postponed until Monday next, and gentlemen
would keep in mind that it was then to be taken
up, and would be here prepared to go into the
discussion, he should be much gratified,
Mr. SCHLEY expressed a hope that the consid-
eration of this subject would not be postponed
till Monday. From the beginning of the session,
with the exception of a single day, he had not
been absent from his seat in the Convention.
But he and two of his colleagues would be com-
pelled to go home to-morrow evening, to be pre-
sent at the term of the Washington county court,
which is about to commence. Rather than post-
pone the subject, he suggested that it would be
the better course to take up the report now,
when he and his colleagues might, perhaps, be
enabled to participate in the debate upon it, and
to cast their votes on some of the questions em-
braced in it. He trusted that this course would
be taken and that the subject would not be post-
poned.
Mr. MERRICK said he would make no objection
to taking up the subject for consideration at this
time, if the House was full. But it was for the
Convention to decide. He repeated that yester-
day was the day assigned by the Convention for
taking up the reports in relation to representa-
tion. He had been compelled to be absent on
business of importance to himself, but be had re-
turned to his seat before he had brought his busi-
ness to a close, in the expectation that the subject
would be before the Convention. He was ready
now, as far as lie was concerned, to take up the
matter. He knew that a good many of his friends
are still absent under the belief that no question
could be taken on any of the questions embraced
in this report before next week, and be presumed
that they would not be here before that lime.
Everybody, he hoped, would make an effort to be
here when the question should come up. He
Hoped, that taking all these matters into view,
the Convention would agree to postpone the sub-
ject until Monday,
Mr. BOWIE expressed his hope that the subject
would not be postponed another hour. He hoped
it would be taken up at once. No one could ex-
pect that a vote would be taken to-day or to-
morrow".
Mr. MORGAN here raised a point order, which
led to a very brief conversation between him and
Mr. BOWIE, when
Mr. BOWIE resumed. He repeated his desire
that the consideration of these reports should not
be postponed. Until the Convention went to
work on this subject, there would be no full at-
tendance of members. Let it be taken up, and
the House will begin to fill. He did not antici-
pate that any question would be taken before
Monday or Tuesday, as there were many gentle-
men who would desire to be heard before any im-
portant vote was taken. Let us then goto work.
Let gentlemen who have prepared speeches, de-
liver themselves. He was very anxious that this
great question should be no tonger postponed,
but that it should be settled without delay. No
matter to what heat of discussion it may lead, no
matter to what extent our feelings may be stirred
up in the zeal of argument, let us meet it, and |
go through with it. He hoped we should pro-
ceed to the consideration of the subject, and
listen to the opinions of such gentlemen as were
prepared to express them. If a great battle was
to be fought on this question, the sooner it
commenced the better. He, for one, was ready
to meet the consequences of an engagement,
whatever the result might be.
Mr. JENIFER questioned the propriety of a
postponement, unless it could be to a time when
nothing was likely to interfere with taking up
the subject at the period designated. Now there
are five or six different matters in the way. The
Bill of Rights, the Elective Franchise, the Legis-
lative, the Executive, and other reports are all
as yet unfinished. He thought the wisest course
would be to come to some final disposition of
these reports, before we go on with any other.
That was the proper way to expedite our busi-
ness. If we are to go on thus, leaving subjects
to be taken up again, and reconsidered and re-
discussed. Some gentlemen will have forgotten
the speeches they made when the subject was
up at an earlier period of the session, and may
fall into the danger of making them over
again. As for the subject of the basis of repre-
sentation, he cared little how it was settled; he
cared little in what shape the report was finally
agreed on; unless there was some thing very extra-
ordinary and exceptionable in it, he would vote for
the Constitution. He did not see why the gen-
tleman from Prince George's should anticipate a
heated discussion. He, (Mr, J.,) hoped every
gentleman would go into its consideration with
calmness and a sincere disposition to bring the
debate to a satisfactory conclusion
There were several projects before the Con-
vention upon the subject of representation, some
of which approximated very nearly to his views
upon the subject, and although he believed that
his immediate constituents were generally satis-
fied with the present system, still if an increase
of the number of delegates were required for a
proper discharge of duties and the protection of
the interests of the city of Baltimore, he, (Mr.
J.,) in a spirit of compromise, would give them
ten, provided the basis at present existing, as re-
garded the Senate (which he would make a sine
qua non) was preserved.
He did not see that any of the propositions
were founded on any fixed principle. They were
all more or less arbitrary in the apportionment.
It has been settled by a decisive vote of the Con-
vention, that representation based on population
could not be entertained; so also as regards fed-
eral numbers. There were different interests
though not necessarily conflicting in different sec-
tions of the State—the only means to secure each,
and for the good of the whole, is to enter upon
the question in a spirit of compromise; with that
much good may be done; without it no satisfacto-
ry result can be expected. The city of Baltimore
and the larger and Western counties must yield
some of their extreme positions; so should the
smaller and tide-water counties. This may be
done without a sacrifice of principle, and in such
an effort, Mr. J. said, his cordial co-operation
might be calculated on. |
