he had no idea that the gentleman would throw
outsuch a mere cobweb. He had always thought
and he still did think, that the appropriations for
these colleges were unwarranted,
As to the gentleman's construction of the law
of contract, which he intimated had been violated,
he, [Mr. E. ] thought that the gentleman
from Kent, would find it a difficult task to have
such acontract inserted in the new Constitution,
He did not suppose that this Convention would
settle the question on the ground that General
Washington had subscribed fifty guineas towards
the endowment of these colleges. It was certain-
ly a noble example, which he hoped the county
of Kent would follow. But he did not wish
that a tax should be imposed by the leg-
islature for the purpose of education. Let
the people of the counties themselves support
their own schools. He was not to be moved by
any sarcasms which might be thrown out
about the city of Baltimore. He felt pride in
Baltimore, in her wealth, her growing popula-
tion and her spirit of enterprise. And what
would the State be without Baltimore? The ap-
propriations which gentlemen here are so desirous
to obtain, are not desired by the people,
nor are they in accordance with the spirit of the
age in which we live. He hoped that a system
of education might be established, without the
imposition of any tax on the people by the legis-
lature, which would redound to the honor and in-
terests of the state.
Mr. DAVIS desired to say a word only in reply
to the gentleman from Queen Anne's, (Mr. Gra-
son,) who find said that he, (Mr. D.,) did not
comprehend the language of his colleague's
amendment. He admitted that he had no other
power of comprehension than the little common
sense, the God and nature had given him. Still
he believed that he had rightly comprehended
the amendment of the gentleman's colleague,
(Mr. George,) and the gentleman's colleague,
(Mr. Spencer,) had, himself, yesterday admitted,
that his, [Mr. D's.,] comprehension of it
was correct.
The gentleman from Queen Anne's insisted
that the proposition was only intended to exclude
corporations from obtaining the public money.
But the language of the amendment went further,
stating that no individuals nor associations, as
well as corporations, shall have any use of the
public money. The children of the state shall
Have no education, if it is to be given them thro'
the medium of a corporation, because corpora-
tions are odious to the gentleman. But in the
zeal of the gentleman to strike down corporations
he also prevents any person from obtaining any
benefit from the public money, even for the eco-
nomical and benevolent purpose of educating the
poor children of the State, should it either come
through individuals or associations, as well as cor-
porations. How else can it come? He was un-
able to see. He did not pretend to be a prophet
—but in this instance he had proved a true one,
for he now saw that the gentleman from Queen
Anne's, [Mr. Spencer.] was about to vote
against his, [Mr. D's.,] amendment. And to re-
lieve the gentleman from Frederick, and those |
who voted with him, against an amendment to
save something to educate the children of the
State, this proposition is now to be rejected.
Mr. SPENCER said, the gentleman from Montgomery
had no right to impute to him motives
for the course which he might pursue. Had the
exposition of' his colleague been made yesterday,
he would not have voted for the amendment of
the gentleman from Montgomery. He then
briefly explained the view he took of the amendment
of his colleague His only object was to
have a more intelligent proposition offered and
adopted.
Mr, GRASON suggested that in the hurry of de-
bate, the attention of the Convention was not
sufficiently directed to the language of the propo-
sition. It was never intended to prevent appro-
priations for the purposes of education, but was
merely an inhibition of appropriations for the
building of corporations.
Mr. MCHENRY explained his understanding of
the proposition of the gentleman from Queen
Anne's. It prevents the Legislature from con-
tracting loans fur the use of corporations, associ-
ations or individuals, except for educational pur-
poses. He was disposed to go as far as any one
for the support and extension of education by
taxation. But he was decidedly opposed to the
State's incurring any debt or pledging, in any
form, its credit, for any purposes, except in ex-
treme exigencies. He was not disposed to tax
posterity for the education of the children of the
present day. The men of this generation should
not grudge the cost of educating their own and
their neighbors' little ones, nor attempt by State
loans, or other devices, to transfer to posterity
the burdens which are properly our own.
Mr. SHERWOOD, of Baltimore city, desired to
say a word or two on the amendment of the gen-
tleman from Montgomery, (Mr. DAVIS ) Al-
though he should vote against the proposition, as
a part of the article to which it was sought, in
his judgment, improperly to be attached, he did
not think in doing so, that he would incur the
censure of hostility to a general system of popu-
lar education. On the contrary, it was his at-
tachment to the system, and his desire for its
further success, that prompted his opposition to
the amendment at this time. He had been too
long the ardent advocate of public instruction,
to be now found doing any act to retard its pro-
gress, or to weaken its usefulness, by withhold-
ing from it, in any proper manner, the fostering
care of the State. With emotions of pleasure
he contemplated its advancement, and with na-
tive pride he saw school-houses dotting every
section of the State, like so many beacon lights,
to guide the young mind safely into moral and
intellectual havens; and he rejoiced to say, that
the city of Baltimore was more wealthy in these
ornaments than in all her other proud monuments.
He, in common with the constituency, which, in
part, he represented in this Convention, regarded
public education as an indispensable auxilliary to
Baltimore's rapidly increasing prosperity; nor
will she ever be so unmindful of her duty and in-
terests, as to abandon an experiment which some
twenty years of private and public devotion, has |
