The question was then taken and decided as
follows:
Affirmative— Messrs. Blakistone, President,
pro tem. Dent, Hopewell. Chambers, of Kent,
Mitchell, Donaldson, Wells, Randall, Kent, Sell-
man, Weems, Sollers, Brent, of Charles, Jenifer,
Buchanan, Bell, Welch, Chandler, Lloyd, Dick-
inson, Sherwood, of Talbot, Crisfield, Williams,
Hicks, Hodson, Phelps, Chambers, of Cecil, Mil-
ler, Bowie, Tuck, Grason, Shriver, Biser, Mc-
Henry, Magraw, Gwinn, Stewart, of Baltimore
city, Brent, of Baltimore city, Presstman, Ware,
Kilgour, Brewer, Waters, Hollyday and Brown
—45.
Negative— Messrs. Lee, Dorsey, Dashiell,
Eccleston, Dirickson, McMaster, Fooks, Gaith-
er, Sappington, Nelson, Carter, Hardcastle,
Schley, Fiery, John Newcomer, Harbine, Weber,
Slicer, Smith, Parke, Shower and Cockey-
22.
So the 21st section as amended was adopted.
Mr. DORSEY moved to reconsider the vote just
taken, for the purpose of moving to amend
the section as follows—to strike out in the third
line, an annual salary of "thirty-six hundred dol-
lars," and insert in lieu thereof the following
words: "as shall hereafter be prescribed by the
Legislature."
Mr. DAVIS said, he felt no particular interest
in the exact amount at which the Governor's sal-
ary might be fixed, but it seemed there were
gentlemen now occupying high positions in the
State, who had felt an interest in the subject—
whose aspirations and success showed that they
had felt an interest in it—and who had taken oc-
casion to place upon record their opinion as to
what the exact amount ought to be. He held
in his hand the Journal of the House of Dele-
gates of December session, 1845, at which time
Mr. Lowe, the present Governor of Maryland,
was a member from Frederick county.
Mr. McHENRY called Mr. DAVIS to order.
Mr. DAVIS. The gentleman from Harford
will please to reduce his point of order to wri-
ting.
Some conversation followed, and
While Mr. McHENRY was reducing his point
of order to writing, the chair decided Mr. DAVIS
to be in order.
Mr. DAVIS resumed: All he had proposed to
do, he said, when interrupted, was to read from
page 327 of the Journal of the House of Dele-
gates, where it would beseen, the report from
the Committee on Retrenchment being under
consideration, and the question being upon the
section fixing the Governor's salary, that Mr.
Lowe moved to strike out 3000 and insert 2000.
The question was taken by ayes and noes, and
resulted as follows: Ayes 53, noes 21—Mr. Lowe
voting in the affirmative. At a subsequent
period of the consideration of that report, the
section fixing the salary of the Secretary of State
being under consideration, Mr. Lowe moved to
strick out 1200 dollars and insert 1000—deter-
mined in the affirmative. So it seemed that Mr.
Lowe, who doubtless then looked forward to the |
Gubernatorial chair, which he now fills, thought
that 2000 dollars was a sufficient salary for the
Governor of Maryland, and 1000 dollars enough
for the Secretary of State.
He (Mr. D ) had only risen to present this
recorded evidence of the opinion of the present
Governor of Maryland, which certainly ought to
be entitled to some weight; and he commended
it to his friends, who now thought that the salary
of the Governor ought to be fixed at 4000 dollars,
and the salary of the Secretary of State at 1500
dollars He would not further occupy the time
of the Convention.
Mr. DORSEY did not think this a proper tri-
bunal to fix the compensation for the Governor.
it was a fit subject for the Legislature to act on.
He thought that the sum now fixed was exces-
sive. The gentleman from Queen Anne's [Mr.
Grason] had stated that a good deal of public
property had been taken away from the Govern-
ment House when in charge of the steward,
by visitors in the absence of the Governor and
his family. If so, that was the fault of the Gov-
ernor. He ought to have selected a more vigi-
lant steward, who would have taken more care
of the property. We ought not to set up the
Government House as a palace open to public in-
spection; and the Governor should have placed
the charge of the property in more faithful hands.
The people would not he willing to pay a negli-
gent steward, nor a Governor who neglected his
duty. He did not think the Government House,
in the absence of the Governor and his family,
ought to be thrown open to visiters to inspect it,
and as is alleged, abstract or destroy its furni-
ture. The gentleman from Queen Anne's also
says that he took great care of the public proper-
ty and plate, and handed it over to his successor.
But it ought to be known that in most cases,
either from wear and tear, or from some other
cause, it passed into the hands of the successor
in a worse condition than if it had even passed
through the hands of the steward. And the ac-
counts of the Treasurer will show that the ap-
propriations for furnishing the Government
House have been larger since the Governor has
been compelled to reside here, than they were
before. It appeared, therefore, that the resi-
dence of the Governor here had increased, not
diminished, the appropriations after every new
election of a Governor.
Mr. SHRIVER asked what the course of Mr.
Lowe in 1845, had to do with the question be-
fore that Convention?
Mr DORSEY said, that as the legislature have
had the power to raise the salary of the Gover-
nor, they ought also to have the power to reduce
it. Ought they not to have the power to dimin-
ish it? He thought the vote should be recon-
sidered that the matter may be left to the legis-
lature.
Mr. GRASON said, he had voted for the $4,000,
and he had also voted for $3,600. The legislature
could not raise or diminish the salary after this
provision shall have gone into operation. We
have provided that members of the legislature
shall receive four dollars a day. He thought it
better that the provision should remain as it is. |
