sustain the faith of
the State. But unlegs he was able to stem the
torrent of popular sentiment, which was somewhat
problematical, his assurances, however sin-
cere, could not remove the danger, and was in-
sufficient security against it. While repeal and
reform continued to be the watch cry of the city
councils, we cannot safely trust to mere personal
pledges. If the gentleman from Carroll was
right, in his opinion, that the Treasurer ought
not to buy any stocks above par, the sinking fund
would remain inert and valueless; it would, in
fact, in the ordinary acceptation of the term,
cease to be a sinking fund. We cannot extin-
guish the debt, when above par, as our six per
cent. stock shares, will be under our present
revenue system, because the Treasurer can only
purchase stock at par. The fund. therefore.
could never accumulate, by making interest capi-
tal, bearing interest as it should do, and the in-
vestment would be a loss. He should note for the
proposition as it stands. The people of Mary-
land are willing to pay the public debt, and look
with anxiety and pleasure, to the period when
they will be released from all taxation on account
of it; and they, ere long, will be relieved, if we
restrict the Legislature from creating new debts,
and leave the Treasurer at liberty to use his own
discretion in the management of the sinking fund.
He should be at liberty when our own stock can-
not be obtained on reasonable terms, to purchase
other stocks of other States of the Union, whose
willingness and ability to pay is as indubitable as
our own, when he can do so at a fair price.
Mr. JACOBS declined to withdraw the amend-
ment.
And, pending the question,
The Convention adjourned until to-morrow at
ten o'clock.
THURSDAY, February 27,1851.
The Convention met at 10 o'clock.
Prayer was made by the Rev. Mr. GRIFFITH
The roll was called and the journal of yester-
day was read and approved.
THE COLORED POPULATION.
Mr. GAITHER presented a petition of sundry
citizens of Frederick county, praying that an article
be inserted in the new Constitution, compelling
all free persons of color, annually, to
give bond, with responsible security, to the State
of Maryland, for their good behaviour, and in
default thereof to leave the State.
Mr. MICHAEL NEWCOMER. I should like to
have that petition read.
The petition was read, and
On motion of Mr GAITHER, was referred to
the committee on the colored population.
Mr. BISER presented the petition of William
H. Shield and forty-seven other citizens of Fred-

erick county, praying for the erection of a new
county, composed of Hauvers, Catoctin, Middle-
town,' Petersville and Jefferson districts of said
county, and the seat of justice to be decided by
a majority of the legal voters of the contempla-
ted county;
Which was read, and
On motion of Mr. Biser,
Referred to the commitee on new counties.
Mr. SHRIVER presented a petition of one hun-
dred citizens of Catoctin district, in Frederick
county, protesting against the creation of a new
county from parts of Frederick and Washington
counties) &c.;
Which was read, and
On motion of Mr. SHRIVER,
Referred to the committee on new counties.
BASIS OF REPRESENTATION.
Mr. NEILL rose and offered the following reso-
lution :
Ordered, That the committee on Representa-
tion be instructed to report articles for the Con-
stitution, giving to each of the counties of the
State, and to the city of Baltimore, a right to
elect one Senator to compose the Senate of Maryland,
and making a House of Delegates, to
consist of sixty-one members, to be apportioned
among the several counties, according to their
population, and to the city of Baltimore a repre-
sentation not larger than that given to the largest
county.
The resolution having been read,
Mr. NEILL said:
It is obvious, Mr. President, that this question
of representation is one which has engrossed the
meditations of every member of this Convention
from the time of its first organization. We have
had full, free and frequent communication with
each other in regard to it. The course which
every gentleman will take, seems to be pretty
well understood. We have now been in session
upwards of one hundred days. And upon this,
the moat grave and exciting subject that is to en-
gage our attention, nothing has been done, unless
the reports of individual members of the commit-
tee on representation, various and conflicting as
they are, may be deemed something.
It is not my purpose to make any remarks cal-
culated to draw forth the protracted debate
which I know the subject will produce. Believ-
ing that the mind of every member of this body
is made up, and believing it to be both right and
necessary that there should be some expression
of the opinion of the Convention in relation to
this question, I demand the previous question on
of the adoption of the resolution.
Mr. BUCHANAN. I second the demand.
Mr. PRESSTMAN. Do I understand that the
resolution instructs the committee to report this
project?
Mr. NEILL. Yes, sir.
Messrs. BUCHANAN and BLAKISTONE called the
yeas and nays on the adoption of the resolution;
which were ordered.
Mr. CHAMBERS, of Kent, called for a division
of the amendment.