were apt to look at home, regardless of the in-
terests of other factions of the State.
Mr. DORSEY assured the Convention that he
did not make his calculations with a view to
Anne Arundel county. They had no such no-
tions in their county. He had always acted as a
representative of the State, not as a representa-
tive of a county.
Mr. JENIFER said, that he should be wanting
in respect to himself, as well as to the, venerable
and learned gentleman, if he could impute any
improper motives. He had said that the gentle-
man was a worthy representative to take care of
his constituents; let others take care of themselves
Therefore, he did not think he was travel-
ling out of the way, when he said that gentlemen
had done justice to themselves in thus represent-
ing their constituents.
He was perfectly willing, if the plan of the
gentleman from Kent should not succeed, to go
for the proposition of the gentleman from Baltimore
county, [Mr. Ridgely,] with the amend-
ment he had proposed, which with districting the
city of Baltimore, would afford a lien opportunity
for the minority to be represented as well as the
majority.
He would now see how they would stand, if
that system should be adopted. We would have
to refer to the position assumed first by the gen-
tlemen from Frederick, [Messrs. Thomas and
Johnson ] who took the ground that the State
should be districted, carried out by the gentle-
man from Allegany, [ Mr Weber,] and by others
that the minority should be represented.
Mr. J. agreed with gentlemen that the mi-
nority in a State or city, should be represented.
That the district system was the true republican
one, and as far as could be carried out with
convenience to the people and the protection of
their interests, should be adopted.
In laying off a new State, it should always be
applied so as to afford as near an approximation
to the popular vote as possible The State of
Maryland, with the exception of the city of
Baltimore, is districted. The thirteen counties
of the Western, and the eight counties of the
Eastern Shore, are so many districts; from the
Allegany to the seaboard, all the various inter-
ests are represented by twenty-one counties or
districts, so that every portion of the State
within these limits, has its direct interest rep-
resented. Each county is one and identical in
its interests—all agricultural. Not so with the
city of Baltimore. In it their interests are various,
and in some respects conflicting. The com-
merce, shipping, manufacturing, mechanical,
laboring and foreign interest, should be represented.
which cannot be the case under the general
ticket system. A fair opportunity will
now be afforded, by laying off the twenty wards
into ten electorial districts; all can then be heard
in the Legislature of the State, by their immediate
representatives. Here the naturalized for-
eigners can at last have a chance of being heard
through their own naturalized representatives.
Now, the sincerity of gentlemen, if they are in |
earnest, can be tested, by placing the naturalized
citizen upon a par with the native born. Let
them have a delegate of their own from Fell's
Point, and other districts, elected by themselves.
But no; the district system gentlemen will
not advocate, unless a new one is adopted to district
the whole State—that Baltimore would
lose her political party power by being divided,
Mr. J. said he would call the attention of the
Convention to the present aspect of parties in
the State. The population of the State of Ma-
ryland is 585,000. That of the city of Balti-
more 170,000, which divided into ten districts
would give to each 17,000; leaving for the remain-
der 415,000: of this number the Eastern Shore has
130,000 which is divided into 8 electoral districts
which give a few more than 1700 to each. The
Western Shore, exclusive of Baltimore, has a
population of 275,000. which being divided into
thirteen electorial districts, gives a few more
than 2 000 to each.
The eight counties or districts on the eastern
shore are divided in party politics, according to
the last election, as to lows :
Democratic.—Cecil, Queen Anne's, Caroline,
Talbot.
Whig —Kent, Dorchester, Somerset, Worces-
ter.
Thus, both political parties are respectively
represented from that shore. But were they,
like the city of Baltimore, elected by general
ticket, there would not be one Democratic representative
from the whole of that shore, and
we should he debarred the benefit of the talents
of the distinguished gentlemen who now repre-
sent those counties in this Convention.
A similar state of things is presented on the
western shore. Thirteen counties, with a population
of 275000, were nearly equally divided as
to political parly in this House—were the elec-
tion by general ticket, not one Democratic mem-
ber would be found on this floor or in the House
of Delegates. The western and eastern shore
are cut up politically by having the minority re-
presented, whilst it is for the city of Baltimore
alone to present an undivided front, with a population
of 170,000—the minority of at least 80,000
having no will.
Again, the aggregate number of voters in the
city of Baltimore, is put down at 23,000—that
was about the vote at the late gubernatorial elec-
tion—when the majority was less than 1500.
Thus, it appears, that with ten delegates elected
by general ticket, 12,000 voters, out of 23 000,
have no voice in the Legislature if this State.
Adopt the same principle throughout the whole
State, by merging the minority and you would
have, according to Mr Fiery's bill, sixty-three
Whigs in the House of Delegates—ten Demo-
crats.
Mr. J. said it was time to throw party calcula-
tions and distinctions out of the question Look
at the city of Baltimore as the great metropolis
of the State, in the prosperity of which, every
Marylander, of whatever occupation, has an in-
terest. Let us do justice to her, and let her do
justice to herself. Give to her as many dele- |
