and nobody else possessed. It is their special,
their exclusive privilege, to vote for whom they
please, for what they please, and whether they
Know any thing about it or not!
It was thought of old that labor viginti annorum
was requisite to know the law, but it is now as-
certained, that every man, whatever have been
his capacity or his means of information, or his
want of either, is perfectly competent to decide
the relative of those who are proposed, to fill
your highest judicial stations. If they know no-
thing about the man or his duties, it is their inestimable
privilege still, to decide. He could allow
no encroachment on this exclusive right of the
people.
Mr. JENIFER said, the gentleman from Kent
was evidently trying to run him down in the race
of popularity. But he, (Mr J.,) was determined
not to be beat. He intended to run neck and
neck with the gentleman from Kent to the end of
the session, and to prove himself a better repub-
lican.
The question was then taken on the motion of
Mr. DASHIELL, and decided as follows :
Affirmative—Messrs. Blakistone, President, pro
tem . Dent, Hopewell, Lee, Buchanan, Bell, Da-
shiell, Hicks, Eccleston, Phelps, Miller, Dirick-
son, McMaster, Gaither, Sappington, Nelson,
Carter, Ware, Fiery, John Newcomer, Harbine,
and Smith—23..
Negative—Messrs. Chambers of Kent, Mitch-
ell, Donaldson, Dorsey, Wells, Randall, Kent
Sellman, Weems, Sollers, Brent of Charles, Jen-
ifer, Howard, Welch, Lloyd, Dickinson, Sher-
wood of Talbot, Crisfield, Williams, Hodson,
Chambers of Cecil, McLane, Bowie, Tuck, Gra-
son. Fooks, Shriver, Biser, McHenry, Magraw,
Hardcastle, Gwinn, Stewart of Baltimore city,
Brent, of Baltimore city, Presstman, Davis, Kilgour,
Brewer, Waters, Weber, Hollyday, Slicer,
Parke, Shower, and Brown—45.
So the Convention refused to accept the sub-
stitute.
Mr. DIRICKSON made some remarks, which
will be published hereafter.
Mr. MITCHELL had but a single word to say.
He had made enquiry on this subject this morn-
ing, and he had satisfied himself that it was im-
possible for the Governor to discharge his duties
without assistance, and he ought to have a con-
fidential officer, who should be well paid, and
appointed by himself. If you abolish this office,
and as you have already fixed the salary of the
Governor at thirty six hundred dollars, and be-
ing obliged to spend that sum or mere, in enter-
taining his personal and political friends, he will
have no time left to do the work of his office.
Mr. SHRIVER said the Convention had had a
lecture from the. gentleman from Worcester on
the subject of retrenchment, but it came from
that quarter with a bad grace. The gentleman
from Worcester was himself prominent in fasten-
ing upon us this batch of officers at the beginning
of the session. And only yesterday, when he
was appointed on a Committee to enquire into
the propriety of dispensing with some of the super-
fluous clerks, be asked and was allowed to decline |
the service. The Secretary of State, a gentle-
man of as much purity of character and indus-
try as any gentleman of the Convention, is
busily employer, and without intermission. He
works every day from nine o'clock in the morn-
ing until nine at night, writing letters in reply to
applications to the Governor.
Mr, DIRICKSON. Why does not the Governor
answer them himself ?
Mr. SHRIVER replied that he had not time.—
Copies are kept of all letters which are written.
If the gentleman from Worcester chose to call at
the office of the Secretary, he might see for him-
self that it was no sinecure. There is a great
variety of duties to perform. As he believed
the subject had been sufficiently discussed, and
every gentleman's mind was made up as to his
vote, be would ask for the previous question.
He withdrew the call for the previous ques-
tion at the request of the gentleman from Wor-
cester, Mr. DIRICKSON,
Mr. DIRICKSON made some remarks, which
will be published hereafter.
On motion of Mr. GRASON, the twenty-second
section was further amended by striking out the
word "the," in line one, and inserting in lieu
thereof, the word " a."
The twenty-second section, as amended, was
then agreed to.
REDUCTION OF CLERKS.
Mr. SAPPINGTON asked leave of the Conven-
tion to make a report from the special committee
to whom was referred the resolutions offered by
him yesterday.
Mr. CHAMBERS moved that the rules be sus-
pended for the purpose of enabling the Conven-
tion to receive the report.
The motion was agreed to,
And the rules having been suspended,
Mr. SAPPINGTON made the following report,
which was read.
The committee appointed to enquire and re-
port to this House whether or not it would be
expedient to discharge some of the committee
clerks and doorkeepers, ask leave to report, that
in their opinion, from the advanced condition of ,
the business of this Convention—most of the com-
mittees having made their reports—it is no longer
necessary or expedient to retain the services of
the whole number of committee clerks, for
this reason they recommend that the number be
reduced. They conceive further, that the duty
implied devolves upon them to designate who of
said committee clerks should be retained—Mr.
John W. Rider was appointed by a separate or-
der of this Convention clerk to the President and
also to the committee on Accounts. His servi-
ces will be required during the entire session of
the Convention. Of the other committee clerks,
they recommend that Messrs. Geo. S. King,
Samuel Peacock and Joseph Morritz, be retained.
They do not think that any of the doorkeepers
should be discharged, as their services are still
required.
In accordance with the above views, they re- |
