So the Convention refused to strike out.
Mr. GRASON demanded the previous question.
There was a second.
Mr. JOHN NEWCOMER. Is my amendment
now in order?
The PRESIDENT. It is not. No motion is in
order pending the demand for the previous ques-
tion.
There was a second;
And the main question was ordered to be now
taken.
The question was then stated to be on the
amendment of Mr. RIDGELY, adding at the end
of his own proposition the words, "not exceeding
in value the sum of five hundred dollars."
Mr. HEARN, (to the President.) Is it in or-
der now to move that the subject-matter be laid
upon the table?
The PRESIDENT. It is in order.
Mr, HEARN. I make the motion.
The question was taken, and
The Convention decided that the subject-mat-
ter should not be laid upon the table.
The question then recurred on the amendment
of Mr. RIDGELY.
Mr. DORSEY asked the yeas and nays,
Which were ordered, and
Being taken, resulted as follows:
Affirmative—Messrs. Blakistone, Dent, Hope-
well, Ricaud, Weems, Buchanan, Bell, Welch,
Ridgely, Lloyd, Colston, Dashiell, Constable,
Chambers of Cecil, Miller, McLane, Bowie,
Sprigg, Grason, Shriver, Gaither, Biser, Annan,
Sappington, Stephenson, Stewart of Caroline,
Gwinn, Brent of Baltimore city, Sherwood of
Baltimore city. Ware, Schley, Fiery, Neill, John
Newcomer, Harbine, Michael Newcomer, Web-
er, Hollyday, Cockey and Brown—40.
Negative—Messrs. Chapman, President, Lee,
Chambers of Kent, Mitchell, Donaldson, Dorsey,
Wells, Merrick, Jenifer, Hicks, Wright, Mc-
Master, Hearn, Fooks, Thawley, Hardcastle,
Stewart of Baltimore city, Presstman, Slicer,
Smith and Shower—31.
So the amendment was agreed to.
The question then recurred on the adoption of
the article as thus amended.
Mr. MITCHELL, (to the Chair.) Is not an
amendment in order?
The PRESIDENT. It is not. The previous
question is yet in operation.
Mr. PRESSTMAN. Is the vote we are about to
take, the final vote?
The PRESIDENT. Certainly.
Mr. PRESSTMAN, is it not competent for me
to move to strike out the article adopted yester-
day, and which now comes up as an original
proposition, and to move to insert, in lieu there-
of, another proposition.
The PRESIDENT. It is not in order. If the
gentleman will refer to the seventeenth and eigh-
teenth rules, he will see that the point is very
plain.
Mr. PRESSTMAN. I should like to hear the
rules read.
Some conversation followed on the point of
order. |
The question then recurred on the adoption of
the amendment as amended.
Mr. BOWIE asked the yeas and nays,
Which were ordered,
And being taken, were as follows :
Affirmative.—Messrs. Blakistone, Hopewell, Ricaud,
Weems, Bond, Buchanan, Bell, Welch,
Ridgely, Lloyd, Colston, Dashiell, Chambers, of
Cecil, Miller, McLane, Bowie, Sprigg, Grason,
Shriver, Gaither, Biser, Annan. Sappington,
Stephenson, Stewart, of Caroline, Gwinn, Brent,
of Baltimore city, Sherwood, of Baltimore city,
Ware, Schley, Fiery, Neill, John Newcomer,
Harbine, Michael Newcomer, Weber, Hollyday,
Cockey and Brown—39.
Negative.— Messrs. Chapman, President, Dent,
Lee, Chambers, of Kent, Mitchell, Donaldson,
Dorsey, Wells, Merrick, Jenifer, Hicks Wright,
McMaster, Hearn, Fooks, Thawley, Hardcastle,
Stewart, of Baltimore city, Presstman, Slicer and
Smith—21.
So the article, as amended, was adopted.
Mr. HICKS. I now give notice that at a con-
venient and proper time, I shall move to re-consider
the vote just taken, for the purpose of offer-
ing an amendment which I suppose it will not be
improper for me to read. I indicate this inten-
tion because we are here taking away the means
and the money of private individuals. That we
have a right to use the public money of the State,
I do not controvert; but, that we have the right
to say what portion of any man's money shall be
taken from him by force of arms, (for it is too
tantamount to that,) is a proposition to which I
cannot subscribe Whilst we are at work on
this matter, I think it would be better that we
should work understandingly and safely, as dis-
creet and reasonable men should act.
Mr H. then gave notice that, if the motion
hereafter to be made to re-consider the vote,
should prevail, he would offer the following pro-
position :
" And that any man who may hereafter die or
become insolvent, in this State, leaving an estate
less than five hundred dollars, in every such
case, the sum of five hundred dollars shall be
provided by the Legislature for the support of
his family,"
THE LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT.
The Convention passed to the orders of the
day, and resumed the consideration of the report
of the committee on the Legislative Department.
The Convention passed to the consideration of
the twenty-first section, (postponed until this
day.)
The question before the Convention was on the
amendment offered by Mr Merrick on Friday
the 28th ult., to come in at the end of said sec-
tion, as follows:
" But it shall be competent for the Legislature,
at any time when it can do so, to pay off its out-
standing bonds or any part thereof, by an issue
of other bonds or stocks bearing a less rate of in-
terest and for no greater amount than the amount
redeemed or paid off."
Mr. MERRICK said he had promised the Con-
vention when be presented the amendment that |
