Mr. DIRICKSON enquired whether any motion
had been made as to the mode by which the elec-
tion should take place—by ballot or viva voce?
The CHAIRMAN said no motion bad been made.
Does the gentleman submit any?
Mr. DIRICKSON, I have none to make.
Mr. BOWIE. I move that the election take
place viva voce.
The motion was agreed to.
Mr. SHRIVER moved that the Secretary an-
nounce the names of the nominees, (which be-
ing done,)
Mr. SMITH moved that tellers be appointed to
count the votes.
Ordered accordingly.
Mr. PHELPS moved that the tellers be appoint-
ed by the Chair.
Ordered accordingly.
The CHAIRMAN appointed the following gen-
tlemen tellers to count the votes:
Mr. MAGRAW, of Harford.
Mr. PHELPS, of Dorchester.
The tellers took their seats and the Secretary
proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. JENIFER, when his name was called, re-
marked that it would give him pleasure to vote
for Doctor WILLIAMS, but as the Presidents, pro
tem. had hitherto been taken from the smaller
counties, he preferred to vote on the present oc-
casion for a gentleman from one of the upper
counties, and should therefore vote for the gen-
tleman from Baltimore county, (Mr. BUCHANAN.)
The roll having been called through,
The result of the vote was announced as fol-
lows:
Whole number of votes, fifty-three.
Of which number—
Mr. BUCHANAN received thirty-four, and Mr.
WILLIAMS, nineteen.
So Mr. BUCHANAN, having received amajority
of all the votes cast, was declared duly elected
PRESIDENT, pro. tem.
Whereupon, the PRESIDENT, pro. tem., took the
Chair, and, after a brief pause, rose and address-
ed the Convention as follows:
Gentlemen of the Convention:
I acknowledge with deep sensibility the honor
you have conferred upon me, in calling me to
administer the duties of this Chair during the
regretted absence of the presiding officer of your
choice. I speak with unaffected sincerity when
I say, that this signal mark of your confidence
and respect was not less merited, than unexpect-
ed by me. Yielding, however, to no man in a
stern patriotic purpose to accomplish the great
objects which have brought us together, I shall
endeavor to discharge the duties of this station
in such a manner as may best promote these ob-
jects and secure their final consummation. In
this earnest and honest effort, I shall rely confi-
dently, gentlemen, on your forbearance and
support.
It is not inappropriate to the occasion to say,
that since I have had the honor of a seat in this
Convention, it has been my good fortune to more
on harmoniously, and in the kindest interchange
of fraternal regard with all its members. I have |
bad but one aim—one end—one hope. I have
known no party, I have cast from me, as un-
worthy and polluted things in such an assembly
as this, all party considerations. I have looked
with a single eye to the honor and the welfare of
proud old Maryland—the Shibboleth of our poli-
cy—the glorious centre of all our hopes and all
our affections! I have endeavored solely and
simply to secure to her the adoption of such a.
Constitution, as her enlightened and patriotic
children have a right to expect at our hands. Nor
has my confidence in the ultimate realization of
that result, been in any degree shaken. I do
conscientiously believe, that notwithstanding the
portentous clouds which have at times darkened
our horizon, there exists an inflexible determina-
tion here to give a triumphant issue to our la-
bors, by the formation of a Constitution which
will be acceptable to the people, and under
whose benignant provisions the State may rap-
idly advance towards the fulfilment of the high
destiny that awalts her.
The work is before us. Gentlemen, let us ac-
complish it.
The journal of Saturday last and of yesterday,
were then severally read and approved.
MOTIONS to RE-CONSIDER.
Mr. CHAMBERS, in pursuance of the notice ha
had heretofore given, moved to reconsider the
twenty-second rule of the Convention, for the
purpose of introducing the following amendment:
"Whenever a question shall have been decided
by yeas and nays, no motion to re-consider shall
prevail, unless there shall be cast in favor of a
re-consideration a larger number of votes than
those of the majority on the original vote."
Mr. C. said, he took it for granted, that it was
not necessary for him to say any thing in favor of
this change of the rule. Its object simply was to
prevent a thin Convention from over-ruling the
decision of a Convention more full. Common
honesty, it seemed to him, required the change.
Mr. MCLANE said, he was sorry he could not
vote in favor of the proposition of the gentleman
from Kent, (Mr. Chambers.) It might lead to a
vast deal of embarrassment, and was not exactly
in place, he thought, in such a body as this. Of
all bodies, that which had assembled for the pur-
pose of forming a Constitution should, as regard-
ed votes and re-consideration of votes upon pro-
positions which might from time to time come
before it, be as free as possible.
On going back to the Convention which
formed the Constitution of the United States,
and probably there could be no better model,
either as regarded the instrument itself, or
the character of the body which framed it, it
would be found that the constant practice was
to take up a subject to-day, vote upon it, lay it
aside, take up another, and, after considering
that, go back by a motion to reconsider to that
subject which they had in the first instance par-
tially disposed of. Such was the practice of
that body, not only as regarded cardinal princi-
ples, but the details of measures. And it was |
