gates as are required for the faithful discharge of
their legislative duties. Let them be so appor-
tioned that all classes may be heard and derive
mutual benefit. By the present general system,
no interest is represented except that of the De-
mocratic or Whig parly, whichever may be pre-
dominant. Divide the city into ten districts and
all the great interests may be protected. This
should he made a "sine qua non," by the various
classes, whether commercial, shipping, manufacturing,
mechanical, laboring, and especially the
naturalised foreigners, by which system alone
can their respective interests be represented.
Mr. J. asked the gentleman from Baltimore if
he intended to carry out, in good earnest, the
system most likely to benefit the naturalised for-
eigners ?
Mr. BRENT. Yes, sir. I do mean to carry it
out.
Mr. J. replied. Then you will of course adopt
that which he had indicated, and if so, it would
certainly meet with success, for none could
doubt the ability, power or ingenuity of the At-
torney General and his colleagues in supporting
any measure they thought proper to advocate
And now, Mr. J. said, he would give an evidence
of the zeal which prompted some gentlemen
in looking even beyond the walls of this House
for means to carry out the great principles by
which they were actuated. He would not, of
course, refer to what he was about to read, were
it not public properly, published in the Republican
and Argus, of Baltimore, a few days since,
which paper is the recognised organ of the Demo-
cratic parly in Baltimore.
"We have received from an intelligent and
observant friend a communication upon this subject,
from which we give the following extracts,
commending them to the serious consideration of
our friends in the Convention throughout the
State, and especially to the citizens of Baltimore :
" Before the people of Baltimore should agree to
any compromise of the basis of representation.
short of their just rights to equal participation in
the government, they should require as preliminary
conditions the following, viz :
" 1st. That the right of the people to call a Con-
vention periodically, say every ten years, should
be guaranteed and fully provided for in the Constitution,
without leaving it dependent on the
caprice of the Legislature in any respect, other-
wise posterity will have no stipulated remedy to
effect such reforms as the progress of humanity
will require,
" 2d. That the Executive Department shall be
elective by the people in the same way, for the
same term, and at the same times as now provi-
ded for; otherwise, if we agree to a scheme of
adjustment fur representation, the Convention
may go on to adopt the report made by the Whig
minority of the Committee on the Executive,
abridging the term of the present Governor, fresh
from the people, to two years, and providing there-
after for an election of Governor every twenty four years,
in order to bring about the election of Governor
and President of. the United States on the same
day—thus, as it is hoped, insuring Whig Gover- |
nors by bringing out their full vote at the same
time for President. If the the cloven-foot of
Whiggery shall thus appear stamped on the Con-
stitution, it will and ought to rally the whole
Democratic party to oppose it, especially if it
strips the Executive of that patronge which has
proved itself the club of Hercules in the hands
of the great Reform Democratic party.
"3d. The overthrow and re-organization of the
entire Judiciary system, to take effect so soon as
practicable.
"If these three principles could be secured as
preliminary, then, in the absence of better terms,
the people of Baltimore ought to consent to such
a basis of representation as would give her double
the power of the largest county in both the House
of Delegates and Senate."
Mr. J. said he recognized in the first position,
a portion of this as good sound doctrine, which
was that when a Constitution was framed and
approved by the people, there should be some
legal constitutional mode to alter or abolish it.
Therefore he should not object its being sub-
mitted to the people every ten years, to say
whether they would have a Convention or not.
Yet he thought that it might be well to provide
for some changes which might be required to
be made in the new. Constitution, by two successive
acts of the Legislature, with sufficient
guards. The second position was also sound—
that the Governor should be elected by the people
in the same way, as now provided for. The
next was against the election for Governor at
the same time of the Presidential election, he-
cause there was a larger number at the polls at
that time than any other, when the Whigs always
had a majority. Surely the gentleman with his
democratic principles, which nearly bolder on
red republican doctrine, cannot object to the
whole vote of the State, being called out, lest
there may be a Whig majority, if so, then his
political principles are merged into party. The
last paragraph of the second position, was a pre-
cious confession. Now, he did not believe that
his friend voted for the Governor's elections
upon the principle avowed; but certain it was,
that if stripping the Governor of his patronage
was to deprive the Democratic parly of its
influence in the State, if the "Club of Hercules"
was to be taken from them, his friend would not
be responsible for that.
Mr. BRENT said that that was not correct—he
hoped the gentleman would state him correctly:
It: was not the only time in which the gentleman
had done him injustice.
Mr. JENIFER replied that he was reading the
gentleman's views, as published by his accredi-
ted agent—the Baltimore Republican and Argus.
Mr. J. read further, and said:
Let the patronage be in the Governor's hands,
let the Judiciary be reformed, and the gentleman
would then be willing to go for twelve rep-
resentatives from the city of Baltimore, in the
House of Delegates. For what purposes? For
the benefit of the people of Baltimore—for the
benefit of his naturalized friends? No, for the
benefit only of the Democratic party. Therefore, |
