[Explanation. The view expressed by Mr.
DIRICKSON, in relation to double voting should
read as follows:
"The chief evil which this amendment i» de-
signed to prevent is that of double voting—to
render it impossible for the same voters to deposit
their ballots at different polls on the same day.
It had been further urged, that even if persons
did not vote in the same ward or district in which
they lived—still, provided they voted but once,
no harm could result—it being only the expres-
sion of public opinion in the aggregate. But
when this practice is carried into the Congress-
ional districts in the State or in the Commission-
ers' districts in the county, the crime of such a
practice became exceedingly glaring, tending as
it did to destroy the whole character of our gen-
eral government as well as our internals political
institutions and regulations."]
WEDNESDAY, January 15th, 1851.
The Convention met at 10 o'clock.
Prayer by the Rev, Mr. GRAUFF.
The roll of the members was called; and
The journal of yesterday was read and approved.
ATTENDANCE OF MEMBERS.
The President announced the unfinished busi-
ness to be the consideration of the order offered
yesterday by Mr. DORSEY, and which is in the
following words:
Ordered, That the rule adopted as to the at-
tendance of members of this Convention, shall
not apply to members who shall state that the
cause of their absence was their necessary atten-
dance to the business of the Convention.
And the pending question was on the adoption
of the said order.
Mr. DORSEY said, he should move to lay his
own order upon the table. He did so in the hope
that the members of the Convention might see
the necessity of reconsidering the order which
had yesterday been adopted.
The order of Mr. DORSEY was laid upon the
table.
Mr. HICKS remarking that he was convinced
that no good could result from this order, he
would move that the vote by which it had been
adopted, should be reconsidered.
The PRESIDENT stated the question to be on
the motion to reconsider the vote by winch the
following order had been adopted:
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
the roll, without leave, unless they shall on the
same day before adjournment, report themselves
in person to the Secretary.
Mr. BRENT of Baltimore city, asked the yeas
and nays on the motion to reconsider, which
were ordered.
Mr. DAVIS called for the reading of the order,
which was read. |
Mr, WILLIAM; moved that there be a call of
the Convention, which was ordered.
The roll was called and the names of the absentees
were then called.
Mr. BROWN moved that further proceedings on
the call be dispensed with. There were, he
said, only two or three members absent which
were known to be in the city.
Mr. WILLIAMS. I hope they will be sent
for.
Mr. BRENT of Baltimore city. Well, I with-
draw the motion.
Mr, DORSEY suggested that if a member of the.
Convention were to fall in the street and break "
his arm, he could scarcely come in under the or-
der which had been adopted, and report himself
to the Secretary.
Mr. BRENT, of Baltimore city, said that if a
member broke his arm, or met with any similar
accident, the fact might be stated by any gentle-
man, and the Convention would, of course, grant
leave of absence.
A pause of some ten minutes followed in the
proceedings of the Convention, the absent mem-
bers having been sent for.
Mr. BROWN then said, that he believed every
member was in his place. He would move that
further proceedings on the call be dispensed
with.
Ordered accordingly.
The question then recurred on the motion to
reconsider the vote by which the order of Mr.
BRENT had been adopted, and the vote stood as
follows:
Affirmative—Messrs. Morgan, Blakistone, Dent,
Hopewell, Ricaud, Lee, Chambers of Kent, Mit-
chell, Donaldson, Dorsey, Wells, Randall, Kent,
Sellman, Weems, Dalrymple, Bond, Sollers,
Brent of Charles, Merrick, Jenifer, Buchanan,
Bell, Welsh, Chandler, Ridgely, John Dennis,
James U. Dennis, Crisfield, Dashiell, Williams,
Hicks, Hodson, Goldsborough, Phelps, Miller,
McLane, Sprigg, McCubbin, Spencer, Grason,
George, Wright, Fooks, Annan, Schley, Davis,
Waters and Hollyday—49.
Negative—Messrs. Chapman, President, Sherwood
of Talbot, Colston, Eccleston, Chambers
of Cecil, McCullough, McMaster, Hearn, Shri-
ver, Gaither, Biser, Sappington, Stephenson, Mc-
Henry, Magraw, Nelson, Carter, Thawley, Stew-
art of Caroline, Hardcastle, Gwinn, Brent of
Baltimore city, Ware, Fiery, John Newcomer,
Harbine, Kilgour, Brewer, Anderson, Weber,
Slicer, Fitzpatrick, Smith, Parke, Shower, Coc-
key and Brown—37.
So the vote was reconsidered.
The question then recurred on the adoption of
the resolution.
Mr. JENIFER, I move to lay the order on the
table.
Mr. BRENT. I call for the yeas and nays.
Mr. JENIFER. I withdraw the motion.
And the question again recurred on the adop-
tion of the resolution.
Mr. MCLANE offered the amendment which he
hod yesterday indicated, to give a retrospective
effect to the order, so that all members who |
