least one session of the Legislature. Why it was
but the other day we were told that three ses-
sions would be necessary for this purpose. When
the biennial sessions bill was before us, the Con-
vention had on this very account, determined to
hold at least two annual sessions to complete the
details necessary to the perfection of our work
and to get the new government fairly in motion
As to the idea of putting it in operation without
any legislative aid, he held it altogether impossi-
ble, The session of the Legislature then would
not probably terminate before the month of March
or perhaps April, and he would therefore suggest
the month of May as the proper period for these
elections. It was perhaps the earliest practica-
ble period and it was as remote as any other from
the period of the political elections. He should
be gratified if the gentleman who had moved the
day would adopt this suggestion.
The question was then stated to be on the
amendment of Mr. SPENCER.
Mr. SAPPINGTON asked the yeas and nays which
were ordered,
Mr. SHRIVER asked a division of the question
on Mr. SPENCER'S amendment, first on striking
out.
The question was taken, and the result was as
follows :
Affirmative—Messrs. Lee, Chambers of Kent,
Donaldson, Dorsey, Randall. Kent, Sellman,
Jenifer, Welch, Chandler, Crisfield, Dashiell,
Williams, Hodson, George, Wright, Stewart of
Caroline, Ware, Schley, J. Newcomer, Waters,
Weber, Hollyday, Slicer, and Smith—25.
Negative—Messrs. Buchanan, Pres't., pro tem,
Morgan, Wells, Weems, Brent of Charles, Mer-
rick, Howard, Bell, Lloyd, Dickinson, Sherwood
of Talbot, Hicks, Goldsborough, Eccleston,
Phelps, Chambers of Cecil, Miller, McLane,
Bowie, Sprigg, McCubbin, Dirickson, McMaster,
Shriver, Biser, Sappington, McHenry, Ma-
graw, Nelson, Hardcastle, Gwinn, Stewart of
Baltimore city, Brent of Baltimore city, Sher-
wood of Baltimore city, Neill, Harbine, Kilgour
Brewer, Fitzpatrick, Parke, and Shower—42.
So the Convention refused to strike out.
The seventh and last section was then adopted
Mr. HOWARD now offered the amendment he
had heretofore indicated [as section 3]—stating
that he had now included in it one or two provisions
not included in the orginal proposition,
The amendment was read as follows:
Strike out the 3d, 4th, 5th. 6th and 7th section
of said report and substitute in lieu thereof the
following:
"Section 3. The State's Attorneys in the several
counties of the State, and the city of Baltimore
shall be elected when the Governor's election
shall take place, and in the event of any vacancy
occurring in said offices, the court of the
county or city where such vacancy shall occur
shall have power to fill such vacancy until the
next regular election for Governor takes place
the fees and commissions to the State's Attorney
shall he the same as are now allowed by law to
the Attorney General and his deputies, subject
to such change from time to time, as the Legisla- |
ture may provide by law all necessary rules and
regulations in relation to said officers, not incon-
sistent with the purposes of this Constitution; the
first election shall take place for State's Attor-
ney, at the same time time and place where the
members of the next House of Delegates shall
be elected, and the officers then chosen shall hold
their offices until the next election for Governor."
Mr. SHRIVER called for a division of the ques-
tion on striking out.
Which was ordered.
Mr. SPENCER made some remarks, which will
hereafter be published.
Mr. SHERWOOD, of Balto. city, was in favor of
the motion of the gentleman from Baltimore coun-
ty, (Mr. Howard,) to elect the State's Attorneys
when the Governor was elected. Special and
repeated elections were inconvenient as well as
expensive to the " men of daily toil." Time
with the mechanics and working men, is emphati-
cally money; and, if you hold a separate election
for each of the various State officers proposed to
be elected by the people, under the Constitution
we are now forming, you not only keep alive
those excitements necessarily attendant upon all
political contests, and which engender bad feel-
ings among neighbors and friends, but you virtu-
ally tax this class of our citizens, or disfranchise
them altogether. As one of that numerous class,
be could not give his sanction to any measure
that imposed unnecessary burdens, however slight
upon them. Mr. S. alluded to the charge of
prejudice which was alleged to exist among the
working classes against lawyers, and contended
that it was imaginary to a great extent, and that
he believed no portion was more ready than the
mechanics to render honor where honor was due
to any and every citizen in our midst, regardless
of creeds or professions. He condemned all in-
vidious distinctions that tended to alienate one
portion of the people from the other, or to array
them in opposition on questions of governmental
policy, merely because of their business profes-
sions. Social distinctions might and would exist
but political distinctions, in our country, should
be condemned by every lover of constitutional
freedom and equality. Merit only should be the
political touch-stone. With Burns, it might be
appropriately said:
What, tho' on homely fare we dine,
Wear hodden gray, and a' that?
Give fools their silk, and knaves their wine
A man's a man for a' that.
To hold a separate election from the ordinary
or general one, he contended, would not bring
out the popular vote of the State. He therefore
hoped that the amendment then under consideration
would be adopted, from the fact that it
would afford the people that opportunity, to
which they were entitled, of fully and freely exercising
the elective franchise. He would conclude
by expressing his hope that all the elections,
as far as practicable, might be held on the
same day.
Mr. DORSEY said he had proposed to strikeout
for the purpose of introducing the amendment he
designed to offer, because he thought the section |
